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There haven’t been many character actors in the history of American cinema or theater better than Karl Malden, who died Wednesday at 97.

Malden appeared in every conceivable type of play and film. These ranged from period pieces and war stories to westerns, mysteries,  buddy flicks, spy spoofs and historical epics over a fabulous career that extended through parts of seven decades.

While many actors try to cultivate a “common touch,” it came naturally for  Malden,  whose mother was a seamstress,  and whose father had worked both in the steel mills and been a milkman.

Everything was authentic, from his prominent nose (broken twice while playing high school basketball) to a grit and earthiness honed during his own three-year stint in the steel mills during the early ‘30s.

A promising start as an actor was initially delayed by service time in World War II, but a co-starring role in an Arthur Miller play All My Sons launched what would become a remarkable and consistently excellent career. During the ‘50s, the Malden track record included such films as The Gunfighter, Halls of Montezuma, his Oscar stint in A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront, Baby Doll and Fear Strikes Out.

His memorable performances continued during the ‘60s, with Malden excelling   in  roles ranging from officials to villain and sidekicks. The Birdman of Alcatraz, Gypsy, How The West Was Won, The Cincinnati Kid, Murderers Row,  Nevada Smith, Hotel, Cheyenne Autumn, and Patton were among his triumphs from 1962-1970.

Yet, to many Americans Karl Malden suddenly became a household name in 1972.  That year veteran producer Quinn Martin, looking for a top name to fill the role of mentor to a youthful character, tapped the 60-year-old Malden to play Lt. Mike Stone opposite a then emerging actor named Michael Douglas. The Streets of San Francisco helped elevate ABC’s place in that decade’s cop show sweepstakes. It was also Douglas’ launching pad to  film stardom, and the show subsequently made Karl Malden, a longtime film character actor,  a primetime television star.

Though it only ran five years on ABC, The Streets of San Francisco remains a beloved cop show. However, even that program didn’t give Malden as much fame as his commercials for American Express Travelers Cheques. For nearly 21 years, he was featured in that same Streets of San Francisco garb barking the “Don’t Leave Home Without Them” catchphrase.

In later years, Malden didn’t find as much quality work. A 1980 NBC drama called Skag that hearkened back to his days in the steel mills didn’t last a full season. There was a reunion Streets of San Francisco film, and appearances in some less than stellar sequels like Beyond The Poseidon Adventure and The Sting II.

His best performances during this era were in Miracle on Ice,  Twilight Time,  and the miniseries Fatal Vision. His last TV role came as a guest star in an excellent episode of The West Wing during that show’s first year. He played a Catholic priest and used the same Bible he’d had in On The Waterfront.

His 1997 autobiography When Do I Start, co-written with his daughter Carla, unveiled his opinions and feelings on a lifetime of friendships and wonderful films, many of which will always remind fans of Karl Malden’s greatness as an actor.

People unfamiliar with cultural politics think awards shows are truly about merit and were created to showcase and reward excellence. 

But there’s absolutely no one making that claim about last week’s decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to raise the number of nominees in the Best Picture category for the Oscar Awards to 10 from its customary five.

As The New York Times columnist David Carr expertly deduced in a Monday piece, this was neither about providing more exposure for great films or  trying to improve the process.

Instead, this is an attempt to generate more interest in the Oscar Awards telecast, which doesn’t pack the ratings punch it did even a decade ago, let alone the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. During that time, the other networks usually scheduled  stale repeats against the awards show.

This move also doesn’t address the real problems plaguing films these days. Woody Allen’s blast last month about the industry’s  overemphasis on youth and demographics probably sounds like sour grapes coming from someone whose best films are behind him, but there’s plenty of truth in what he had to say.

The summer blockbuster syndrome, where robots, explosions and comic book characters dominate the landscape, puts little emphasis on clever writing, taut acting or subtle direction.

