This page will contain blogs about Marlon Brando, as they become available.Marlon BrandoMarlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1948Marlon Brando (April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004) was an American actor who brought the techniques of method acting to prominence in the films A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, both directed by Elia Kazan in the early 1950s. His acting style, combined with his public persona as an outsider uninterested in the Hollywood of the early 1950s, had a profound effect on a generation of actors, including James Dean and Paul Newman, and later stars, including Robert De Niro. BiographyYouth and early acting careerBrando was born in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1935 his parents separated, and his mother moved with her three children to Santa Ana, California. In 1937 his parents reconciled, and the family moved to Libertyville, Illinois, north of Chicago. He was of Dutch, French, English and Irish stock; the original family name was Brandeau. His mother, a kind and talented woman with a drinking problem, was involved in local theater, and this first interested him in stage acting. Brando was a gifted mimic from early childhood and developed a rare ability to absorb the tics and mannerisms of people he played and to display those traits dramatically while staying in character. Brando had a tumultuous childhood, in which he was expelled from several schools. His father was largely critical of his son, but encouraged him to seek his own direction. Brando left Illinois for New York City, where he studied at the American Theatre Wing Professional School, New School, and the Actors' Studio. Brando used his method acting skills in summer-stock roles in Sayville, New York. He was expelled from his acting school in Sayville but was discovered in another play there and then made it to Broadway in the bittersweet drama, I Remember Mama, in 1944. Critics voted him "Broadway's Most Promising Actor" for his role as an anguished, paraplegic veteran in Truckline Cafe, although the play was a commercial failure. He achieved real stardom, however, as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947, directed by Elia Kazan. Brando sought out that role, driving out to Provincetown, Massachusetts where Williams was spending the summer to audition for the part. Williams recalled that he opened the screen door and knew, instantly, that he had his Stanley Kowalski. On the screenBrando's first screen role was the bitter crippled veteran in The Men in 1950. True to his method, Brando spent a month in bed at a veterans' hospital to prepare for the role. He made a much larger impression the following year when he brought his performance as Stanley Kowalski to the screen in Kazan's adaptation of "Streetcar" in 1951. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for that role, and again in each of the next three years for his roles in Viva Zapata! in 1952, Julius Caesar in 1953 and On the Waterfront in 1954. Brando finally won the Oscar for his role of Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront. Under Kazan's direction, and with a talented ensemble around him, Brando used his method training and improvisational skills to produce a performance that continues to display new facets on each viewing. He improvised much of his dialogue with Rod Steiger in the famous, much-quoted scene with him in the back of a taxicab. Brando followed that triumph by a variety of roles in the 1950s that defied expectations: as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, where he managed to carry off a singing role; as Sakini, a Japanese interpreter for the U.S. Army in postwar Japan in The Teahouse of the August Moon; as an Air Force officer in Sayonara, and a Nazi officer in The Young Lions. While he won an Oscar nomination for his acting in Sayonara, his acting had lost much of its energy and direction by the end of the 1950s. Brando's star sank even further in the 1960s as he turned in increasingly uninspired performances in Mutiny on the Bounty and several other forgettable films. Though even at this professional low point, Brando still managed to produce a few exceptional films; such as One-Eyed Jacks, a western that would be the only film Brando would ever direct. Nonetheless, his career had gone into almost complete eclipse by the end of the decade thanks to his reputation as a difficult star and his record in overbudget or marginal movies. The GodfatherMarlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather, from Paramount Pictures via the Canadian PressHis performance as Vito Corleone in The Godfather in 1973 changed this. Brando once again had to beg for a part, forcing a screen test in which he did his own makeup. Francis Ford Coppola was electrified by Brando's characterization as the head of a crime family, but had to fight the studio in order to cast him. Brando was voted the Academy Award for Best Actor for his intelligent performance; once again, he improvised important details that lent more humanity to what could otherwise have been a clichéd role. Brando turned down the Academy Award, the second actor to refuse an Oscar (the first being George C. Scott for Patton.) Brando boycotted the award ceremony, sending Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather (nee Maria Cruz) to state his objections. She was booed as she denounced Hollywood's portrayal of her people. The actor followed with one of his greatest performances in Last Tango in Paris, but it was overshadowed by an uproar over the erotic nature of the Bernardo Bertolucci film. Despite the controversy, Brando was again nominated for an award. DeclineHis career afterwards was uneven: in addition to his iconic performance