I did not realize that Malden was a defender (and a too-lonely one) of Kazan. And, naturally, that he was a spirited and serious anti-communist. That only raises the esteem in which I held him.

When I was a kid, I only knew him from the American Express commercials — which he pulled off in such a memorable way. And there was something about his bulbous nose and voice that always appealed to me.

As I grew older and viewed some of his performances, though, I see my memories of him reflected in your tribute, Sam. The way he gave dignity and intelligence and depth to the "everyman" roles he was given by Hollywood.

What I will remember is the intensity that Malden poured into every role. Sometimes it was subtle, exactly when called for. Sometimes it was in our faces. But, always, there was a sense that an honorable and real intensity was boiling beneath the surface. And "intensity" doesn’t always mean anger. In the characters Malden played, it was usually not anger, or at least not unhinged anger. If his character got heated, you knew — because of the way he played it — the anger was righteous, and not childish. It was not mindless rage. And he did not over do it (as Pacino, as great as he is, often does).

RIP to a great American actor and a great, patriotic American.

Posted by: Jim Lakely | July 3, 2009 12:57 AM