Oscar-Winner Karl Malden Dies at 97

It has been a tough week for celebrities, as another one joins the list of those who have passed recently. Karl Malden, the bulbous-nosed, thinning-haired actor perhaps best known for the TV series "The Streets of San Francisco," has died at the age of 97. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.

While perhaps best-known for his TV work, particularly in "TSOSF" which co-starred an up-and-coming Michael Douglas, Karl Malden won an Academy Award as well. He won in 1951 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in "A Streetcar Named Desire," playing Mitch.

Karl Malden was again nominated for an Oscar in his role as the dockside priest who rallies a washed-up boxer (Marlon Brando) to stand against a corrupt union in "On the Waterfront" (1954).

Karl Malden was also well-known for his American Express ads. For 21 years he was the trenchcoat-wearing pitchman who urged customers "Don't leave home without it."

Karl Malden quit his steel mill job in 1934 to study acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre. His father did not approve:

"When I told my father, he said, `Are you crazy? You want to give up a good job in the middle of the Depression?' Thank god for my mother. She said to give it a try."

Karl Malden is survived by his wife of 70 years, former actress Mona Graham; two daughters, Mila and Carla; three granddaughters; and four great-grandchildren.