one of tennessee williams best play become a good but not great film despite a stellar cast . it hard to pin exactly why this film doesn not soar but it a solid screen version . maybe it just that the subject matter work well in a stage environment and that the camera be just too intimate . familiar story of restless son and his cripple sister and and their manic mother and who seem to live in the golden past be great material for the stage . and this sad story of the mother attempt to goad the son into bring home a young man to meet the sister seem rather cruel . but even the forgotten and lose can lead life of desperation a they cling to dream and make wish on silver moon . arthur kennedy star a tom and the son who try to please his mother but longs to escape his dull job in st. louis and see the world . jane wyman be the crippled sister who have shrink from the world and collect tiny glass animal . gertrude lawrence be the mother who be abandon by her husband and have be reduce to live in a dumpy apartment and sell magazine subscription . and kirk douglas be the gentleman caller . all 4 actor be quite good and although none receive oscar nomination and despite the hype . many great actress have be associate with the role of amanda wingfield since this play make it broadway debut in the 1940s represent laurette taylor and katharine hepburn and joanne woodward and maureen stapletobm jessica tandy and julie harris and and jessica lange have all play the role on stage and film and or tv . and i swear i remember shirley booth do this on tv also . ultimetaely the story be as fragile a the glass figure . if any one character dominate the story the whole play collapse . this film version work very well in balance the role . and while wyman seem a tad old for the part and lawrence be an even odd choice . i have also read that bette davis and tallulah bankhead be consider . but how they decide on lawrence a great musical comedy star in london and new york be anyone guess . she really be quite good but the film might have need the extra star power of bette davis . anyway and this classic american play be worth watch .