Bet you always wondered what thesis Tennessee Williams had in mind when he wrote “A Streetcar Named Desire.” So here’s your answer, from a three-page picture spread in the December 15, 1947, issue of Life:
The drama ends when Blanche, clinging to her pitiful delusion that she is a grand lady, is led away by asylum attendants. Her sister and husband can now resume their happiness, proving Williams’ thesis that healthy life can go on only after it is rid of unwholesome influence.
Oh, man, who painted that? I can think of two or three possibilities, but why speculate?
Posted by: John Shannon on September 25, 2011 9:09 PMYou're probably right. Thomas Hart Benton. For extra credit, who is the man in the orange wifebeater?
Posted by: Jerry Doolittle on September 25, 2011 9:44 PMThere was this English teacher in my high school who was rumored to be on lithium. He used to ask everyone to give "the interpretation of the poem." Like there was exactly one. I bet the lithium did that. It sounds like working for Time-Life had similar effects.
Posted by: Martha Bridegam on September 26, 2011 3:23 AMWhat's the matter with you people? The guy in the wifebeater is Karl Malden. He later won an Academy Award for his performance in the movie version. Jeez.
Posted by: Jerry Doolittle on September 27, 2011 7:25 PM