Sure, you’ll get the occasional Iron Man or Dark Knight, projects whose directors and casts enabled them to exceed both critical and commercial expectations.

But there are far more Transformers properties, predictable blather that racks up big dollars because they hook the video game crowd. That’s fine up to a point, but when that becomes your operating model, the sameness and lack of innovation and variety take their toll.

Between the proliferation of sequels and undue focus on big opening weekends, the array of safe, predictable films will keep coming. That means there  aren’t going to be many years when there are 10 worthy of Oscar consideration.

 The restictive tendencies among some Oscar voters is another problem.   For example, science fiction, comedies and animated movies seldom get a fair shake, regardless of their merits.The same holds true for actors who star in these productions and miss opportunities for awards despite the excellence of their work.

Both Iron Man and The Dark Knight were excellent films, irrespective of genre. The same was true of Wall-E. That none of them were nominated for Best Picture is a reflection of bias and ignorance among some in the voting bloc.

How increasing the number of Oscar slots addresses that problem remains to be shown. Likewise, there’s often a disconnect between popularity and quality when it comes to the marketplace. Sometimes they dovetail, but in many instances cutting-edge filmmakers aren’t concerned with bottom lines, but in telling stories in adventurous and edgy fashion.

Audiences may or may not embrace these films, but sales have never been considered important in terms of the Oscars. Indeed, it’s widely speculated that it can be a detriment, because there are also voters who feel anything that’s popular couldn’t also be artistically valid, yet another dubious notion.

In today’s 500-channel universe, there are only a handful of programs still able to command eyeballs the way they did in the old days. The Super Bowl is one, and the Oscars remain another.

 The telecast could benefit from picking a permanent host and trimming some categories from the live broadcast to keep it from dragging on nearly four hours.

But ultimately the Oscar telecast  will only improve when the films coming out of Hollywood get better. Even that may not be enough to send ratings skyrocketing again.

Still, until the studios that make movies put as much weight on content as marketing,  juggling and changing the Oscar rules is only window dressing.

Michael Jackson didn’t need artificial titles or unpredecented record sales to validate his greatness, though his remarkable achievements certainly merited that type of recognition.

But his death Thursday at 50 in Los Angeles ignited a worldwide furor as fans realized they would never again see the incredible moves or hear the exuberant singing other than on record. His planned comeback tour in England now sadly won’t happen.

But over a fabulous career that dates back to his days with The Jackson 5 and extended through into the video era and beyond, Michael Jackson made his mark as a great performer steeped in tradition, yet able to take those things and put his own stamp of innovation on them. 

 Jackson always paid homage to the giants who came before him, at an early age recording covers of doo-wop and soul classics, and later devising a stunning dance production that took the moves of not only Jackie Wilson and James Brown, but Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, updated them and ultimately made his own statement.

Before Jackson’s epic videos, MTV had been operating their own version of apartheid. But Jackson’s label threatened to pull all its videos if MTV  didn’t give Jackson’s an opportunity, and he quickly made history.

Thriller alone, with its eight Grammy awards, multi-million sales, eight top ten hits and anthems Beat It and Billie Jean would have ensured his MTV immortality. But that was only one of several albums where Jackson would creatively use the video to make both musical and cinematic impact.

More than any other producer Quincy Jones understood where Jackson fit into the historical spectrum,  and their collaborations were astounding. Off The Wall preceded Thriller and this two albums alone represent some of the finest work in pop, soul or rock history.

Jackson also made his mark in television and to a smaller extent film. His unforgettable appearance on a Motown anniversary show remains the stuff of legend, while his performance in The Wiz was much better than some critics claimed.

Sadly, Jackson stayed  immersed in controversy and bizarre accusations quite often in recent years. Many commentators felt obliged to recite the litany of abuse accusations or point to the numerous incidents that were fodder for tabloid newspapers and television shows.

Indeed it was TMZ, one of the websites that revels in scandal and gossip, that broke the news of his death first. Because they only had a single source, there was some reluctance to believe it at first, but in this case TMZ proved accurate.

