Hope He Took his Traveler's Checks
July 1, 2009 2:44 PM Subscribe
Karl Malden has died. The Oscar and Emmy winner who had many brilliant appearances as secondary characters and starred in his own hugely popular TV show was 97.
Don't leave for heaven without him.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:49 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by porn in the woods at 2:49 PM on July 1, 2009
Meow.
posted by middleclasstool at 2:50 PM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by middleclasstool at 2:50 PM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
:o(
posted by gubo at 2:55 PM on July 1, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by gubo at 2:55 PM on July 1, 2009 [5 favorites]
I loved his work. Hard to believe he was 97. Christ, I'm old!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:56 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:56 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
Every time I look up, another 1970s talk show stalwart is gone. Orson Bean, watch your back!
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 3:13 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 3:13 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by Tesseractive at 3:16 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by Tesseractive at 3:16 PM on July 1, 2009
Meow.
posted by idiopath at 3:19 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by idiopath at 3:19 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
WHEN WILL THE CELEBRITY REAPER BE SATISFIED? WHEN?
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:27 PM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:27 PM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
I'll never forget his performance in the movie BABY DOLL. R.I.P.
posted by Ron Thanagar at 3:33 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Ron Thanagar at 3:33 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
middleclasstool: "Meow."
I feel like I've been punched in the face by nostalgia.
posted by peep at 3:36 PM on July 1, 2009
I feel like I've been punched in the face by nostalgia.
posted by peep at 3:36 PM on July 1, 2009
Gosh, what if EVERYONE famous died this year?
posted by Danf at 3:36 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Danf at 3:36 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
erm...I should post after a nap.
posted by jimmythefish at 3:38 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by jimmythefish at 3:38 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 3:51 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 3:51 PM on July 1, 2009
As mentioned on NBC Nightly News tonight, he and his wife celebrated their 70th anniversary this past winter. That itself is amazing.
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posted by explosion at 4:03 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by explosion at 4:03 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
.
posted by dancestoblue at 4:07 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by dancestoblue at 4:07 PM on July 1, 2009
How many other stars had a usenet fan group devoted to their nose? None, as far as I can tell.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:25 PM on July 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:25 PM on July 1, 2009 [3 favorites]
Here's a clip of a young Karl Malden from Streetcar Named Desire.
posted by marsha56 at 4:46 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by marsha56 at 4:46 PM on July 1, 2009
He was a great supporting actor, and, yeah, in three count 'em THREE films with Brando, which I knew but had never really, you know, processed...
Wonderful that he lived to such a ripe old age.
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posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:58 PM on July 1, 2009
Wonderful that he lived to such a ripe old age.
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posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:58 PM on July 1, 2009
I really thought he died in the late 90s. I wonder who i was thinking of.
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 5:02 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by Stylus Happenstance at 5:02 PM on July 1, 2009
.
(Perhaps you were thinking of either Walter Matthau or Jack Klugman?)
posted by bz at 5:04 PM on July 1, 2009
(Perhaps you were thinking of either Walter Matthau or Jack Klugman?)
posted by bz at 5:04 PM on July 1, 2009
Oh, man, I had seen Malden in a number of films, but I couldn't think of which one it was that I so strongly remembered him from.
Now I remember: Patton. It's remarkable that he was so memorable in that movie since he was constantly sharing the screen with George C. Scott as General Patton.
posted by the other side at 5:06 PM on July 1, 2009
Now I remember: Patton. It's remarkable that he was so memorable in that movie since he was constantly sharing the screen with George C. Scott as General Patton.
posted by the other side at 5:06 PM on July 1, 2009
I've often confused Malden, somehow, with Gene Hackman. Although their personas were pretty different, there's something similar about them, for me... I think maybe it's because they're both men who never really looked young, exactly. Somehow they both always seemed middle-aged, even in their youth.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:24 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:24 PM on July 1, 2009
One of the great movie speeches. From On the Waterfront.
posted by ferdydurke at 5:33 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by ferdydurke at 5:33 PM on July 1, 2009
Streetcar is without a doubt the best black & white movie I've ever seen. Maybe the best, period. It's awesome that he got an Oscar for that role -- he deserved it. Damn, I love me some Tennessee Williams.
And of course, I watched the Streets of San Francisco when I was a kid, in San Francisco. How could I not?
97, huh? Sounds like he had a good ride.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:33 PM on July 1, 2009
And of course, I watched the Streets of San Francisco when I was a kid, in San Francisco. How could I not?
97, huh? Sounds like he had a good ride.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:33 PM on July 1, 2009
I loved when he knocked Brando the hell off his stool for blaspheme in On The Waterfront. And he was just a messed up person in One-Eyed Jacks. Man, They had some really, really good actors coming up then. RIP Mr. Malden.
posted by Flex1970 at 6:21 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by Flex1970 at 6:21 PM on July 1, 2009
Why are so many celebrities dying recently?
Age, disease, over medication. The usual.
Oh, Karl - you leave a body of work that is so enviable and a character actor's face that was so memorable. You will be missed.
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posted by crossoverman at 6:25 PM on July 1, 2009
Age, disease, over medication. The usual.
Oh, Karl - you leave a body of work that is so enviable and a character actor's face that was so memorable. You will be missed.
.
posted by crossoverman at 6:25 PM on July 1, 2009
Mike Stone and Omar Bradley were the roles I best liked.
Dot
posted by nj_subgenius at 6:54 PM on July 1, 2009
Dot
posted by nj_subgenius at 6:54 PM on July 1, 2009
Why are so many celebrities dying recently?
