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A Legend
2008-09-27 07:41
by Alex Belth

He was one of the great movie stars of them all.

Untitled 

Newman was a guy that both men and women loved.  I loved him because he was a pretty boy star and a serious actor.  He did all of those big, splashy star vehicles and then stretched himself in smaller, character-driven movies.  He wasn't always great, wasn't always right for a part, but he made the effort, he put himself out there.  "Cool Hand Luke," "The Verdict," "Slapshot," "The Color of Money" are just a few of my favorite Newman movies.  

He lived a long, good life.  Did a lot of wonderful things with his name.

He will be missed.  He should be celebrated.

 

 

Comments
2008-09-27 09:06:18
1.   Shaun P
"The Verdict" is one of my all-time favorite movies. Newman was brilliant in it. It was one of two movies my law school recommended we watch before we started orientation, so I gladly used it as an excuse to see it again.

And though my Italian grandmother, who made everything from scratch, especially her sauce, would roll over in her grave if she knew I typed this - for jarred sauces, his sauces were pretty damn good.

2008-09-27 10:04:13
2.   its430
Be sure to raise a toast to player/coach Reggie Dunlop tonight.

Old time hockey.

2008-09-27 10:08:51
3.   OldYanksFan
"Newman's Own [dressing], which began as a joke, grew into a multimillion-dollar business selling popcorn, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce and other foods. All of the company's profits are donated to charities. By 2007, the company had donated more than $175 million, according to its Web site."

I guess acting was just a small part of his greatness.

2008-09-27 10:12:16
4.   Alex Belth
He was great in "Hud."
2008-09-27 10:13:41
5.   williamnyy23
It seems as if the word great is thrown around so loosely. Well, with Paul Newman, the word doesn't do justice (with the exception of the spaghetti sauce, which should never be eaten from a jar :)
2008-09-27 10:46:10
6.   Shaun P
5 Yeah yeah, I know - but in law school I didn't exactly have a lot of free time to cook. ;)
2008-09-27 11:19:17
7.   Chyll Will
He was amazing. I met him once during a film festival in Dutchess County when I was interning with a film commission. Just a warm man who carried himself with a humble dignity that reminded you of someone's uncle.

It may seem strange, but for all the films he made, I liked him best as John Rooney in "Road To Perdition". The movie itself could have been better, but he gave an Oscar-worthy performance, which underscores his whole career; Oscar-worthy in every stage and to the end. I'll miss him too.

2008-09-27 11:41:00
8.   RZG
My favorite Newman films are Hombre and Cool Hand Luke.

But those eyes will still remain as the first thing I think of when I hear his name.

2008-09-27 11:49:29
9.   Jay Jaffe
Man, what a bummer. Tremendous actor and philanthropist. His performances in movies like Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy are as memorable and iconic as they come, and you can make a case for Slap Shot as the best sports comedy of all time thanks in part to his wry performance. Across his career, he gave so many performances in which he played a man on the way down despite his good looks and charms that he pretty much defines a style.

My wife actually met him back in the early '90s. When summering as a nanny in New York City between high school years, she once found herself sitting in front of Newman and Joanne Woodward at a Broadway show. Starstruck, she asked for an autograph after the show as the crowd filed out. "I'm sorry, my dear," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder momentarily. "I don't sign autographs. But thank you so much for asking. It was nice to meet you." He was so genuinely classy that his refusal actually increased his standing in her eyes. What charisma!

2008-09-27 13:14:07
10.   underdog
An obit and a poll that I helped put up this morning, in honor of one of my favorite actors. He will be dearly missed.

http://daily.greencine.com/archives/006753.html
http://www.greencine.com/central/node/849

2008-09-27 15:45:43
11.   JL25and3
7 I liked him in Road to Perdition as well. In fact, in some ways I think he became a more interesting actor as he aged. He was the best thing in Hudsucker Proxy, and I just love him in Nobody's Fool.

Bruce Willis was also excellent in that movie, along with Jessica Tandy, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Melanie Griffith's breasts.

2008-09-27 16:22:19
12.   Raf
Having owned 4 of his movies (Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, Fort Apache The Bronx & The Sting), I guess I can consider myself a fan.

For some reason, I always think that he and Steve McQueen are similar in the sense that both are "Men's men."

Dang, a sucky day got a little worse...

2008-09-27 16:28:21
13.   JL25and3
12 they definitely run 1-2 (in some order) in the Steely Blue Eyes competition.
2008-09-27 23:35:50
14.   Matt B
A couple other performances worth mentioning - Absence of Malice, Pocket Money, The Drowning Pool and The Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean.

I'm genuinely upset about this. I knew Newman wasn't long for the world, but for whatever reason, this hit me deeper than I would have expected.

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