| Malden is the eldest of three brothers, Malden was born Mladen George Sekulovich (from Mladen George Sekulović, Serbian Cyrillic: Младен Ђорђе Секуловић) in Chicago, Illinois.[1] His mother, Minnie (née Sebera) Sekulovich (1892 - 1996), was a Czech seamstress and actress, and his Serb father, Petar Sekulovich (1880 - 1976), worked in the steel mills and as a milkman.[2] The Sekulovich family roots trace back to the city of Bileća in Herzegovina. Malden spoke Serbian until he was in kindergarten. Malden's father had a passion for music, and organized a choir. As a teenager, Malden joined the Karageorge Choir. In addition, his father produced Serbian plays at his church and taught acting. A young Malden took part in many of these plays, which included a version of Jack and the Beanstalk, but mostly centered on the community's Serbian heritage. In high school he was a popular student and the star of the basketball team (according to his autobiography, Malden broke his nose twice while playing, taking elbows to the face and resulting in his trademark bulbous nose). He participated in the drama department, and was narrowly elected senior class president. Among other roles, he played Pooh Bah in The Mikado. After graduating from Emerson High School in 1931 with high marks, he briefly planned to leave Gary for Arkansas, where he hoped to win an athletic scholarship, but college officials did not admit him owing to his refusal to play any sport beside basketball. From 1931 until ... |
