And another one. . . RIP to Mr. Karl Malden

[fflagg]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:16pm

Mr. Malden passed at the age of 97. What an actor and a damned nice guy.

[Calvin]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:17pm

Just saw it on a wire...no news up yet, though.

(oddly enough, he and Michael Jackson were both Gary, Ind. natives)

eta -- la times story is up Updated On: 7/1/09 at 03:17 PM

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:34pm

Really? Really really? I don't believe anything any more after rushing out to buy those Rick Astley records.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:40pm

If I was a celebrity I would be fearing for my life right now.

[tazber]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:41pm

Thanks to Seth Macfarlane I will forever picture Karl Malden as a coke fiend.

R.I.P.

[Stagedoor2]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:46pm

This one makes me sad. His real name was Mladen Sekulovich (a good Serbian name) and after he changed his name for Hollywood, there was a character named "Sekulovich" in each of his films.

My Serbian grandmother loved him.

R.I.P. Mr. Sekulovich Updated On: 7/1/09 at 03:46 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:46pm

Mollie Sugden, who played Mrs. Slocombe on "Are You Being Served?" too. She was 86.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:49pm

I LOVE Molly! So sad....goodbye Mrs. Slocombe..."going up!"

RIP to both....

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 4:01pm

Karl was a fine actor. RIP

[romantico]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:14pm

I've always liked Karl. Here is a clip from Karl on the West Wing. Great episode.Great actor!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw1xgeM3Rb4&feature=

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:20pm

May he rest in peace. He was extraordinary in PATTON, and wonderful in everything he did. Thanks, romantico, for the WEST WING clip.

[Hiram]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:28pm

One of the great character actors of all time and a class act.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:36pm

Updated On: 7/1/09 at 05:36 PM

[Q]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:48pm

A fine actor and a true gentleman. Peace to him and those who loved him.

[bschneid76]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:56pm

Karl Malden AND Molly Sugden? That makes me very very sad.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:57pm

A very good caracter actor who always gave a good performance in whatever he did

RIP

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 6:26pm

You'll never get away from us, Karl.

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 7:18pm

When I was little I wanted to start collecting something - I just didn't know what. My mom suggested autographs because that was something she used to do. She told me that she learned that you never knew if you would get an answer or not if you only wrote to the stars, so you should write to the character actors because they didn't get so much mail and they always responded. We had just watched "Pollyanna" so I decided to try writing to Karl Malden. I did and sure enough a couple of weeks later I had a lovely note (which I sadly lost) and an autographed photo (which I still have). He really was a wonderful gentleman and an absolutely fabulous actor.

[nmartin]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 7:27pm

Mamie, I love your story.

Malden was so great in A Streetcar Named Desire and Baby Doll.

[Kristie-K2]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 7:28pm

Loved his Acting...Was the oldest actor to have an Academy Award for Streercar...Next in line is Ernest Borgnine who is 92.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 7:36pm

Karl was an actor who always seemed to surprise me. You think I would have learned my lesson that he was good. REALLY good. Freakin' good.

But I always watched a performance thinking, "Yeah, Karl Malden. Sure, why not?" He came across initially as serviceable. Reliable. A team player. A comfortable, recognizable "character face."

Then somewhere along the way, he managed to hit me over the head with brilliance. He ambushed me. In every one of his performances. He would cross the line from good to great. Often to magnificent.

I'm not sure why he surprised me each time. Perhaps this was his real genius as a film actor. To show up as an "average guy" and do a good job. And by the end of the story, that "good job" was better than anybody else could have done. It had been elevated to "master craftsmanship." To real art.

RIP, Karl.

Updated On: 7/2/09 at 07:36 PM

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 7:48pm

Streetcar is probably my all-time favorite film. RIP, Karl.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 8:01pm

You're talking male, Kristie-K2, right? Because on the ladies' side, you have Luise Rainer and Olivia de Havilland.

Luise (who won back-to-back Best Actress Oscars in 1936 and 1937) turned 98 in January.

And Olivia (with 2 Oscars) will turn 93 tomorrow. Hard to believe she was just 23 years old when she played Melanie Hamilton in GWTW, 70 years ago!

[Kristie-K2]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 9:12pm

Yes, male actors...Also Jennifer Jones just turned 90...

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 9:46pm

Go, Jennifer! Such a lovely leading lady. She's been "under the radar" for years now. But what a legacy of films!