Karl Malden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karl Malden
Publicity photo, c. 1950s
Born	Mladen George Sekulovich (1912-03-22)March 22, 1912 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	July 1, 2009(2009-07-01) (aged 97) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Nationality	American
Education	Emerson School for Visual and Performing Arts
Alma mater	DePaul University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1937–2000
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Spouse(s)	Mona Greenberg ​ (m. 1938)​
Children	2
Awards	Awards and recognition
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1942–1946
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	Eighth Air Force
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Air Force Presidential Unit Citation American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal

Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was a famous American actor. He was known for playing many different types of characters. For over 60 years, he brought a strong and real feeling to his roles in plays, movies, and TV shows.

He starred in classic films like A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), where he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in On the Waterfront (1954), Pollyanna (1960), and One-Eyed Jacks (1961). Later, he became well-known for playing Lt. Mike Stone in the TV crime show The Streets of San Francisco from 1972 to 1977. He was also the voice for American Express commercials. Many people remember him as one of the greatest character actors of his time.

Early life and family

Karl Malden was born Mladen Sekulovich in Chicago, Illinois, on March 22, 1912. He grew up in Gary, Indiana. His father, Petar Sekulović, worked in steel mills and as a milkman. His mother, Minnie Sekulovich, was a seamstress and actress. His family came from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Malden spoke only Serbian until he started kindergarten. He could speak it fluently his whole life. His father loved music and started the Serbian Singing Federation. This group brought together Serbian singing groups across the United States.

Monument to Karl Malden in Belgrade, Serbia

As a teenager, Malden joined the Karađorđe Choir at Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church. His father put on plays there and taught acting. Malden acted in many of these plays, which often focused on Serbian heritage. In high school, he was a popular student and a basketball star. He broke his nose twice playing basketball, which gave him his unique nose.

He was also active in the drama club. After graduating from Emerson High School in 1931, he worked in steel mills for three years.

Why he changed his name

At age 22, he changed his name from Mladen Sekulovich to Karl Malden. He did this because a theater company wanted him to shorten his name for their sign. He thought they wanted to fire him, so he changed it to avoid problems. He took his grandfather's first name, Karl, as his own. He also changed his last name by mixing up the letters of his first name, Mladen, to make Malden.

Malden later said he regretted changing his name. He tried to use his real last name, Sekulovich, in his movies whenever he could. For example:

• In Patton, he says "Hand me that helmet, Sekulovich."
• In Dead Ringer, he tells another detective, "Sekulovich, gimme my hat."
• In On the Waterfront, a character named Mladen Sekulovich is called out in a courtroom scene.
• In The Streets of San Francisco, his character had a helper named Sekulovich.

Becoming an actor

In 1934, Malden left Gary, Indiana, to study acting at the Goodman School in Chicago. He didn't have much money, so he made a deal with the school director. He gave them what little money he had, and if he did well, he would get a full scholarship. He earned that scholarship!

While performing in the Goodman's children's theater, he met actress Mona Greenberg. They got married in 1938. He graduated in 1937.

Acting career and World War II

Malden moved to New York City and first acted on Broadway in 1937. He also did some radio work and had a small role in his first film, They Knew What They Wanted.

He joined the Group Theatre, where he acted in many plays. There, he met a young director named Elia Kazan. They would work together on famous films later.

His acting career paused in 1942 because of World War II. He served in the United States Army Air Corps. While in the military, he acted in a play and film called Winged Victory. He was discharged in 1946 as a Sergeant. He received several awards for his service.

After the war, Malden returned to Broadway. He acted with a young Marlon Brando in a play. The next year, director Elia Kazan gave him a big role in the play All My Sons. Soon after, he joined the original cast of A Streetcar Named Desire, also directed by Kazan. This play was a huge success and helped him get steady film roles.

Film career: 1950s to 1970s

Malden started his film career in 1950 with movies like The Gunfighter. In 1951, he played Harold "Mitch" Mitchell in the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role.

