Brando was born on April 3, 1924, in Omaha, Nebraska, to pesticide and chemical feed manufacturer Marlon Brando Sr. and Dorothy Julia Pennebaker. Brando had two elder sisters, Jocelyn and Frances.
His mother, known as Dodie, was unusual in her time; She smoked, wore pants and drove cars. An actress and theater executive, she helped to launch Henry Fonda's acting career. However, she was an alcoholic, often brought home from bars in Chicago by her husband. Eventually, Dodie and Brando's father joined Alcoholics Anonymous. Brando developed a growing animosity toward his father, "I was his name, but I never did anything to please or interest him. He amused himself by telling me I couldn't do anything. He had a habit of saying I would never do . . . anything." When he was four years old, Brando was sexually abused by his teenage peers. Brando has a relationship with her and is upset when she leaves him. Throughout his life, Brando mourned her passing. In 1930, Brando's parents moved to Evanston, Illinois, and his father's work took him to Chicago, but they separated in 1935 when Brando was 11 years old. His mother took all three children to Santa Ana, California, where they lived with his mother. Brando's parents reconciled in 1937, and the following year they left Evanston and moved together to a farm in Libertyville, Illinois, a small town north of Chicago. Between 1939 and 1941, he worked as an usher at The Liberty, the city's only theater.
0 Comments