RIP, Paul Newman

My most favorite actor is Paul Newman. I even list him under my favorites on the profile of this blog!


My all time favorite movie of his is Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. I know it was just acting, but the sexuality oozing between Newman and Taylor was almost as good as porn back in that time period. Ok, maybe not for the men (laughing). His film The Long Hot Summer with Joanne Woodward was equally dripping in the sensuality of the time.


Of course, aside from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid and The Sting, most people were/are not all that familiar with the book of work that Newman acted in. Hud and Hombre rank up there in my top 20 favorite all time movies -- Hud for those incredible scenes of abuse against his co-star, Patricia Neal, and Hombre, just for the way he plays it ever so cool as the white looking guy who is part Apache Indian.


Of course, probably the most famous lines to ever come out of a Paul Newman film is from Cool Hand Luke -- "what we have here is a failure to communicate," but in that movie, the hard boiled egg eating scene is probably my most favorite.


I once had the good fortune to eat lunch at the counter at a place in Beverly Hills were I was working back in the 1970's, and Paul was sitting next to me. We exchanged pleasantries during the lunch, but I could not stop staring into those unbelievable blue eyes of his. In real person, his eyes were so bight baby blue, they just drew you in and drowned you. He was so gracious and unassuming. (I had the same good fortune to sit at the same counter for lunch next to Gene Wilder, who also was the owner of a pair of blue eyes, albeit his were of the more deeper darker shade of blue, not quite the bright and blinding blue of Paul's). This picture clearly shows those eyes.

Paul Newman also impressed me as one of the true mavericks of show business, including the fact that he married a beautiful actress and stayed married to her for his entire life. In Hollywood parlance, that is a rarity, ranking up there with the likes of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. (Who can forget that hilarious spoof of Paul and his affection for race car driving in Mel's Silent Movie flick?)

When I woke up this morning and read that he had passed away at age 83, I started crying -- so much so that my poor grandson came to comfort me and he had no clue why I was balling my eyes out. I'm even crying as I write this post.

I know we all have to go, and Paul lived what I believe, according to him, was a full and meaningful life. I know he suffered tragedy with the loss of his son at such an early age. He left us with an abundance of life on screen that will survive. Hell, I even loved his voice in the cartoon classic Cars!

RIP, dear Paul.