Trivia

Born Mladen Sekulovich, he always regretted that in order to become an actor, he had to change his name. Since he was proud of his heritage, when he starred in a movie or on TV, he insisted that a character carry his family name: In On the Waterfront (1954), Fred Gwynne's character was named "Sekulovich".

Long before Michael Douglas worked with him Malden's friendship with Douglas' father began in 1940, when a 23-year-old unfamiliar actor, Kirk Douglas, attended New York Summer Stock with him, prior to Kirk's summer vacation from college. This association led Kirk's son to having a co-starring role opposite Kirk's classmate on The Streets of San Francisco (1972). Michael's father said to him that he was about to learn a great deal from his father's classmate.

He had not saved enough money to pay for one semester of schooling at the Goodman Theatre, the dramatic arm of the Chicago Art Institute, despite his working in the steel mills for a few years. He made a deal with the director of the program, hence, he gambled what little money he had agreeing that if he impressed the staff during his first semester, he would be given a full scholarship.

On December 12, 2008, just six days before his 70th wedding anniversary, Malden was inducted into the Wall of Legends, at St. Sava Church in San Gabriel, California, where Milan Opacich paid tribute to a wonderful man who was a great benefactor of a Serbian Ortodox church.

Received both of his Academy Award nominations for movies also starring Marlon Brando.

Of Serbian and Czechoslovakian descent.

The Maldens married in 1938 and stayed married until his death in 2009, making theirs the third longest marriage in Hollywood history surpassing the 69 years of Bob Hope and Dolores Hope (1934 until his death in 2003) and just behind Art Linkletter and Lois Foerster (married 1935-2010) with 74 years, and Norman Lloyd and Peggy Lloyd, who hold the record with 75 years.

Served as a noncommissioned officer in the United States Air Force.

At the urging of Elia Kazan, he change his name from Mladen Sekulovich to Karl Malden, taking his maternal grandfather's given name for his first name, and switching a couple of letters of his own first name for his last name. Malden remained a strong friend of Kazan's after the famed director was chastised by the Hollywood community for naming names before the House of Un-American Activities Committee in 1952. He strongly supported Kazan's controversial "lifetime achievement" Oscar honor, claiming that politics should have no place when it comes to awarding artistic merit.

The most controversial film he starred in was Baby Doll (1956), which he played a dullard husband whose child bride is exploited by a businessman. The film was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency for what was termed its "carnal suggestiveness." It was written by Tennessee Williams.

President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) from 1989 to 1992.

In high school, he played basketball and was president of his class. He broke his nose twice playing sports as a teenager. Began acting when he was only age 15.

The eldest of three sons born to Serbian immigrants Petar and Minnie Sekulovich, he was raised in the Serbian community of Gary, Indiana, where his father worked as a milkman.

A pitchman for American Express commercials for decades, his slogan ("Don't leave home without it") became a national catchphrase.

He quit working in the steel mills at age 22 to study acting at the Goodman Theatre because he was not getting anywhere in the mills.

His father, Petar Sekulovich, worked in the steel mills and as a milkman, his mother, Minnie Sekulovich, was a seamstress.

His family moved to Gary, Indiana, when he was five years old. He attended and graduated from Emerson High School there. in 1931. In high school, he participated in the drama department and was narrowly elected senior class president. Among other roles, he played Pooh-Bah in The Mikado.

Remained good friends with Michael Douglas, during and after the making of The Streets of San Francisco (1972).

Was offered a scholarship to attend Chicago's Goodman Theater, where he met his future wife, Mona Malden (nee Mona Greenberg), a fellow scholarship student. They wed in 1938 and remained married for over 70 years until Karl's death on July 1, 2009.

Has two daughters, Mila Malden and Carla Malden. Carla co-authored his autobiography "When Do I Start".

Had appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), How the West Was Won (1962) and Patton (1970). Of those, On the Waterfront (1954) and Patton (1970) are winners in the category.

On November 11, 2004, his ex-The Streets of San Francisco (1972), co-star, Michael Douglas, presented him with the Monte Cristo Award of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut, for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Among the recipients besides Malden were Jason Robards, Zoe Caldwell, Edward Albee, August Wilson and Brian Dennehy.

Received an honorary degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana (2001).

Attended and graduated from Chicago Art Institute (1937), and came back to Gary, Indiana, without work or money.

