The great Karl Malden passed away today at the ripe old age of ninety-seven. He was a stellar film actor for years, winning an Oscar in "Streetcar Named Desire," and probably should have won another two for "On The Waterfront" and "Patton" (his performances were excellent, but more importantly, he held his own against the two all-time cinematic divas, Marlon Brando and George C. Scott). For a man with a distinctly bulbous nose ( he once quipped that his nose alone qualified him for handicapped parking), he got a lot of superb mileage out of Hollywood.
However, for me, Karl Malden will always be the curiously cool old guy from "The Streets of San Francisco," and the American Express commercials ("Don't leave home without it.") in the '70s. Sporting a trenchcoat and a fedora throughout the 70s, he still came off like a badass...the seemingly genial grandpa clenching a pair of brass knuckles...
It is a low day...let us pay homage to the great Karl Malden...
