Blanche DuBois is a character from a play by which American writer?

Blanche DuBois (married name Grey) is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize-winning play A Streetcar Named Desire. The character was written for Tallulah Bankhead.

Blanche DuBois arrives, penniless, in New Orleans to stay with her sister Stella and her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. A former schoolteacher from a wealthy family, she has been evicted from her family home, "Belle Reve", after the deaths of several family members wiped out her and Stella's inheritance. It is also later revealed that, years earlier, her husband, Allan Grey, committed suicide after she caught him having sex with another man. She had a series of meaningless affairs to numb her grief, and was soon thrown out of her hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, as a "woman of loose morals" after sleeping with one of her high school English students.

Behind her veneer of social snobbery and sexual propriety, Blanche is deeply insecure, an aging Southern belle who lives in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty. Her manner is dainty and frail, and she sports a wardrobe of showy but cheap evening clothes, as indicated in the stage directions for Scene 10: "She had decked herself out in a somewhat soiled and crumpled white satin evening gown and a pair of scuffed silver slippers with brilliants set in their heels."

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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36 Comments

Emalie Monarrez Ortega

There were several underlying subplots that Williams wove in to this great play. Many resonate even today ( homosexual sex, teacher sleeping with student, fading economic stances disquised by bourgeouis affectations, destruction of fragile mind, violent man vs woman violations of both body--Blanche --and soul--Stella.), ) But it gave Brando the first great role and his chance to yell "STELLA!".---so that no one ever forgot.

Michelle Dayton

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

steve

Of the many movies that have earned at least one nomination in each of the 4 acting categories, none have ever won all 4. But this one SHOULD have!! Brando should have won Best Actor; Bogie won instead for "The African Queen," a movie he did NOT want to make. He should have won in 1954 for his performance in "The Caine Mutiny." But Brando won that year for his performance in "On The Waterfront."

Sally Meyers

Jim Adams, I always thought the use of the use of the word ‘streetcar’ was more symbolic than the actual vehicle.

Donna Smith

Missed it

debmollo

Haha Michelle Dayton, Always loved that line.

Alex Markin

Emalie Monarrez Ortega, One often hears the loud yell "Stella" in Belgian pubs. I doubt they are deliberately imitating Brando.

Jim Adams

Interesting tibet of info, I’ve always thought “A Streetcar Named Desire” took place in in San Francisco but now that I think about it the trolley cars there are called cablecars, not streetcars. Fascinating how 5 little letters can rule out an entire city. Of course streetcar ain’t no help either, since streetcars were everywhere else.

dsneed

dsneed, don't pick on my typo!

dsneed

dsneed, Incidentally never saw the entire movie.

dsneed

Had search my subconscience clouds for this one. First came up with Street Car. Then came up with Tennessee Williams. Yay me.

Lydia Coutts

Brando was magnificent as Stanley Kowalski. As was Ned Flanders in the musical version, ‘Streetcar!’ Stella! Can’t you hear me yell-a? You’re putting me through hell-a! STELLAAA! 😂