Jackson had also been the subject of exhaustive books penned by supposed insiders and confidants, many of them filled with unflattering accounts, ugly allegations and disturbing claims.

But those things won’t detract from the memories Jackson made through his fabulous songs, videos and television appearances.  The “King of Pop” title will be forever debated among those who use record sales as sole evidence of greatness.

 Others who know genius when they see and hear it don’t worry about those things. They recognize just how special Michael Jackson was, and what a loss to world arts and culture his death constitutes.

The world of film music, like many other things, has greatly changed. The days when masters like Ennio Morricone, Elmer Bernstein or Henry Mancini would craft musical documents so mighty they could either stand apart, or  support  cinematic presentations, have been supplanted by singles-laden releases aimed at generating radio airplay and cross-media promotion.

A prime example is the new release Music From The Motion Picture - I Love You Beth Cooper (Twentieth Century Fox) that co-stars Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust, Jack T. Carpenter and Lauren London. Rather than being a seamless piece with linked compositions, it’s a set of 15 songs, each designed to provide ambience and foundation for particular scenes rather than the entire movie.

Many songs are good, and some (Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin,” Foreigner’s “Feels Like The First Time,” Alice Cooper’s “Schools Out”) are excellent. There’s also a healthy amount  of contemorary material from such bands as The Hives, Gym Class Heroes, Ok Go, Violet Columbus and The Perishers.

But what’s missing is the sense of scope and spectacle you’d get from a soundtrack like The Magnificent Seven or the original Pink Panther scores. Those were elegant, sophisticated and intriguing soundtracks, with tunes that had enough character to make the projects best-sellers as albums. But they were also very much a part of the entire film process.

Music From The Motion Picture - I Love You Beth Cooper is more a marketing tool, one that communicates a sense of the storyline, but functions more as a grab-bag sampler than a distinct project.

Much closer to the classic film music concept is Elliot Goldenthal’s Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Public Enemies (Decca). Goldenthal has composed several ’30s-style swing and pre-rock pop pieces, some of them ( “Drive To Bohemia,” “Plane To Chicago” and “JD Dies”) which accurately reflect the era’s sensibility.

In addition, he’s blended his works with first-rate originals and period classics performed by Billie Holiday (”The Man I Love,” “Love Me Or Leave Me”), Blind Willie Johnson (the chilling “Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground”) and Diana Krall (”Bye Bye Blackbird”). Plus Otis Taylor supplies gritty numbers “Ten Million Slaves” and “Nasty Letter,” while the Bruce Fowler Band and Indian Bottom Association Old Regular Baptists are other contributors.

Although this one isn’t quite in the Mancini or Morricone class either, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Public Enemies has plenty of memorable songs and performances.

Dario Marianelli’s Music From The Motion Picture - The Soloist (Decca) comes closest to being an old-school soundtrack for two reasons. One is the brilliant work  of Esa-Pekka Salonen, whose amazing playing invokes the personality of the tormented virtuoso played by Jamie Foxx.

The other reason it works so well concerns arrangements and production. The Los Angeles Philharmonic sounds splendid and evocative, and they’ve been smartly balanced to not overwhelm individual spotlight selections, yet  also provide sweeping, incomparable orchestral sound at key moments.

The Soloist depends so much on interaction and charisma, and both Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. are exceptional in their roles as gifted,  schizophrenic musician and cynical, concerned journalist. Marianelli’s score shows how the beauty and power of a strong score can elevate a good film, and enhance a great one.

Despite their flaws, this trio of soudtracks may be about as good as it gets this year. Film scoring is becoming a lost art, and it’s difficult to tell whether  a new generation of Morricone’s, Mancini’s, and Bernstein’s is coming down the pike.

