One of my favorite actors is Karl Malden. He brought a quiet intensity to every role I have seen him play...that is until he boils over with rage. He can go from zero to 60 in less time than a McLaren. Lead and character actors past and present owe a debt of gratitude to men like Karl Malden (and to a slightly lesser degree, Rod Steiger). He was never as famous as Brando or Heston, but in a lot of ways he could act circles around both.
My favorite Malden role was his turn as Archie Lee Meighan in the Kazan-directed, Tennessee Williams-written Babydoll. He plays a man who married the teenage Baby Doll and promises the girl's dying father that they will not consummate the marriage until she turns 20. It's a fantastic little film, as is the other Malden/Kazan/Williams collaborations.
Malden died today. He was 97.
"You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's the love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck - -the cushy job - -more important than the love of man! "
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