Newswire R.I.P. Karl Malden

by Noel Murray July 1, 2009

Oscar- and Emmy-winning actor Karl Malden died today at the age of 97. Malden began his career on Broadway in the late '30s, and after his service in World War II entered the motion picture business, appearing in acclaimed films like On The Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire, where his pleasantly plain look and style fit neatly alongside the rising generation of method actors. Malden moved over to television in the '70s, starring in the long-running cop drama The Streets Of San Francisco alongside a young Michael Douglas, and later top-lining the short-lived labor drama Skag, which was one of the earliest examples of a show that critics and fans fought (vainly) to save from premature cancellation. Malden was also well-known for a series of commercials he did for American Express, and for serving as the president of The Motion Picture Academy Of Arts & Sciences from 1988 to 1993. Malden is survived by his wife of 70(!) years, and two children.

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