The mid-20th century’s most renowned American film and theater director, Elia Kazan, crafted the cinema landmarks “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “On the Waterfront” and “East of Eden.”
Kazan’s stage and screen productions of works by playwrights Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and William Inge and novelist John Steinbeck presented Marlo Brando, James Dean, Vivian Leigh, Karl Malden, Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood in their most memorable screen moments.
A son of Greek immigrants, Kazan carried a class-conscious chip on his shoulder throughout his life. His 19 films also include 1947’s Oscar-winning “Gentleman’s Agreement” and 1957’s damning portrait of a populist demagogue, “A Face in the Crowd.”
Beyond his knack for transposing the words of great contemporary writers into vivid performan