Karl Malden
(1912 - 2009)One of America's most beloved character actors, the affable, amiable Karl Malden starred on stage, films and television and was highly successful in all media. An average looking man with a receding hairline, bulbous nose and putty-like face he was adept at comedy or drama, playing good guys or villains. He added such richness and depth to the characters he played that he was often nominated for awards. He was born Mladen Sekulovic on March 22, 1912 in Chicago, Illinois of Yugoslavian parents Petar, a steel worker and milkman and Minnie (Sebera) Sekulovich, a seamstress. He was raised in Gary, Indiana and worked in the steel mills of Gary as a young man. He later attended the Goodman Theatre drama school in Chicago hoping to become a stage-hand. He played pro basketball to pay his tuition. Eventually the director convinced him to play a small role in a drama and he was 'hooked.' It wasn't long before he made his Broadway debut and began a very successful stage career. He changed his name to Malden during this time. His big break came in "A Streetcar Named Desire." His film debut came in 1940 in the film "They Knew What They Wanted" as Red. Among his other film credits are: "Winged Victory" (1944) as Adams; "13 Rue Madeleine" (1947) as Flyer; "Boomerang" (1947) as Det. Lt. White; the film classic "Kiss of Death" (1947) as Sgt. William Cullen; "Halls of Montezuma" (1950) a Doc, one of my many favorite Malden roles; "The Gunfighter" (1950) with Gregory Peck, as Mac; "Where the Sidewalk Ends" (1950) Det. Lt. Thomas; "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) as Mitch, for which he won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actor; "The Sellout" (1952) as Capt. Buck Maxwell; "Diplomatic Courier" (1952) as Sgt. Ernie Guelvada; "Operation Secret" (1952) as Major Latrec; "Ruby Gentry" (1952) as Jim Gentry; "Take the High Ground!" (1953) as Sgt. Laverne Holt; "I Confess" (1953) as Inspector Larrue; "Phantom of the Rue Morgue" (1954) as Dr. Marais; "On the Waterfront" (1954) as Father Barry, for which he received an Oscar nomination; "Baby Doll" (1956) as Archie Lee Meighan; "Fear Strikes Out" (1957) as John Piersall, a pushy father; "Time Limit" (1957) uncredited as Prisoner; "Bombers B-52" (1957) as Master Sgt. Chuck V. Brennan; "The Hanging Tree" (1959) which he co-directed, as Frenchy Plante, another of my favorite of his roles; "Pollyana" (1960) as Rev. Paul Ford; "The Great Impostor" (1960) as Father Devlin, yet another favorite; "One-Eyed Jacks" (1961) as Sheriff Dad Longworth; "Parrish" (1961) as Judd Raike; "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962) as Warden Harvey Shoemaker, another favorite role; "All Fall Down" (1962) as Ralph Willart; "Gypsy" (1962) as Herbie Sommers; "How the West Was Won" (1962) as Zebulon Prescott; "Come Fly with Me" (1963) as Walter Lucas; "Dead Ringer" (1964) as Sgt. Jim Hobbson; "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964) as Capt. Wessels; "The Cincinnati Kid" (1965) as Shooter, another of my favorites; "Nevada Smith" (1966) as Tom Fitch; "Murderer's Row" (1966) as Julian Wall; "Hotel" (1967) as Keycase; "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" (1967) as Judge Higgins; "Billion Dollar Brain" (1967) as Leo Newbigen; "Blue" (1968) as Doc Morton; "Hot Millions" (1968) as Carlton J. Klemper; "Patton" (1970) with George C. Scott, as Gen. Omar Bradley, another favorite of mine; "The Cat o' Nine Tails" (1971) as Franco Arno; "Wild Rovers" (1971) as Walter Buckman; "Summertime Killer" (1972) as Capt. John Kiley; "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure" (1979) as Wilbur Hubbard; "Meteor" (1979) as Harry Sherwood NASA; "Twilight Time" (1982) as Marko Sekulovic; "The Sting II" (1983) as Gus Macalinski; "Billy Galvin" (1986) as Jack Galvin and "Nuts" (1987) as Arthur Kirk, his final film. On TV he was a regular on the series: "The Streets of San Francisco" (1972-77) with Michael Douglas, as Lt. Mike Stone and "Skag" (1980) as Pete 'Skag' Skagska. He has appeared in many TV movies including: "Miracle on Ice" (1980); "Fatal Vision" (1984) for which he won an Emmy; "Hijacking of the Achille Lauro" (1989); "Call Me Anna" (1990); and "They've Taken Our Children; The Chowchilla Kidnapping" (1993). He was sometimes billed, early on, as Malden Sekulovich. He served as President of the Motion Picture Academy from 1989-1993 and is still one of the most respected spokesmen in the film industry. He married Mona Graham in 1938 and they had two daughters. He died on July 1, 2009 in Brentwood, California at the age of 97 due to natural causes.
From Great Character Actors, Page 6.
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