as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and his intensely personal performance in Last Tango in Paris, Brando has also played Jor-El, Superman's father, in the first Superman movie—a role he agreed to only on condition that he did not have to read the script beforehand and his lines would be displayed somewhere offscreen. Other later performances, such as "The Island of Dr. Moreau", earned him some of his most uncomplimentary reviews of his career. Despite announcing plans to retire—which he made good on for most of the 1980s—he subsequently gave interesting supporting performances in movies such as A Dry White Season (for which he was again nominated for an Oscar in 1989), The Freshman in 1990 and Don Juan DeMarco in 1995. Off screenBrando's crusades for civil rights, the American Indian and other causes kept him in the public eye throughout his career. So did his romances and marriages. He married actress Anna Kashfi in 1957, believing her to be East Indian. She was revealed to be Welsh, and they separated a year later. In 1960 he married a Mexican actress, Maria "Movita" Castaneda, at least 16 years his senior, who had appeared in the first Mutiny on the Bounty in 1935, some 27 years before Brando's own version was released. A remake of Mutiny on the Bounty in 1962, with Brando as Fletcher Christian, seemed to bolster his reputation as a difficult star. He was blamed for a change in directors and a runaway budget though he disclaimed responsibility for either. The "Bounty" experience affected Brando's life in a profound way: he fell in love with Tahiti and its people. He took a 99-year lease on part of an atoll island, Tetiaroa, which he intended to make part-environmental laboratory and part-resort. Tahitian beauty Tarita Teriipia, who had appeared in the film as Fletcher Christian's love interest, became his third wife after he and Castaneda were divorced. Teriipia became the mother of two of his children. The hotel on Tetiaroa was eventually built, although it went through many redesigns due to changes demanded by Brando over the years, and is still in operation. All three wives were pregnant when he married them. The number of children he had is still in dispute, although he recognized 11 children in his will; they were:
In May 1990, Brando's first son, Christian, shot and killed Dag Drollet, 26, the Tahitian lover of Christian's half-sister Cheyenne, at the family's hilltop home above Beverly Hills. Christian, 31, claimed the shooting was accidental. After a heavily publicized trial, Christian was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and use of a gun. He was sentenced to 10 years. Before the sentencing, Marlon Brando delivered an hour of rambling testimony in which he said he and his ex-wife had failed Christian. He commented softly to members of the Drollet family: "I'm sorry. ... If I could trade places with Dag, I would. I'm prepared for the consequences." Afterward, Drollet's father said he thought Marlon Brando was acting and his son was "getting away with murder." The tragedy was compounded in 1995, when Cheyenne, said to still be depressed over Drollet's death, committed suicide by hanging herself in Tahiti. She was only 25 years old. Brando's notoriety, his family's troubled lives, his self-exile from Hollywood, and his obesity, unfortunately attracted more attention than his late acting career. He also earned a reputation for being difficult on the set, often unwilling or unable to memorize his lines and less interested in taking direction than in confronting the film director with odd and childish demands. On the other hand, most other actors found him generous, funny and supportive. On July 2, 2004, his lawyer confirmed that Marlon Brando had died the day before, July 1, at age 80. The cause of Brando's death was intentionally withheld, with his lawyer citing privacy concerns. It was later revealed that he died at UCLA Medical Center of lung failure. Partial filmography as actorAcademy Awards and nominations are noted:
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Academy Awards and nominations are noted:. On the other hand, most other actors found him generous, funny and supportive. The show ran very successfully in Las Vegas. He also earned a reputation for being difficult on the set, often unwilling or unable to memorize his lines and less interested in taking direction than in confronting the film director with odd and childish demands. He also created a show about the Rat Pack, in which he occasionally made guest appearances playing Bobby Darin. Brando's notoriety, his family's troubled lives, his self-exile from Hollywood, and his obesity, unfortunately attracted more attention than his late acting career. In 1996, he took over from Michael Crawford in the Las Vegas show, EFX. She was only 25 years old. Cassidy has appeared in several Broadway musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Blood Brothers. The tragedy was compounded in 1995, when Cheyenne, said to still be depressed over Drollet's death, committed suicide by hanging herself in Tahiti. He also made a couple of small films in the 1990s. Afterward, Drollet's father said he thought Marlon Brando was acting and his son was "getting away with murder.". In 1980, Cassidy had a cameo in the television movie, The Night the City Screamed. I'm prepared for the consequences.". The show was not a hit and was cancelled after one season. If I could trade places with Dag, I would. Due to the success of the episode, NBC created a prime time show based on it called David Cassidy: Man Under Cover. .. He received an Emmy nomination for this role. He commented softly to members of the Drollet family: "I'm sorry. He also starred in an episode of Police Story in 1978 called A Chance to Live. Before the