Thanks right back, David.
It's sadly amusing that Malden himself chuckled that when he passed, all the
obits would say that he would be "most famous for" the American Express
commercials and the "Don't leave home without it" line.
Like David O.Selznick, who always cried that his obits would lead, "David O.
Selznick, the man who made 'Gone With the Wind," Malden was right. The
difference is, Malden had already excelled in many different roles and types of
characters.
Selznick, argueably the greatest of Hollywood producers, strived (strove?) the
rest of his life to top GWTW. He didn't succeed.
I expect Selznick's Revenge will occur when Michael Bay remakes GWTW --- and
the entire 4-hour spectacle is the explosive destruction by fire and brimstone
of the 1864 city of Atlanta. Selznick will smile upwards and say, "Frankly,
my......"
Joe
--- On Wed, 7/1/09, David Kusumoto <davidmkusum...@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: David Kusumoto <davidmkusum...@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Karl Malden, RIP at 97
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 11:22 PM
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** Thanks Joe! That's a great story about Malden; I never knew about that
tidbit you wrote below, e.g., how he slipped in references to his birth name in
his own pictures. I saw the picture you mentioned, Baby Doll, again last year
and man oh man, that's still a HOT one. Made zero money because it was
"condemned," but what stands out is its timelessness. That horny Eli Wallach.
That repressed Karl Malden. And geez, that jail bait Carroll Baker; I like the
fact that Baker acknowledges she now LOVES IT when people call her "Baby
Doll." (Apparently she didn't like it when she was younger.)
** And thanks to everyone who wrote me publicly or mostly privately about
crossing paths with that ultra-gentleman, Karl Malden. I appreciate it very
much! It's not often a person like myself can come even close to matching the
stories told by other members at MoPo who've crossed paths with bigger stars in
New York or Hollywood. The only upside to San Diego is its climate (it's
better than L.A.'s because we're on a harbor, not a basin) -- and the fact that
many glitterati choose to retire here because its quiet. But we still have to
drive three hours to L.A. to see stars in person -- that is, when they're
still, as they say, "ambulatory" and in their prime.
** I was obviously impressed with Malden. Oh, I know he'll never be considered
a "legend," but he was so total class off-screen -- and made many movies better
-- by just being on-screen. As I wrote to a fellow MoPoer, he had a stature
about him, almost regal in his old age -- that one would never think of when
you saw him playing the "everyman" in his pictures. He was just a consistently
great character actor. That he lived large -- and lived to be 97 -- I'm sure
his family is satisifed with that. He outlived them all. Best, -d.
-----Original Message-----
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 19:52:44 -0700
From: joebom...@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Karl Malden, RIP at 97
To: davidmkusum...@hotmail.com
CC: MOPO ListServ (lists...@listserv.american.edu)
Wonderful story, David! I'm totally envious. The great Karl Malden is one of
the actors I would have loved to meet.
Just yesterday I remarked to a friend that there was only one film of a
Tennessee Williams play (first filming) that still was represented by the three
surviving leads--- "Baby Doll." Now that statistic is gone forever!
Caroll Baker is still with us at about 78 and the indestructable Eli Wallach--
95-- is still giving readings with his wife of about 60 years, Anne Jackson.
He also still does films and tv occasionally. The last two things I remember
were a cameo in "Mystic River" at the request of director Clint Eastwood and a
wonderful turn on that excellent but short-lived tv series that was a backstage
view of a "SNL"-type show a couple of seasons back.
When the term, "They don't make 'em like that anymore," is heard, the reference
is to actors like these.
Jeremy Piven--- eat your heart out!!!!!
Joe B in NOLA
PS-- Malden always regreted having to change his real name (Mladen Sekulovich)
for a sho-biz career. As he became more known he enjoyed inserting his name
into scripts. The next time you watch "Patton," note when "General Bradley"
turns to an officer and orders, "Sekulovich, take this ......" But my favorite
one is: Malden is the prison warden in "Birdman of Alkatraz." He takes a
reporter on to see Stroud (Lancaster) and, passing each cell, indicates the
prisoner within...."Jones....Smith...Sekulovich."
Joe
-----Original Message-----
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:43:48 -0700
From: davidmkusum...@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Karl Malden, RIP at 97
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
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** In April 1998, when Karl Malden was 86, my wife and I got a chance to meet
him and his daughter Carla at a screening of "On the Waterfront" at a theater
in La Jolla, north of San Diego. He was also there to promote his fabulous and
somewhat dishy memoir, "When Do I Start?" -- which had been released the year
before in hardcover -- (and as of this writing, is still gloriously in print in
paperback because it's that fantastic, esp. his impressions of the stars he
worked with -- which he felt OK writing about -- given the fact that even in
1998, he had already outlived most of 'em).
** In conjunction with his appearance, I loaned my LB one-sheet to "On the
Waterfront" to the film society group hosting his visit. It was displayed on
stage after the screening -- and also at an adjacent bookstore where he signed
copies of his books with his daughter, who wrote the text. He answered a ton
of questions from the huge audience that turned out -- esp. what it was like
working with Brando, Elia Kazan and Vivien Leigh. He said Kazan was a genius,
that Leigh was closer to Blanche DuBois in real life than Blanche herself, and
that Brando was the greatest actor he'd ever worked with. He spoke of Brando
with great sadness, calling him a man who had everything -- drop-dead looks,
talent and money -- but who became a corpulent, tragic figure who lost it all,
squandering his money and becoming increasingly eccentric, working in bad
projects after the Godfather, desperate to make money just to pay his bills.
** The entire night, Malden was sharp as a tack -- and had the command and
respect you'd expect as a president of AMPAS -- but who also had that
self-deprecating persona that made him endearing, esp. jokes about his lack of
matinee idol looks, his Broadway stage experience vs. his work on film -- and
his conviction that his years as a spokesman for American Express ("don't leave
home without it") made him more famous than all of his other work combined. In
fact, he joked that his obituaries would all mention his Oscar -- and predicted
ALL would also mention his work for American Express -- saying it would be the
"signature role for which he was better known to most of the public."
** The man we met that evening was gracious and accommodating to every fan
present. He represented the "old Hollywood," the type like the late Gregory
Peck and Charlton Heston -- and the still-with-us Tony Curtis out here in
California -- who have good manners and love to mix with fans. Malden loved
the attention -- and I got the impression he was ultra-surprised and ecstatic
that a "supporting actor" could generate such a large turnout. He and his
daughter signed our book thus: "To Koose and Yoe, best always from Carla
Malden and Karl Malden." I took my "On the Waterfront" poster off its easel
and asked him to sign it. He did, just above his name credit. I've mentioned
this poster several times to the MoPo group -- in the context of certain
signatures which add sentimental value -- but don't add $$ value to vintage
movie memorabilia. That poster is no longer in my collection -- but I recall
it fetched an OK price. But I kept his book,
personalized as it is. I view it similarly as my "Psycho" poster, whereby
Janet Leigh, during a visit in 2000, personalized her signature, "To David --
Psycho-tically yours, Janet Leigh." -d.
-----Original Message-----
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 15:53:46 -0500
From: brucehershen...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Karl Malden rip at 87
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
He had been married 70 years, and had one of the three longest Hollywood
marriages (can you name the other two, WITHOUT looking at Imdb?). I feel
really really sorry for his wife. Imagine spending 70 years with someone almost
every day and then waking up without them?
Bruce
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