I never heard of Karl Malden until Streets of San Francisco hit the airwaves. In more recent years, I've seen him in films from the '50s.
So, when I first read (a few minutes ago) that he died (at 2:30 a.m. this morning), I was shocked to read that he was 97 years of age.
Reading the CNN story, I see that he debuted on the New York stage in 1938. He had a part in a movie in 1940 before serving in World War II.