sentencing, Marlon Brando delivered an hour of rambling testimony in which he said he and his ex-wife had failed Christian. He did continue to record after he left The Partridge Family and released several critically well-received albums on RCA during the 1970s. He was sentenced to 10 years. He toured for a while after the show ended, retiring from touring in 1975. After a heavily publicized trial, Christian was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and use of a gun. Cassidy grew tired of playing the character of Keith Partridge and decided to leave the series in 1974. Christian, 31, claimed the shooting was accidental. There were ten Partridge Family albums and several David Cassidy solo albums during the run of the show. In May 1990, Brando's first son, Christian, shot and killed Dag Drollet, 26, the Tahitian lover of Christian's half-sister Cheyenne, at the family's hilltop home above Beverly Hills. On The Partridge Family he played Keith Partridge, son of Shirley Partridge, who was played by Shirley Jones, Cassidy's real-life stepmother. The number of children he had is still in dispute, although he recognized 11 children in his will; they were:. He then took over the lead vocals for The Partridge Family recordings and quickly became a teen idol. All three wives were pregnant when he married them. When he first started working on The Partridge Family nobody knew that he could sing, until Cassidy himself brought it up. The hotel on Tetiaroa was eventually built, although it went through many redesigns due to changes demanded by Brando over the years, and is still in operation. Prior to The Partridge Family, Cassidy appeared in a number of television programs, among them Marcus Welby, M.D., The Mod Squad, Bonanza, and Ironside. Teriipia became the mother of two of his children. He is the son of the late actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward. Tahitian beauty Tarita Teriipia, who had appeared in the film as Fletcher Christian's love interest, became his third wife after he and Castaneda were divorced. David Bruce Cassidy (born April 12, 1950) is an American actor who starred in the television series The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1974. He took a 99-year lease on part of an atoll island, Tetiaroa, which he intended to make part-environmental laboratory and part-resort. Spirit of '76 (1991). The "Bounty" experience affected Brando's life in a profound way: he fell in love with Tahiti and its people. Instant Karma (1990). He was blamed for a change in directors and a runaway budget though he disclaimed responsibility for either. The Night the City Screamed (1980). A remake of Mutiny on the Bounty in 1962, with Brando as Fletcher Christian, seemed to bolster his reputation as a difficult star. World of the Partridge Family. In 1960 he married a Mexican actress, Maria "Movita" Castaneda, at least 16 years his senior, who had appeared in the first Mutiny on the Bounty in 1935, some 27 years before Brando's own version was released. Bulletin Board. She was revealed to be Welsh, and they separated a year later. Crossword Puzzle. He married actress Anna Kashfi in 1957, believing her to be East Indian. The Partridge Family Notebook. So did his romances and marriages. At Home With Their Greatest Hits. Brando's crusades for civil rights, the American Indian and other causes kept him in the public eye throughout his career. Shopping Bag. Despite announcing plans to retire—which he made good on for most of the 1980s—he subsequently gave interesting supporting performances in movies such as A Dry White Season (for which he was again nominated for an Oscar in 1989), The Freshman in 1990 and Don Juan DeMarco in 1995. Christmas Card. Moreau", earned him some of his most uncomplimentary reviews of his career. Sound Magazine. Other later performances, such as "The Island of Dr. Up To Date. His career afterwards was uneven: in addition to his iconic performance as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and his intensely personal performance in Last Tango in Paris, Brando has also played Jor-El, Superman's father, in the first Superman movie—a role he agreed to only on condition that he did not have to read the script beforehand and his lines would be displayed somewhere offscreen. The Partridge Family Album. Despite the controversy, Brando was again nominated for an award. A Touch of Blue. The actor followed with one of his greatest performances in Last Tango in Paris, but it was overshadowed by an uproar over the erotic nature of the Bernardo Bertolucci film. Then and Now. She was booed as she denounced Hollywood's portrayal of her people. Classic Songs. Scott for Patton.) Brando boycotted the award ceremony, sending Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather (nee Maria Cruz) to state his objections. Old Trick New Dog. Brando turned down the Academy Award, the second actor to refuse an Oscar (the first being George C. Didn't You Used to be?. Brando was voted the Academy Award for Best Actor for his intelligent performance; once again, he improvised important details that lent more humanity to what could otherwise have been a clichéd role. David Cassidy. Francis Ford Coppola was electrified by Brando's characterization as the head of a crime family, but had to fight the studio in order to cast him. The Best of David Cassidy. Brando once again had to beg for a part, forcing a screen test in which he did his own makeup. His Greatest Hits - Live. His performance as Vito Corleone in The Godfather in 1973 changed this. Romance. Nonetheless, his career had gone into almost complete eclipse by the end of the decade thanks to his reputation as a difficult star and his record in overbudget or marginal movies. Gettin' it in the Streets. Though even at