Is one of 8 actors who have received an Oscar nomination for their performance as a priest. The others, in chronological order, are: Spencer Tracy for San Francisco (1936) and Boys Town (1938); Charles Bickford for The Song of Bernadette (1943); Bing Crosby for Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945); Barry Fitzgerald for Going My Way (1944); Gregory Peck for The Keys of the Kingdom (1944); Jason Miller for The Exorcist (1973); and Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008). Tracy, Crosby and Fitzgerald all won Oscars for their performances.

On November 12, 2005, the Los Angeles Barrington Station renamed the building, after him, in Los Angeles, California, in honor of his proud achievements. This was followed by a passage of a bill founded by U.S. Congressman, Henry Waxman.

Was a commercial spokesperson for American Express Traveler's Checks, from 1968 to 1989.

After he graduated from high school at the top of his class, he briefly left Gary, Indiana, to move to Arkansas, where he had hoped to get a college athletics scholarship. The college turned him down due to his refusal to play football, other than basketball, hence, he returned to his hometown of Gary, Indiana.

After his father's death, six years later, he traveled to his father's real-life hometown of Yugoslavia, there, he helped produce the film Twilight Time (1982), a private movie.

Before he was a successful actor, he worked in the steel mills.

Passed away exactly five years after his good friend (and frequent co-star) Marlon Brando.

Off- the set of [The Streets of San Francisco (1972)], both he and his co-star [Michael Douglas], spent time with the San Francisco Police Department Detectives in order to lend an air of authenticity to the show. San Francisco Police Department Detectives took a liking to both Malden and Douglas, whom they characterized as "very fine fellows".

He always practiced meticulous preparation, studying a script carefully long before he stepped into the role.

His wife graduated from Roosevelt High School in Emporia, Kansas, where she attended Kansas State Teachers College (now Emporia St. University). He and Mona visited the campus in 1959, and was impressed by the ESU Summer Theatre. He returned in the summer of 1964, to teach, working with the actors in the company. Prior to leaving, he gave his honorarium to established the Karl Malden Scholarship, which is still given today.

He was awarded a Star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6231 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

Met Harry Morgan in the play of "Golden Boy". They would later be friends for over 70 years until Malden's death on July 1, 2009.

On [The Streets of San Francisco (1972)], the name of "Sekulovich," was also the character of the elderly Sergeant, who took the bad guys to the cells, in real-life, it was also his actual last name, given at birth.

His father, Petar Sekulovich, produced Serbian plays at Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church and taught acting. As a teenager, Mladen (later Malden) joined the Karageorge Choir at the church.

Was close friends with The Magnificent Seven (1960) star Brad Dexter, who was also of Serbian descent.

Was best friends with: Norman Lloyd, Harry Morgan, Lee J. Cobb, Angela Lansbury, Telly Savalas, Jane Wyman, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Robert Wagner, Shelley Winters, Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando, Elia Kazan, Vivien Leigh, Eli Wallach, Kirk Douglas, Natalie Wood, Montgomery Clift, Arthur Kennedy, Richard Widmark and Carroll Baker.

Had appeared with Richard Widmark in five films: Kiss of Death (1947), Halls of Montezuma (1951), Take the High Ground! (1953), How the West Was Won (1962) and Cheyenne Autumn (1964).

Alumnus of Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

In his youth he was a pro basketball player.

There's some dispute to whether he was born in Chicago or Gary, IN (the latter which he often mentioned spending his childhood in). However, birth records indicate that there is no Mladen Sekulovich to have been born in Gary in 1912, but there is one shown to have been born in Chicago of that year. Census also indicates that his parents lived in Chicago till 1917.

After a young Dick York who was coming into the hallway, out of the men's washroom, Malden was looking for him to play the role in "Tea and Sympathy". He thought York was right for the role, which eventually paid off.

In 1971, he accepted the Academy Award for "Best Director" on behalf of Franklin J. Schaffner, who was not present at the awards ceremony.

As a popular student at Emerson High School in Gary, Indiana, Malden participated in the drama department and was narrowly elected senior class president. Among other roles, he played Pooh-Bah in The Mikado.

Inducted into the Steel City Hall of Fame (Gary, Indiana) in 1993.

While working at an acting workshop in New York, he brought Eva Marie Saint, whom he knew.

Member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1963