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Karl Malden Dies at 97
The much loved great character actor Karl Malden died yesterday at the age of 97. Malden, who was born Malden Sekulovich in Chicago in 1912, was best known for his roles in A Streetcar Named Desire (for which he won an Oscar) and On the Waterfront, and for appearing with a young Michael Douglas in the 70s TV show The Streets of San Francisco. Given his age, Malden had only stopped acting relatively recently, as his last screen appearance was in 2000 in an episode of the TV show The West Wing.
Here's Hollywood Elsewhere's Jeff Wells on a favorite Malden moment:
"I love Malden's third-act Waterfront moment with Brando in the Hoboken bar when he snaps at the bartender, "Gimme a beer!" And his line to Eva Marie Saint in the beginning: "You think I'm just a gravy-train rider with a turned-around collar...don't you? Don't you? (Pause) I see the sisters taught you not to lie.""
In his obituary for the Los Angeles Times, Dennis McLellan pinpoints the secret of Malden's success:
"With his unglamorous mug -- Malden had broken his bulbous nose twice playing sports as a teenager -- the former Indiana steel-mill worker realized early on the course his acting career would take. "I never thought I was salable," Malden recalled in a 2004 interview. "I learned in my second year of drama school that I was not a leading man -- I was a character actor. So I thought, I'd better be the best character actor around.""
Christopher Campbell over at Spout collects more links, but I'll leave you with Anne Thompson's final words on Malden, which sum up the thoughts of many who have marked his passing: "We should all wish to generate such respect and affection, and live so long."
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