This is the first of weekly regular installments covering  jazz, blues and related genres. Besides providing exposure for numerous wonderful musicians whose styles and sounds lock them out of the commercial arena, these surveys  will ease  the backlog that has developed over the past few weeks.

Josh Berman - Old Idea (Delmark)

Berman doesn’t utilize rippling lines or wavery tempos, but he and tenor saxophonist Keefe Jackson make an interesting harmonic team contrasted against vibraphonist’s Jason Adaslewicz’s shimmering,  percussive phrases. The songs are  just long enough (four-seven minutes) for some fireworks, but not excessive or  self-indulgent. Download -”Next Year A,” “What Can?,” “Let’s Pretend.”

Bobby Broom - Plays For Monk (Concord)

Here’s a new set of pithy, funky guitar numbers from one of the few guitarists able to survive in the midst of a Sonny Rollins onslaught. Broom tackles an equally tough challenge here, Thelonious Monk’s  compositional frontiers.  Where fellow guitarist Peter Bernstein used humor and counterpoint to embellish his readings of Monk classics, Broom relies on fire, rhythmic energy and excellent assistance from bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins to augment these versions. The only thing missing is “Round Midnight.” Download - “Evidence,” “In Walked Bud,” “Rhythm-a-ning.”

Kim Burrell - No Ways Tired (Shanchie)

Burrell’s soaring, amazing voice never wavers or falters through 12 energized renditions. The music’s mostly spirituals that render useless questions regarding whether this is secularized gospel or religious soul music. Kathy Burrell offers vocal relief by taking the lead for one number, but otherwise it’s Kathy Burrell’s wailing prowess and zest for salvation that make this unforgettable. Download - “No Ways Tired,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.”

Eddic C. Campbell - Tear This World Up (Delmark)

The guitar skills Eddie C. Campbell’s developed through decades of guitar-slinging on Chicago’s West Side are honed and fully on display here.  The vocals are nearly as robust, and while such names as “Lil Daddy” Outten (piano), Mojo Mark Cihlar (harmonica) and stomping electric bassist Dario Golliday aren’t well known outside the blues world, they give Campbell outstanding assistance. Download - “Big World,” “Love Me With A Feeling,” “Buesman.”

Isaac Hyaes - Black Moses (Concord/Stax)

The original two-album set proved  more elaborately arranged and structured than Hayes’ Oscar-winning Shaft.  Black Moses ranks as arguably his best overall  effort. With everyone from the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Memphis Horns to the Bar-Kays joining the proceedings, Hayes delivered cool, sensual verbal intros, exuberant leads,  and effecive keyboard support in an environment that often threatened to envelop him, but instead proved inspiring. Download - “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Never Gonna Give You Up,” “Close To You,” “Going in Circles.”

Leela James - Let’s Do It Again (Shanachie)

James blazes away on a program that’s predominantly soul classics, though it  also includes forays into rock, funk and blues.  While some thing don’t work quite so  well (the Rolling Stones cover for one), even when she’s operating at less than peak efficiency, James’  performances still blow you away.  Download - “Clean Up Woman,” “You Know How To Love Me,” “Simply Beautiful.”

Sonny Landreth - Levee Town: Expanded Edition (Landfall)

There are five extra cuts on this new version, but it’s Landreth’s  slide guitar mastery that shines in this tribute to the Louisiana music culture that underscores   his approach. Landreth doesn’t ignore the pain and hurt that is part of the Southern tradition, but he also  knows how to replicate the sense of urgency and experimentation at the heart of all good music, especially anything from his homeland. Download - “Levee Town,” “Love and Glory,” “Deep South.”

Steve Lehman Octet - Travail, Transformation, and Flow (PI)

This eight-member unit boasts two marvelous sloists in alto saxophonist Steve Lehman and tenor saxophonist Mark Shim,  and it’s their ability to simultaneously complement and challenge each other that engages everyone else. The odd configuration of horns, brass, vibes, bass, and drums is enhanced by Jose Davis’ tuba bursts and Tim Albright’s  trombone journeys. Download - Rudreshm” “Alloy,” “No Neighborhood Rough Enough.”

