SEX APPEAL – Marlon Brando was (to me) the first man on-screen to exhibit pure, uninhibited, animal, and primal sexuality and sensuousness in “Streetcar Named Desire”. Sure, there were male sex symbols before him. There was Valentino, Antonio Moreno, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, etc. – but Brando was in “Streetcar” was about to jump through the screen, slap you, spit in your face, do a deep slam, throw back a drink and leave the door open on his way out. And possibly grab the cash out of your wallet. Sexy, buff, rough trade. And Stella liked it. “I smelled the roadhouse whiskey on his breath, and I liked it!” (Yes, it’s from a different movie – YKIYK) but it sums him up. There simply was nobody as sexual onscreen as Marlon Brando. The brute in “Streetcar”, his ass showcased in jeans in “The Wild One”, the butter in “Last Tango in Paris” for anal. Need I say more? Yeah, he got older and fatter and less sexually attractive. BUT. Has anybody read the autobiographies of Streisand and Billy Dee Williams??? They BOTH say that Marlon wanted to f*&ck them. They both declined. But are we surprised?? No. Marlon was a walking hard-on. He wasn’t indiscriminate, but if you had swirl, he loved it. If you had intellect, he loved it. If you had both … he loved it even more! How different is that from any other Hollywood “I made it” star”? Except, it was Marlon Brando. Let’s not get it twisted.

Marlon's Interesting screen-test for "Streetcar" - renditions of the famous scene are at ~ one minute 45 secs. “Hey Stella!” MUST have inspired Right Said Fred and “I’m too sexy for my shirt”.

THE MOVIES – I’ve never watched “The Godfather” movies. I vaguely remember my parents taking us to a drive-in to see one (or more) of them. Maybe I’m imagining it. I don’t know. Shoot me. I’ve got the boxed set and I’ll eventually get to them. But here’s a quick recap of the handful of Brando movies that I HAVE seen (and when I saw it) along with my off-the-cuff recollections and opinions:

SUPERMAN (1978) – I barely recall my first viewing except that I had butterflies when Superman and Lois Lane were flying together. I remember “the guy with the white hair” and some scuttlebutt in a Rona Barrett (?) magazine about Marlon being paid a lot for the role. Less than 20 minutes onscreen for about $19 million dollars. Not bad for day’s work. Also, justification for my lesson to young un’s that the “Fuckery is always in the details” Brando got paid an upfront salary of less than $4 mil, but he had a percentage of the box office (and let’s be clear a percentage of the GROSS is a lot different than a percentage of the NET)

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (late 1980’s) – My best friend (RIP my beloved Jimmy Kent- you taught me everything!) made me watch “Streetcar”. WOW! I had never seen such male sexuality smack me in the face so hard. And from an OLD movie, at that. Plus, the whole Vivien Leigh thing. I didn’t know (or care) about “Gone with the Wind”, Scarlett O’Hara or Tennessee Williams. Little did I know that they are all so intricately intertwined with Blanch DuBois and a faded beauty who relies on “Magic” instead of harsh reality (aka women and gay men of a certain age) The gay in me blossomed the day that Jimmy made me watch “A Streetcar Named Desire”. And it is one of the ONLY movies that I will watch again and again, primarily to introduce to younger straight friends to show the magic of young Marlon and that sexy men weren’t just created in the gym in the 2020’s. And you know what? Marlon STILL makes them pay attention. Straight dudes. In 2025. Now that’s sayin’ something. Tennessee is gleeful in his grave. If only he REMOVED the bottle cap before popping those prescription sleeping pills. IYKYK

The WILD ONE (early 1990’s) – I recorded it on TV and watched it on VHS. It was grainy AF and the story is corny. Who is/was Marlon’s co-star Mary Murphy? But Marlon Brando. YOWSAH! Marlon in a leather cap, with cuffed, tight blue jeans astride a motorcycle. It’s the movie stills and a couple of scenes of Marlon from behind that make the whole movie worth it. What was the director thinking? And did his wife know? Ummmm…. Can you say “Tom of Finland”???

DON JUAN DE MARCO (1995) – I don’t even know WHY I went to see this movie when it was released. I was 30. I can only guess that I was there for Faye Dunaway, Johnny Depp or free drinks. None of those things made me like the movie any better. Marlon who? He had been “bulking” big time. I can’t remember a thing from this movie. Probably for the best.

THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU – (1996) – This movie I purposely wanted to see when it first came out, because I had fond memories of the Burt Lancaster version from my tween years. When I saw it in the theaters, I was having hard-hitting WTF moments. Fat Marlon Brando in whiteface, a seemingly stoned-detached (but handsome) Val Kilmer doing God-only-knows what with his character. This movie was a shit show. It wasn’t until 2025 and watching “Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau” that I started to see the movie in a different light. I bought a boxed set of H.G. Wells books to read the original novel, bought the Brando/Kilmer version on Blu-Ray, the original filmed version “Island of Lost Souls” with Charles Laughton and went I went deep and hard on Moreau. And you know what? Marlon is actually quite entertaining in this movie. And super cray-cray. Watch the documentary before re-visiting the movie and you'll see it with new eyes.

REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE – Sometime in the 2010’s - Now I’m an older gay and I’ve heard that I need to watch this movie for its many layers of camp appeal. HOLY CRAP! There’s so much to say about it, that I’ve created a separate page for crazy-town movies done by Brando and Elizabeth Taylor. “Reflections” has its own entry in this blog. The movie still makes my head spin. This is Marlon's most explicit closeted "gay" role. It's a must-see for so many reasons. Watching Marlon Brando's big ass from behind as he tries to get on a horse while Elizabeth Taylor mocks him is just one of the countless nuggets.

https://www.bobbyatgloss.com/celebrity-list/boom!?ref=Reflections+in+a+Golden+Eye

NIGHT OF THE FOLLOWING DAY – October 2025 – I ask two friends who don’t know each other, “What Marlon Brando film – other than Streetcar, Wild One and Reflections should I watch”. They both (within minutes) simultaneously recommended this one. WHOAH. (a) Marlon Brando in a blonde wig is a bit disconcerting. Once you get past that and can see the wonderful, true deep blue color of his eyes – you forget the wig. (b) Him and Rita Moreno slapping each other around, in a fight that replicates the true-life complications of their on-and-off relationship is BRILLIANT (c) Marlon’s acting is top notch. Natural. Blu-Ray shows his makeup, wig, etc. but his acting (and his role) ties this film together. A brilliant cast, an under-rated movie. Watch it.

GUYS AND DOLLS – November 2025 - Marlon in his scene with Sinatra “Honestly, I couldn’t swallow a mouthful”. That sums it up for me.

WIVES

WALLY COX – Wife?!?! Well, “best friends”. Possibly with benefits? Who knows what to believe about the incredibly close friendship between Stanley Kowalski and Mr. Peepers. Brando biographers all concur that these two very different men were not only roommates, and very close, but quite often speculated (or outright stated) as being intimate partners. There’s a famous picture of Marlon (?) “smoking” on a somebody’s “cigar” and it’s rumored to be Wally’s (although the “cigar” looks black to me … that profile and those nostrils DO look like Brando). But I’m never one to engage in salacious gossip. HA!!! Search for the image yourself and see what you think …

Facts are that they were incredibly close friends, Marlon was devastated by Wally’s death in 1973 at 48 and kept Wally’s ashes in an urn. Supposedly their ashes are scattered together, and Marlon (allegedly) told one writer that had Wally been a woman, he would have married him, and that Wally was the true love of his life. If you look closely at this picture of the two of them together, note the sly look on Marlon’s face and the quasi “smell my finger” pose. Knowing that Marlon’s sexual appetite was voracious and open to both sexes, not only does this not surprise me, but it makes total sense that Marlon was attracted to the incredibly intelligent Wally Cox. Opposites attract and only Mr. Peepers knows. "Inside, I'm Tyrone Power"

ANNA KASHFI - One of the very first movie star biographies I read was “Brando for Breakfast” by his wife Anna Kashfi. It was a standout for me as a teenager, even though I really didn’t know much about Brando. It was Anna’s tone (bitterness?) and vitriol against Marlon that was so intriguing and engaging. It seemed to be so extreme. But knowing more about his life, over 45 years later, I’m now convinced that Anna was not exaggerating about their custody fight over their son Christian (later jailed for killing his sister’s boyfriend at the Brando compound). Marlon was a difficult man that enjoyed participating in contretemps; even later in life he would use the Internet just to start arguments. I think he may have thrived on pressing people’s buttons, testing their intellect, and using psychological warfare to see how he could successfully rankle. I believe Anna was telling (mostly the truth)

As for her movies, I must be honest and say I’ve seen … NONE. However, I have some fantastic stills of her in my collection and I have an interesting story about tracking her down and writing her for an autograph. I had many addresses for her throughout the years, but they came back Return to Sender or went unanswered. I finally found an address for an Anna Kashfi on Roxbury Drive, with noted relatives by the name of Brando. In 2012, I sent a certified letter with signed receipt requested and some small photos to be autographed. The address on Roxbury drive seemed to be/might have been owned by Marlon? You can see from the photos that I received the return receipt back, signed, Anna C. Brando along with my original envelope with a handwritten note “sorry but (?) not the right Anna (Khashfi) Brando. WHAAAT?!?!? Very strange. Was it really the RIGHT Anna and she misspelled Kashfi on purpose? Or was there REALLY an Anna K(h)ashfi Brando living on Roxbury drive, connected to Marlon Brando, that was not his ex-wife? I’m so confused. (And P.S. shout out to my favorite lawyer, and ex co-worker, Lauren S. because the Roxbury Drive address made me think of you)

Regarding Anna Kashfi’s autograph, I was lucky to stumble across some signed promotional photos from the time of “Brando for Breakfast” and I do have a signed copy of the book. Their marriage was high drama. But with Marlon … heh … what else would you expect? Here's a few minutes of vintage footage from the custody battle.