this professional low point, Brando still managed to produce a few exceptional films; such as One-Eyed Jacks, a western that would be the only film Brando would ever direct. Home is where the Heart is. Brando's star sank even further in the 1960s as he turned in increasingly uninspired performances in Mutiny on the Bounty and several other forgettable films. The Higher They Climb. Army in postwar Japan in The Teahouse of the August Moon; as an Air Force officer in Sayonara, and a Nazi officer in The Young Lions. While he won an Oscar nomination for his acting in Sayonara, his acting had lost much of its energy and direction by the end of the 1950s. Cassidy Live!. Brando followed that triumph by a variety of roles in the 1950s that defied expectations: as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, where he managed to carry off a singing role; as Sakini, a Japanese interpreter for the U.S. Dreams are Nuthin' More than Wishes. He improvised much of his dialogue with Rod Steiger in the famous, much-quoted scene with him in the back of a taxicab. Rock Me Baby. Under Kazan's direction, and with a talented ensemble around him, Brando used his method training and improvisational skills to produce a performance that continues to display new facets on each viewing. Cherish. Brando finally won the Oscar for his role of Terry Malloy in On The Waterfront. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for that role, and again in each of the next three years for his roles in Viva Zapata! in 1952, Julius Caesar in 1953 and On the Waterfront in 1954. He made a much larger impression the following year when he brought his performance as Stanley Kowalski to the screen in Kazan's adaptation of "Streetcar" in 1951. True to his method, Brando spent a month in bed at a veterans' hospital to prepare for the role. Brando's first screen role was the bitter crippled veteran in The Men in 1950. Williams recalled that he opened the screen door and knew, instantly, that he had his Stanley Kowalski. Brando sought out that role, driving out to Provincetown, Massachusetts where Williams was spending the summer to audition for the part. He achieved real stardom, however, as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947, directed by Elia Kazan. Critics voted him "Broadway's Most Promising Actor" for his role as an anguished, paraplegic veteran in Truckline Cafe, although the play was a commercial failure. He was expelled from his acting school in Sayville but was discovered in another play there and then made it to Broadway in the bittersweet drama, I Remember Mama, in 1944. Brando used his method acting skills in summer-stock roles in Sayville, New York. Brando left Illinois for New York City, where he studied at the American Theatre Wing Professional School, New School, and the Actors' Studio. His father was largely critical of his son, but encouraged him to seek his own direction. Brando had a tumultuous childhood, in which he was expelled from several schools. Brando was a gifted mimic from early childhood and developed a rare ability to absorb the tics and mannerisms of people he played and to display those traits dramatically while staying in character. His mother, a kind and talented woman with a drinking problem, was involved in local theater, and this first interested him in stage acting. He was of Dutch, French, English and Irish stock; the original family name was Brandeau. In 1937 his parents reconciled, and the family moved to Libertyville, Illinois, north of Chicago. In 1935 his parents separated, and his mother moved with her three children to Santa Ana, California. Brando was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His acting style, combined with his public persona as an outsider uninterested in the Hollywood of the early 1950s, had a profound effect on a generation of actors, including James Dean and Paul Newman, and later stars, including Robert De Niro. Marlon Brando (April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004) was an American actor who brought the techniques of method acting to prominence in the films A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront, both directed by Elia Kazan in the early 1950s. Big Bug Man (2006). The Score (2001). Moreau (1996). The Island of Dr. Don Juan DeMarco (1995). Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992). The Freshman (1990). A Dry White Season (1989) - Nominated: Best Supporting Actor. The Formula (1980). Apocalypse Now (1979). Roots: The Next Generations (1979) - TV mini-series; won Emmy Award. Superman (1978). The Missouri Breaks (1976). Last Tango in Paris (1972) - Nominated: Best Actor. The Godfather (1972) - Winner: Best Actor (declined; accepted privately in later years). Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967). A Countess from Hong Kong (1967). The Chase (1966). Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). One-Eyed Jacks (1961). The Young Lions (1958). Sayonara (1957) - Nominated: Best Actor. The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956). Guys and Dolls (1955). Desirée (1954). On the Waterfront (1954) - Winner: Best Actor. Kurtz in Coppola's Apocalypse Now was arguably his last great role. . The Wild One (1954) Brando's role as Col. Julius Caesar (1953) - Nominated: Best Actor. Viva Zapata! (1952) - Nominated: Best Actor. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) - Nominated: Best Actor. The Men (1950). Timothy (10). Myles (12). Nina Priscilla (15). by his maid Christina Maria Ruiz:
Maimiti (28). mother not publicly known:
Cheyenne (died 1995 at the age of 25). Rebecca Brando Kotlinzky (38). Simon Teihotu (41). by his marriage to Tarita Teriipia:
Miko (43). by his marriage to actress Movita Castaneda:
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