Karl Malden Dies Peacefully At 97

What is it with all the celebrity deaths at the moment? First it was Farrah Fawcett, then Michael Jackson, then Billy Mays, and then Jeff Goldblum popped his clogs. Oh wait a minute, no he didn’t, that was just an unfunny Internet prank. However, another Hollywood legend has sadly passed away.

Karl Malden died peacefully of natural causes in his Los Angeles home at the ripe old age of 97. Which is an innings I’m sure all of us would be happy with, especially with a successful career behind us. And Malden had a very successful career, most notably winning a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ Oscar for his part in A Streetcar Named Desire.

The craggy-faced actor made his big screen debut in They Knew What They Wanted in 1940 before going on to star in more than 50 films. Apart from Streetcar, he’s best remembered for playing a priest in On The Waterfront, the warden in The Birdman of Alcatraz, and General Omar Bradley in Patton.

Other work included roles on TV such as Detective Mike Stone in The Streets of San Francisco alongside Michael Douglas. And many people will remember Malden as the pitchman for American Express in a 21-year run of commercials where he uttered the immortal phrase, “Don’t leave home without it!”

Rest In Peace Karl Malden: 1912 - 2009.