Did you know there were 2 celebrities from Gary, Indiana who died last week? It's true. One was Karl Malden. The other was, well, you know.
I was in the airport today watching people watch TV. They were absolutely enthralled with details of Michael Jackson's funeral. Apparently it's going to be an absolutely huge event that is simulcast and will keep the news cycle churning with more lurid details of his life and post-life craziness.
I was reading Karl Malden's obituary at this time and was struck by the fact that he and Michael were born in the same town.** Karl drove a milk truck and went to theater school in Chicago. Then, as sometimes happens, he struck up friendships with people who went on to become significant artists. They included him in their productions, and in doing so formed a strong artistic alliance that led to a Tony and an Oscar for Karl. He got married – same woman, 70 years, and they actually lived together and had kids in the normal way. He won professional accolades and took a leadership position in the dramatic arts. He died at age 97 of natural causes.
There will be no simulcast of the funeral.
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** I grant you, this doesn't mean they are directly comparable. Richard Pryor and I were born in the same town. The similarity pretty much ends there.
Georgia Confidential 