Marlon Brando his career, Brando began using cue cards instead of memorizing his lines. Despite the objections of several of the film directors he worked with, Brando felt that this helped bring realism and spontaneity to his performances. He felt otherwise he would appear to be reciting a writer's speech. In the TV documentary "The Making of Superman: The Movie", Brando explained: However, some thought Brando used the cards out of laziness or an inability to memorize his lines. Once on "The Godfather" set, Brando was asked why he wanted his lines printed out. He responded, "Because I can read them that
Marlon Brando way." Brando brought his performance as Stanley Kowalski to the screen in Tennessee William's "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951). The role is regarded as one of Brando's greatest. The reception of Brando's performance was so positive that Brando quickly became a male sex symbol in Hollywood. The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category. He was also nominated the next year for "Viva Zapata!" (1952), a fictionalized account of the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. It recounted his peasant upbringing, his rise to power in the early 20th century, and death. The film