Oscar Winner Karl Malden Dies at 97

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Karl Malden, the Academy Award-winning actor who appeared in some of the most iconic films of the mid-20th century and later found heightened fame on television and in commercials, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 97.
The actor's family told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences that he died of natural causes at his home in Brentwood. Malden served as president of the academy from 1989-92.
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Recent Losses in Tinseltown
Karl Malden, July 1: The Academy Award-winning actor, known for roles in cinematic milestones 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'On the Waterfront' and for his jump to TV in the 1970s with 'The Streets of San Francisco,' died of natural causes at his home in California. He was 97.
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Barry King, WireImage

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Malden made his screen debut in 1940 with 'They Knew What They Wanted,' and was universally praised for his role as Mitch in the 1951 classic 'A Streetcar Named Desire.' He won an Oscar for his efforts in the film, co-starring the great Marlon Brando.
His career flourished after that and he scored big with beefy roles as a priest in 'On the Waterfront' (again with Brando) and a warden in 'Birdman of Alcatraz.' Among his more than 50 film credits include: 'Patton,' in which he played Gen. Omar Bradley, 'Pollyanna,' 'Fear Strikes Out,' 'Bombers B-52,' 'Cheyenne Autumn,' and 'All Fall Down.'
One of his most controversial films was 'Baby Doll' in 1956, in which he played a dullard husband whose child bride is exploited by a businessman. It was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency for what was termed its "carnal suggestiveness." The story was by 'Streetcar' author Tennessee Williams.
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'A Streetcar Named Desire'

'On the Waterfront'

But his greatest fame arrived in the 1970s TV series 'The Streets of San Francisco,' in which he played Detective Mike Stone. Malden also kept his face on television as the pitchman for American Express for over 21 years.
Malden first gained prominence on Broadway in the late 1930s, making his debut in 'Golden Boy' by Clifford Odets. It was during this time that he met Elia Kazan, who later was to direct him in 'Streetcar' and 'Waterfront.'
He steadily gained more prominent roles, with time out for service in the Army in World War II (and a role in an Army show, "Winged Victory.")
'A Streetcar Named Desire' opened on Broadway in 1947 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle awards. Brando's breakthrough performance might have gotten most of the attention, but Malden did not want for praise. Once critic called him "one of the ablest young actors extant."
Malden was known for his meticulous preparation, studying a script carefully long before he stepped into his role.
"I not only figure out my own interpretation of the role, but try to guess other approaches that the director might like. I prepare them, too," he said in a 1962 Associated Press interview. "That way, I can switch in the middle of a scene with no sweat."
"There's no such thing as an easy job, not if you do it right," he added.
He was born Mladen Sekulovich in Chicago on March 22, 1912. Malden regretted that in order to become an actor he had to change his name. He insisted that Fred Gwynne's character in "On the Waterfront" be named Sekulovich to honor his heritage.
The family moved to Gary, Ind., when he was small. He quit his steel job 1934 to study acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre "because I wasn't getting anywhere in the mills," he recalled.
"When I told my father, he said, 'Are you crazy? You want to give up a good job in the middle of the Depression?' Thank god for my mother. She said to give it a try."
Malden and his wife, Mona, a fellow acting student at the Goodman, had one of Hollywood's longest marriages, having celebrated their 70th anniversary in December.
Besides his wife, Malden is survived by daughters Mila and Cara, his sons-in-law, three granddaughters, and four great grandchildren.
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2009-07-01 15:39:43
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