Christian McBride & Inside Straight - Kind of Brown (Mack Avenue)

After experimenting with everything from the avant-garde  to smooth jazz, Christian McBride returns to  hard bop/mainstream fare with this nice quintet set that substitutes vibist Warren Wolf, Jr. for a trumpeter, and includes furous solos from saxophonist Steve Wlson and pianist Eric Scott Reed. Drummer Carl Allen’s also a monster, and proves the ideal percussive teammate for the  steady, often remarkable McBride. Download - “Theme For Kareen,” “The Shade of the Cedar Tree,” “Rainbow Wheel.”

Sonny Rollins - Reel Life (Fantasy/Concord)

The sax master cut this in 1982, but the flourishes, loops, melodic inventions, twisting phrases and huge tone don’t sound much different from what’s he currently doing.  Old friends bassist Bob Cranshaw, guitarists Bobby Broom and Yoshiaki Masuo and super special guest drummer Jack DeJohnette supplied plenty of textures and spirited reponses, but as usual it’s what came out of Sonny Rollns horn that set and defined the agenda. Download - Reel Life,” “Sonny Side Up,” Rosita’s Best Friend.”

Being either a good sidekick or straight man ranks among the toughest jobs in show business. Ed McMahon, who died Tuesday at 86 in Los Angeles at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, was great in both roles.

His career encompassed much more than simply being the announcer and sidekick on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson for 30 years, though that will surely be the thing most people remember.

But McMahon had already enjoyed a rich and varied professional life prior to meeting and working with Johnny Carson on the game show Who Do You Trust? from 1957-1962. He’d been a carnival barker,  bingo caller, DJ and emcee for game shows in Philadelphia.

McMahon was also a decorated fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps, and remained in the reserves after being discharged in 1946. By the time of his retirement he had the rank of Colonel and was also commissioned as a Brigadier General in the California Air National Guard.

The Carson/McMahon relationship thrived because they were polar opposites. Despite his comic brilliance, Johnny Carson was often aloof away from the set. McMahon was always warm and welcoming, and that became one of many things Carson worked into his monologues over their three-decades on-air relationship. McMahon would laugh it up whether Carson was scoring or bombing. When Carson did his routines, McMahon was there to suffer the abuse and help the bits with loud, prominent laughter.

However McMahon also had a busy career away from The Tonight Show. He was a commercial superstar for decades, served as an anchor on holiday parades and even found time to appear in a few films. The best was the 1967 drama The Incident, as well as the original version of Fun With Dick and Jane.

He was known for many years as the spokesperson for various sweepstakes, particularly the American Publishers Sweepstakes. His Budweiser commercials were equally celebrated, and one of his final achievements included an appearance in the film Pitch People, which examined the history of professional product endorsers.

During his time in Philadelphia, at one point his next-door neighbor was a fellow named Dick Clark. McMahon and Clark developed a friendship that rivaled the one he had with Carson, and the two eventually co-hosted the show TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes for 16 years.

McMahon also had a 12-year run as host of Star Search, which launched the careers of many top performers in multiple fields.

Yet another aspect of his life that was sometimes overlooked was his public service. McMahon co-hosted the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for decades, helping raise millions to fight muscular dystrophy. He did lots of other benefits in Los Angeles and around the nation, including regular appearances for the United Negro College Fund.

McMahon authored two sets of memoirs detailing his rich career. Here’s Johnny: My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show and 46 Years of Friendship detailed the unique aspects of his bond with the famed comic.  Laughing Out Loud offered more insider details, plus some personal philosophy and reflections.

Unfortunately, McMahon encountered some fiscal problems late in life, along with medical difficulties. But none of  those things could overshadow the achievements of someone who became a legend by NOT being the main star, but the best number two guy of all time.

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