Oscar winner Karl Malden dies at 97

July 01, 2009 Karl Malden, who vaulted to movie prominence by winning an Academy Award for best supporting actor in "A Streetcar Named Desire" but who is perhaps best known for his lead role on 1970s TV series "The Streets of San Francisco," died Wednesday of natural causes at home in Brentwood. Malden didn't possess matinee-idol looks, but he projected a familiarity and a fire that made him identifiable as an average guy who could rise to the occasion. Shifting from films, where he established himself as a durable character actor, he earned four Emmy nominations for his role as Lt. Mike Stone on the 1972-77 ABC drama "The Streets of San Francisco," where he mentored his young co-star Michael Douglas.

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