Apparently the rumors were true. After wondering âis he or isnât heâ suffering from cancer, as a friend told reporters months ago, the legendary Paul Newman succumbed to the disease on Friday at his home in Westport, CT.
Paul Newman was bigger than anything I could possibly write here. Before I go on about his award-winning roles, his popcorn empire, his race car career, and more, Iâd be remiss if I didnât begin with his love for his beautiful and equally-talented wife, Joanne Woodward.
Their love transcended far above how we recognize lovers today, particularly in Hollywood where newfound love is as common as a pair of worn socks, and discarded just as quickly. In regards to Newmanâs devotion to his wife he stated, âI have steak at home. Why go out for hamburger?â Something tells me he meant just that.
Not that I am privy to all details of the Newmans lifestyle (or any details of theirs for that matter), but in all the years of the paparazzi hounding the Hollywood elite, very little, if any, trash has ever surfaced about this couple. And in Hollywood, thatâs saying a lot. The fact that theyâve been married since 1958 says something much, much more. Theirs is a love of integrity.
Paul Newman was also a man of deep conviction. Years ago I watched him in an interview with Barbara Walters, who asked about the death of his son. This man, who seemed always to be more than gracious and open, simply stated that the interview was contingent upon not discussing the death of his son. He tactfully told Walters that he would not continue if she persisted. Naturally, she relented. Even then I understood that Paul Newman was no show-boater. He stood for what he believed and the rest be darned.
I remember the first time I saw âButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.â My favorite part was Butch (Newman) laughing at Sundance (Redford) when Sundance hesitated to jump off the cliff into raging waters to escape a posse because âhe couldnât swim.â Butch (as only Newman could play him) threw his head back and gave a hearty laugh before saying, âThe fall will probably kill yaâ!â Classic.
Newmanâs Michael Gallagher, the role he played opposite Sally Field in âAbsence of Maliceâ was one of my all-time favorites. As the unaffiliated son of a mob boss, Newman plays a quiet yet proud man who turns the tide on an overbearing federal agent bent on destroying him. Bad move.
In âThe Verdictâ he played Frank Galvin, an extremely down-and-out attorney who goes head-to-head with a large law firm, when he takes on a client in an effort to sue a large hospital. As usual, Newman gives a stunning performance throughout, but the best part of the movie is the absolute last 30 seconds of the film. In that defining moment you see a man who has redeemed himself, albeit through pain and anguish. And as only the best actors can, he does so without a word.
 
I was only a child when I saw âCool Hand Lukeâ for the first time. Even then I knew there was something too cool about this blue-eyed soul brother and his penchant for right and dignity. I didnât really get the whole meaning behind the film at that time, but Luke wasnât completely lost on me. The last time I saw it, I was so affected I swore Iâd never see it again. It was just too good to repeat.
Newman and Redford reunited to make âThe Sting,â the first movie ever to make me wish I had learned how to be a con-artist. Seriously. While watching âThe Towering Infernoâ I wondered how bad could it beâyou got Paul Newman there! What a way to go. Okay, totally kidding, but as soon as he was onscreen (alongside Steve McQueen) my anxieties disappeared. His role with Kevin Costner in âMessage in a Bottleâ showed a kinder, gentler but stern father who helps his son heal from years of grief.
Thereâs much more to say, but time and space alludes me. The cinematic world has lost an enduring, endearing, phenomenal legend. More than that, the world lost a man of redeeming quality. A rarity for certain but particularly in the land of glitz and glamourâŠin HollywoodâŠwhere film will never be the same.
In loving memory. JBB
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I too am a BIG fan of Paul Newman. You could not have stated it better when you said, his long years of marriage in itself tells what kind of man he was. His career was just his way of sharing a little of himself with all of us…how grateful we should all be that we’ve gotten to see such a wonderful man at work. His talent, his generousity and lust for life was as untouchable as the man. He will be missed!