Karl Malden Dead at the Age of 97 … Rest in Peace

Sadly, Karl Malden has died at the age of 97. The Oscar winning actor died Wednesday of natural causes at his Brentwood home. To one of my favorite actors of all time, Rest in Peace. What a talent this man truly was in a time when actors could truly act and when screen presence was larger than life. Karl Malden was not just another pretty face, the man had it. Thank you for sharing your talents, God Bless.

Malden’s career lasted six decades, more than 50 films, including an Oscar in 1951 for “A Street Car Named Desire”. Many of my generation remember Karl Malden for his role on the TV series, “Streets of San Francisco.” As stated by Shakesville, Malden had a special “badass” quality that was a presence on the screen or TV. Of course Karl Malden is also remember for other films he was in like the original Miracle on Ice, Gypsy, On the Waterfront and Patton to name a few. See all of his numerous accomplishments here.

However, to reach superstardom, one needs to be remembered in a timeless manner and there is nothing more timeless than a catch phrase in a commercial that becomes symptomatic with the product being advertised. For more than 20 years Karl Malden was the face of American Express, before anyone referred to it as AMEX. In 1973 Karl Malden introduced us with the catch phrase … “Don’t Leave Home With Out It.”

Karl Malden, a versatile Oscar-winning actor who built a six-decade Hollywood career playing heroes and heavies — and, often, relatable ordinary men — yet who was certain he was best known as a commercial pitchman for American Express, has died

For more than 20 years, Malden was the spokesman for American Express travelers checks who turned “Don’t leave home without them” into a national catchphrase in a series of commercials that debuted in 1973.

In a company that has become known for its celebrity spokespeople, Malden “was one of the first and most memorable,” Joanna Lambert, a company vice president, told The Times in an e-mail.

Karl Malden was a talent that we rarely see today. He had talent as he certainly could not fall back on stunning looks. Malden had the plain guy look, but was an exceptional actor. Something that maybe Hollywood could remember when casting for movies today, it’s not all about the appearance as sometimes its about one’s talent.