He also starred in Alfred Hitchcock's I Confess (1953). In On the Waterfront (1954), he played a priest who helps the main character, Terry Malloy. He was nominated for another Academy Award for this role.

Malden hugging actresses Pina Pellicer (right) and Katy Jurado (left) while they stare at Marlon Brando in One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

Malden appeared in many films from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. These included Baby Doll (1956), The Hanging Tree (1959), and Pollyanna (1960). He also acted in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) with Marlon Brando, Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), and How the West Was Won (1962). In Patton (1970), he played General Omar Bradley.

Television work

The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977)

In 1972, Karl Malden was asked to star as Lt. Mike Stone in the TV show The Streets of San Francisco. He was paired with a young actor named Michael Douglas, who played Inspector Steve Keller.

Malden's character, Lt. Stone, was an experienced police officer. His partner, Inspector Keller, was a new officer who had just finished college. The show was very popular and became a big hit for ABC.

Malden was nominated for an Emmy Award four times for his role as Lt. Stone. After five seasons, Michael Douglas left the show to make movies. The show then ended after 120 episodes.

Later TV roles

Malden in 1996

In 1980, Malden starred in Skag, a drama about a steel mill foreman. He played Pete Skagska, a simple man trying to keep his family together. The show was praised by critics but didn't get high ratings.

In 1981, Malden played ice hockey coach Herb Brooks in a TV movie called Miracle on Ice. This movie was about the U.S. men's national ice hockey team's amazing gold medal win at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

In 1987, Malden was the host for early TV specials that later became the show Unsolved Mysteries. His last acting role was in 2000 in an episode of The West Wing. He played a Catholic priest and even used the same Bible he had used in On the Waterfront.

Other work

Malden was famous for his line "Don't leave home without them!" in commercials for American Express traveler's cheques. He also asked, "Do you know me?" in ads for the American Express card.

From 1990 to 2009, Malden was part of a committee that helps decide which subjects appear on U.S. postage stamps.

Personal life

On December 18, 1938, Karl Malden married Mona Greenberg. Their marriage lasted 70 years, one of the longest in Hollywood history. They had two daughters, Mila and Carla. Malden's mother lived to be 103 years old.

In 1997, Malden wrote his autobiography, When Do I Start?, with his daughter Carla.

Death

Karl Malden's grave at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery

Karl Malden passed away at his home in Los Angeles on July 1, 2009, at 97 years old. He had been in poor health for several years. He was buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

His friend and former co-star, Michael Douglas, wrote a special tribute to Malden.

Awards and recognition

Karl Malden won the 1951 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for A Streetcar Named Desire. He was nominated again in 1954 for On the Waterfront. He also served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In October 2003, he received the Screen Actors' Guild's Life Achievement Award. This award honors actors for their career and good deeds. In 1985, he won an Emmy Award for his role in the TV mini-series Fatal Vision.

In May 2001, Malden received an honorary degree from Valparaiso University. Michael Douglas presented him with another lifetime achievement award in 2004.

On November 11, 2004, Douglas also gave Malden the Monte Cristo Award. This award celebrates distinguished careers in theater.

In 2005, the United States House of Representatives renamed a postal station in Los Angeles the Karl Malden Postal Station. This was to honor his achievements.

For his contributions to movies, Malden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2005, he was added to the Western Performers Hall of Fame. In November 2018, a monument to Karl Malden was unveiled in Belgrade, Serbia.

Decorations

Award or decoration		Country	Date	Place
	Medal of White Angel	Serbia and Montenegro	2004	Belgrade
	Order of Saint Sava (First Grade)	Serbian Orthodox Church	October 6, 2004	Belgrade

Filmography

Films

Malden in the trailer for I Confess (1953)

Malden with Marlon Brando in the trailer for On the Waterfront (1954)

Malden with Eva Marie Saint in the trailer for On the Waterfront (1954)

Malden as Father Barry in the trailer for On the Waterfront (1954)

Television

Radio appearances

See also

In Spanish: Karl Malden para niños