I'm sorry to bring you all word of yet another high-profile death in the entertainment industry. Karl Malden, 97, died today of natural causes in his Brentwood, California home. The Oscar-winning actor's career was highlighted by hits in both TV and film, with notable appearances in such classics as "Patton" and "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Malden decades of work in showbiz gave him the opportunity to share screens both large and small with the likes of Marlon Brando, Jackie Gleason, Barbra Streisand, Michael Douglas, Steve McQueen and countless others. He is perhaps best remembered for his starring role on the hit TV series "The Streets of San Francisco" and for appearing alongside a young Marlon Brando in "Streetcar" (for which Malden won a Best Supporting Oscar) and "On the Waterfront."
The actor will of course also be remembered for famously delivering the slogan "Don't leave home without it!" for American Express through the 70s and 80s. I wish I had more to say about this great actor, but my experience with his work is at best limited. NPR has a comprehensive remembrance up now that I recommend reading, and I'm sure we'll see more personal writeups emerge in the hours and days to come.
What is your favorite Karl Malden role?
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