Karl Malden joined the growing list of celebrities who passed away during the past ten days.  To me, Malden’s greatest role was his portrayal of General Omar Bradley opposite George C Scott in the 1970 biopic “Patton.”  In the YouTube clip at the end of this post, a film critic discusses Malden’s approach to his role in that film.

Unlike the late Ed McMahon, Karl Malden was not from Lowell and probably never set foot in the city.  But like most things, if you search hard enough, you’ll always find some connection to Lowell.  Malden’s comes through his role in “Patton.”  The following announcement from the March 13, 1910 New York Times illustrates the connection:

Special to the New York Times.

BOSTON.  March 12. – Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Ayer of Commonwealth Avenue announced to-day the engagement of their daughter, Beatrice Banning Ayer, to Lieut. George S. Patton of the Fifteenth United States Cavalry, now stationed at Fort Sheridan, Ill.

Beatrice Ayer did marry George Patton and outlived him by many years (he died in 1945).  I even remember Mrs. Patton coming to Lowell in 1970 to participate in an event creating what I think was called the “Patton Purple Heart Society” or something like that.  Besides their Boston home, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Ayer and their daughters were also of “Pawtucket Street” in Lowell.  The front portion of today’s Franco-American School (shown in the above photo) was formerly known as the Ayer Mansion.  Frederick Ayer and his brother, James C. Ayer, made their fortune “in the manufacture of proprietary medicines.”  There products included:

  • Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral

  • Ayer’s Cathartic Pills

  • Ayer’s Sarsaparilla

  • Ayer’s Ague Cure

  • Ayer’s Hair Vigor

  • Ayer’s Malaria Remedy

  • Ayer’s Quinine/Glycerin

  • Ayer’s Gestex

  • Ayer’s Nose Drops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkDEJoC46JA