Eh, it's probably just Mary Hart spicing things up for the ratings.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:54 PM on July 1, 2009
Eh, it's probably just Mary Hart spicing things up for the ratings.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:54 PM on July 1, 2009
Wow. I got a letter in the mail just today informing me that my American Express Card had been canceled due to lack of activity.
Eerie.
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posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:12 PM on July 1, 2009
Eerie.
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posted by Slarty Bartfast at 7:12 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by OolooKitty at 7:41 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by OolooKitty at 7:41 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by orthogonality at 7:43 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by orthogonality at 7:43 PM on July 1, 2009
To my eyes, the performances of most of the 1950s-60s Method actors have dated pretty poorly. Brando's supposedly "naturalistic" performances in On the Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire now appear highly mannered (which is not to say they're not good); and Montgomery Clift, much as I like his work, always seems to be playing versions of his same tortured self - quite the opposite of the Method method, as it were.
But Malden's work, to me, has always stood out. He seems to me now to have been the very best of the first wave of Method actors, who really did revolutionize screen (and stage) acting. He was an immensely subtle actor who really could tap into the strangenesses of his characters, thus humanizing them quite beautifully. He's always been one of my favorite actors, and the screen will not see another such as him in a mighty long time.
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:23 PM on July 1, 2009
But Malden's work, to me, has always stood out. He seems to me now to have been the very best of the first wave of Method actors, who really did revolutionize screen (and stage) acting. He was an immensely subtle actor who really could tap into the strangenesses of his characters, thus humanizing them quite beautifully. He's always been one of my favorite actors, and the screen will not see another such as him in a mighty long time.
posted by Dr. Wu at 8:23 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by BrotherCaine at 9:30 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:30 PM on July 1, 2009
You...you...you...brag...brag...BULL!(3:45)
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posted by maryh at 9:45 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by maryh at 9:45 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
The man deserved better than this, yet it's how I remember him.
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posted by mazola at 10:23 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by mazola at 10:23 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
Aw, man. And I just watched The Cincinnati Kid the other night.
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posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:39 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:39 PM on July 1, 2009
meow
posted by pyramid termite at 11:01 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by pyramid termite at 11:01 PM on July 1, 2009
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posted by killy willy at 11:13 PM on July 1, 2009
posted by killy willy at 11:13 PM on July 1, 2009
It's going to be one heck of a long "In Memoriam" scroll this New Year's Eve....
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:19 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:19 PM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
what dr. wu said. it makes sense, though: malden was an adult who'd had to make a living when he came to acting. there's probably not much substitute for real life experience.
this is sad, but to me it's not "."-sad: @ 97 with that body of work. and solid performances into his late 80s, forget dots, the man's memory deserves a toast and a film festival, not a dot.
posted by lodurr at 5:37 AM on July 2, 2009
this is sad, but to me it's not "."-sad: @ 97 with that body of work. and solid performances into his late 80s, forget dots, the man's memory deserves a toast and a film festival, not a dot.
posted by lodurr at 5:37 AM on July 2, 2009
I always wished he'd play Marty. He would have been a great Marty.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:46 AM on July 2, 2009
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:46 AM on July 2, 2009
He was inescapable in movies and later in TV, with the "Streets of San Francisco" role and all of the "Don't leave home without it" ads for American Express. I really can't believe he was 97 either. I thought for sure he was, like, 78.
Speaking of Montgomery Clift, Malden had a fantastic smaller part in Alfred Hitchcock's "I Confess" (Clift starred).
posted by blucevalo at 8:14 AM on July 2, 2009
Speaking of Montgomery Clift, Malden had a fantastic smaller part in Alfred Hitchcock's "I Confess" (Clift starred).
posted by blucevalo at 8:14 AM on July 2, 2009
Here's another vote for his performance in A Streetcar Named Desire. What an incredible performance in a role that was, incredibly complex and nuanced. TBoth tough and vulnerable. Innocent and kind. Flawed, but hopeful. That film would've been a lot less than it was if not for his performance.
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posted by Skygazer at 9:09 AM on July 2, 2009
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posted by Skygazer at 9:09 AM on July 2, 2009
Damn, I forgot about "The Cincinnati kid," he was awesome in that too.
And probably another half dozen of my other favorite movies that I'm just flaking on right now.
posted by Capt Jingo at 9:26 AM on July 2, 2009
And probably another half dozen of my other favorite movies that I'm just flaking on right now.
posted by Capt Jingo at 9:26 AM on July 2, 2009
Oh, I'm so sorry to see this, tho at 97 he probably had accomplished what he wanted. Not only was he perfectly hangdog (and eventually angry) as Mitch in Streetcar, he played that sorta repugnant character in Baby Doll; he was a president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Mike Stone of the San Francisco PD.
Vanity Fair printed a picture of him in his living room a couple years ago. I don't think he was wearing a hat, but he looked comfortable and rumpled nonetheless. A far cry from Mitch.
He must have had something to do with Communist trials in the 50s. Everyone else did.
posted by goofyfoot at 4:00 AM on July 3, 2009
Vanity Fair printed a picture of him in his living room a couple years ago. I don't think he was wearing a hat, but he looked comfortable and rumpled nonetheless. A far cry from Mitch.
He must have had something to do with Communist trials in the 50s. Everyone else did.
posted by goofyfoot at 4:00 AM on July 3, 2009
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posted by zaelic at 2:47 PM on July 1, 2009