I’m sad to read that the actor Karl Malden just passed away. I remember him as child in all those “Don’t leave home without it!” commercials.   Later, I admired him for his role in A Streetcar Named Desire (one of my favorite plays).
But I’ll always love him most for his role in On the Waterfront. He plays a crusading priest who gets Marlon Brando to listen to his conscience and take a stand against waterfront corruption. The scene where he eulogizes the victim of mob violence is so powerful … and a great reminder of the role that religion can (and must) play in achieving social justice for all.
I just learned something else about him, too. According to this article, he was married to his wife for 70 years (70!) . Even if he weren’t a tremendously gifted actor, I’d admire him enormously for that.
