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Karl Malden’s legacy

By Ron Wynn | Filed Under Film, Television 

There haven’t been many character actors in the history of American cinema or theater better than Karl Malden, who died Wednesday at 97.

Malden appeared in every conceivable type of play and film. These ranged from period pieces and war stories to westerns, mysteries,  buddy flicks, spy spoofs and historical epics over a fabulous career that extended through parts of seven decades.

While many actors try to cultivate a “common touch,” it came naturally for  Malden,  whose mother was a seamstress,  and whose father had worked both in the steel mills and been a milkman.

Everything was authentic, from his prominent nose (broken twice while playing high school basketball) to a grit and earthiness honed during his own three-year stint in the steel mills during the early ‘30s.

A promising start as an actor was initially delayed by service time in World War II, but a co-starring role in an Arthur Miller play All My Sons launched what would become a remarkable and consistently excellent career. During the ‘50s, the Malden track record included such films as The Gunfighter, Halls of Montezuma, his Oscar stint in A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront, Baby Doll and Fear Strikes Out.

His memorable performances continued during the ‘60s, with Malden excelling   in  roles ranging from officials to villain and sidekicks. The Birdman of Alcatraz, Gypsy, How The West Was Won, The Cincinnati Kid, Murderers Row,  Nevada Smith, Hotel, Cheyenne Autumn, and Patton were among his triumphs from 1962-1970.

Yet, to many Americans Karl Malden suddenly became a household name in 1972.  That year veteran producer Quinn Martin, looking for a top name to fill the role of mentor to a youthful character, tapped the 60-year-old Malden to play Lt. Mike Stone opposite a then emerging actor named Michael Douglas. The Streets of San Francisco helped elevate ABC’s place in that decade’s cop show sweepstakes. It was also Douglas’ launching pad to  film stardom, and the show subsequently made Karl Malden, a longtime film character actor,  a primetime television star.

Though it only ran five years on ABC, The Streets of San Francisco remains a beloved cop show. However, even that program didn’t give Malden as much fame as his commercials for American Express Travelers Cheques. For nearly 21 years, he was featured in that same Streets of San Francisco garb barking the “Don’t Leave Home Without Them” catchphrase.

In later years, Malden didn’t find as much quality work. A 1980 NBC drama called Skag that hearkened back to his days in the steel mills didn’t last a full season. There was a reunion Streets of San Francisco film, and appearances in some less than stellar sequels like Beyond The Poseidon Adventure and The Sting II.

His best performances during this era were in Miracle on Ice,  Twilight Time,  and the miniseries Fatal Vision. His last TV role came as a guest star in an excellent episode of The West Wing during that show’s first year. He played a Catholic priest and used the same Bible he’d had in On The Waterfront.

His 1997 autobiography When Do I Start, co-written with his daughter Carla, unveiled his opinions and feelings on a lifetime of friendships and wonderful films, many of which will always remind fans of Karl Malden’s greatness as an actor.

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