Movita - Marlon and Movita were "together" for 8 years from 1960-8 before their marriage was annulled ... because she was still married to somebody else. Two years into their "marriage", he put her in a small role in "Mutiny on the Bounty" - so she had to watch as his romance developed during filming with the woman he would marry in 1962. "There's a monster in his pants and it does a nasty dance" I have no idea whether this autograph of hers is real or not. Interesting fact: They had two children. Their son Miko was the bodyguard, assistant and close friend to Michael Jackson for many years. We all know how Michael loved those Hollywood legends. And they loved him back. He and Marlon were quite close friends and Marlon would stay at Neverlandf or weeks at time, especially in his final years.

Tarita Teriipaia - Pick a non-actress Tahitian girl to be your leading lady, fall in love with her during filming, marry her and buy the island on which the movie was filmed. "Things Marlon Brando Would Do" I don't have an autograph of Tarita and I've only seen a couple of them pop up over the years. I did buy a copy of her autobiography "Marlon, My Love and My Torment" - but it's in French. I'll get right on that. The newspaper photo of Tarita with Marlon at the trial of Christian Brando is touching. Their daughter's (Cheyenne) boyfriend (Dag Drollet) had been killed by Marlon's son with Anna Kashfi, Christian Brando. A lot of suffering in the Brando households at that time for sure. Let's look at the happy courting between Marlon and Tarita.

MOMMIE DEAREST AND SISTER JOCELYN - “Barbara, PLEASE. PLEASE, Barbara. If you need anything, ask Carol Ann.” Faye Dunaway uttered these famous, campy lines in “Mommie Dearest” during the scene where she tackles Christina to the ground and chokes her. The startled “reporter from Redbook” (character named Barbara Bennett) was played by Marlon Brando’s sister, Jocelyn. Marlon and his sister were pretty close, and she was at his side when he died. I wonder if Jocelyn conferred with Marlon in preparation for her role to get his feedback on Joan Crawford. If we’re to believe the ridiculous Brando biography by Darwin Porter – Joan Crawford attacked Brando in a sloppy drunken frenzy and had the most horrible breath. “THIS IS APPALLING!!!!” In reality, Marlon Brando DID meet Joan Crawford in 1968 on Merv Griffin (Google it- you’ll see them together) and she was supposedly initially interested in him for the Jack Palance role in “Sudden Fear” (but he passed). This is the true origin of the Darwin dookie As if.

“This is wonderful. THIS IS WONDERFUL. YOU. You deliberately embarrassed me in front of a REPORTER” Jocelyn Brando's entire scene is showcased in "The Best 6 1/2 Minutes of Mommie Dearest". She appears first at one minute 30 seconds

THE FEUDS – Well there’s certainly no shortage of people who butted heads with Brando. But two of his biggest co-star feuds were with Trevor Howard in “Mutiny on the Bounty” and with Val Kilmer on “The Island of Dr. Moreau”. Trevor Howard referred to Brando as "unprofessional and absolutely ridiculous" and Marlon thought Howard was supercilious and over-serious. So Marlon would taunt Trevor, or mumble, which infuriated him. And since Marlon's character and on-set behavior were well-liked, it bothered Trevor even more. I'm pretty sure Marlon snickered at the whole thing.

Val Kilmer and Marlon ping-ponged mental mind-games which did more to affect the crew (waiting forever for who would come out of their trailer first) than it affected either of these egotistical men. Especially Marlon who was making up dialog as he went along and was getting paid extra the longer the production went on. Why not mess with Kilmer?? “I wanna have some fun”

AUTOGRAPHS – Marlon had a thing about autographs. He didn’t like signing very much and he thought it was stupid that autograph collectors would even ask for one. (See my entry on Kim Stanley). Of course, there are thousands of forgeries floating around, as if Marlon Brando was signing pictures from “The Godfather” through the mail by the dozen, every day, for years. Come on, people. That’s not how he rolled. He would sign autographs occasionally, early in his career, but the older he got, the more Garbo-esque he became. He was known to even quiz in-person autograph collectors about what they knew of his career or WHY would they even want his autograph. Hardly ever (but sometimes, yes!) were their answers to his satisfaction enough to grant an autograph.

The autograph you see here was gotten in person on-set by a photographer who caught Marlon on a good day, and willingly inscribed to the photographer's wife, and signed beautifully. It makes perfect sense because this is clearly one of Marlon's favorite pictures of himself. You can see that he used a photo from the same sitting on the inside covers of his autobiography. I love the beauty of this photo as a priced collectible, regardless of its authenticity. Don't say it McGarbo!

I'm going to wind down Brando for now with some audio clips - Here's Elaine Stritch during her wonderful one-woman show talking about Marlon

And during the pandemic, when I first heard this song by Brando and saw pictures of him, I was 100% convinced he was a grandson or something of Marlon’s! (He's not) But it's a great song!

The final tribute - a brief clip of every Marlon Brando role from 1950 to 2001

DIRECTORY

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