Editor says, what if Karl Malden had played basket ball (his original career choice) on the streets of San Francisco? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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Editor says, 1) Malden often found ways to say "Sekulovich" in films and television shows in which he appears. For example, as General Omar Bradley in Patton, as his troops slog their way through enemy fire in Sicily, Malden says "Hand me that helmet, Sekulovich" to another soldier. In Dead Ringer, as a police detective in the squad room, Malden tells another detective: "Sekulovich, gimme my hat". In Fear Strikes Out, Malden, playing Jimmy Piersall's father John, introduces Jimmy to a baseball scout named Sekulovich. In Birdman of Alcatraz, as a prison warden touring the cell block, Malden recites a list of inmates' names, including Sekulovich. Malden's father was not pleased, as he told his son "Mladen, no Sekulovich has ever been in prison!" Perhaps the most notable usage of his real name was in the TV series The Streets of San Francisco. Malden's character in the program, Mike Stone, employed a legman (played by Art Metrano) with that name, who did various errands. Also, in On the Waterfront, in which Malden plays the priest, among the names of the officers of Local 374 called out in the courtroom scene is Mladen Sekulovich, Delegate.
2) Issur Danielovitch, Junior = Michael Douglas, whose departure from the show killed the ratings and caused its ultimate cancellation.
3) The family name of Barack Obama's stepfather in Jakarta.

Eric Oppen commented on 2010-09-17 02:34:54 ~ Can't really comment---don't know enough about the man, or about basketbrawl.

Robbie Taylor commented on 2010-09-17 02:58:08 ~ I loved Patton & the Streets of San Francisco, but he wouldn't exactly have been the greatest loss to American theater ;)

Bruce Johnson commented on 2010-09-17 20:07:14 ~ STORYLINE -- The only weak spot seems to be re-casting the diminutive Michael Douglas as a basketball STAR (what is he? 5'8", 5'9" if he's lucky?) But I guess that can't be helped if you want to re-create the central Malden-Douglass connection. I also wonder how you get them together, since it was via acting that Malden knew Kirk Douglass, and so later his son.// The one other loss is Malden's FAMILY -- a Hollywood icon married to the same woman for 70 years! But he did meet her via acting school. Could you find a way to put that couple together somehow?

Bruce Johnson commented on 2010-09-17 20:08:59 ~ DETAILS -- "Gary Arkansas"?? No, he grew up in Gary Indiana, then went to Arkansas State Teacher's College (in Conway, Arkansas). Are you SURE he "refused" to play another sport? I read in one obituary that he ran into problems because he DID play football at the start, but was injured in the process. In fact, it also said the nose injuries were sustained in playing football, though Malden himself seems to have been less precise, attributing it to "football or basketball", so I think you're safe!

Bruce Johnson commented on 2010-09-17 20:09:14 ~ No Comment