Confessions of a Practical Blonde: Here's to Cool Hand Luke
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Though we are consumed by the 2008 election and the trials and tribulations of leading our everyday lives, let's take a moment and look back at a man who defied the movie star stereotype and tried to live a simple life in New England.
The eyes have it!
So what image pops into your head when you hear Paul Newman's name? Is it one half of the acting dynamo that was Redford and Newman, Newman's Own Salad Dressing, auto racer, humanitarian, actor or husband, or is it the crystal-blue eyes?
For me it's a combination of all of those things, but let's start with those eyes. Those eyes, crystal blue, like the blue of the Caribbean Sea. I first noticed them in "Cool Hand Luke." I actually never sat through the entire movie until I was in my mid-30s. Up until then, it was just a movie that my brothers would rave about and walk around repeating the prison warden's speech to the inmates, "What we have here is a failure to communicate ... ."But on a cold winter Sunday, I caught the whole movie on AMC or maybe it was Turner Classic Movies, either way, I was mesmerized by those eyes and the intensity that was behind them.
Eyes are the window to our soul and if you look closely into those crystal-blue eyes, you will see a hidden sorrow. In 1979, Newman lost his only son Scott to an accidental overdose.
But those eyes also held a lot of mischief. Newman loved practical jokes. He filled a director's trailer with popcorn and then battered and deep-fried the director's favorite pair of gloves. He was also given a beat-up Porsche by Redford for one of his birthdays. Not skipping a beat, Newman had the Porsche compressed and then placed in a wooden box in the entranceway of Redford's home.
And the Oscar goes to ...
"I have vision, and the rest of the world has bifocals."
— Butch Cassidy
Newman was nominated for nine acting Academy Awards in five different decades, best lead actor for 1958's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," 1961's "The Hustler," 1963's "Hud," 1967's "Cool Hand Luke," 1981's "Absence of Malice," 1982's "The Verdict," 1986's "The Color of Money" (He won the Oscar!) and 1994's "Nobody's Fool." He was also nominated in 2002 for best supporting actor in the "Road to Perdition."
Newman had also received a Humanitarian Academy Award in 1993 and a Special Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1985.
Though his career spanned six decades, he was most active in the 1950s and 1960s. That particular era has a special appeal to me. I think it's because I was born in the '60s and was in my formative years during the '70s.
Newman's movies usher in memories from my childhood years; I have noticed this phenomenon in plots, settings, and soundtracks. The smoke-filled pool hall in "The Hustler" floods me with memories of my Nana and Pop and their apartment above a tavern on Chicopee Street.
And who doesn't have fond memories when they hear B.J. Thomas croon "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?" I immediately envision long flowing cotton dresses from the early '70s and riding on the front handlebars of my friend's bike.And seriously ladies (and/or gents) when we envision Butch and Sundance as played by Newman and Redford, doesn't it just feel right? I'm putting Hollywood on notice — don't even think about trying to remake that movie!
I have also always been a sucker for the anti-hero and Paul Newman plays some of the greatest anti-heroes.
If you haven't watched a Newman movie in awhile, here's my suggestions next time you log into Netflix or check out a video at the library:
1) "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958 with Elizabeth Taylor and Burl Ives, who, yes, did more than "Rudolph")
2) "The Hustler" (1961 with the great Jackie Gleason)
3) "Hud" (1963 with Patricia Neal)
4) "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969 with Robert Redford and Katherine Ross)
5) "Slap Shot" (1977, probably the greatest hockey/sports movie ever made)
6) "Nobody's Fool" (1994 with Bruce Willis, Jessica Tandy and Melanie Griffith)
7) "Empire Falls" (2005 HBO miniseries also starring Ed Harris, Aidan Quinn and Helen Hunt)
8) "Blaze" (1989 with Lolita Davidovich)
9) "The Towering Inferno" (1974 Irwin Allen epic also starring Steve McQueen)
10) "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1962 with Geraldine Page)
Newman's Own
By all accounts, and from what the public eye could see, Newman was a deeply caring individual and was generous to causes that he felt passionate about. He had the means and he used them to help further fund the dreams and goals of non-profit organizations.He founded the Hole in the Wall Gang for children diagnosed with cancer. To date, Newman's Own salad dressings, popcorn, salsa, spaghetti sauces and other products have raised more than $100 million for charities.
Cars, Cars, Cars
"You race like you run your mouth, you'd have that Piston Cup already!"
— Doc Hudson to Lightning McQueen
My nephew Ruari and Paul Newman share a great love for cars. Ruari can't get enough of them and neither, it seems, could Paul Newman.
In the 1970s, Newman became bored with the business of being famous and followed his heart into competitive racing. He began racing earlier in that decade and by its end was the co-owner of Newman-Haas Racing. His Champ Car Team merged in 2007 with NASCAR team Robert Yates Racing.
When my nephew Ruari gets to be a little older, I will share some of Newman's other great films with him. His dad, my brother Chris, may beat me to it. I envision some father/son bonding over "Cool Hand Luke" in their future. I also believe that Ruari's love of cars will continue throughout his life.
Final thoughts
Just in case you thought you knew everything about Paul Newman, I dug around and found these few gems: He was one of the celebrities on President Nixon's "Enemies List" kept during the Watergate scandal; he lived in Westport, Conn., and was seen regularly in the Berkshires; he was in the Navy and was training to be a pilot before he was diagnosed with color blindness; after James Dean's death in 1955 he inherited two roles that were originally scripted for Dean; his brother is Arthur S. Newman; the GI Bill paid for his first three months at Yale and then he went on to sell Encyclopedia Britannicas; he is Jake Gyllenhaal's godfather.
Ever the jokester, Newman famously stated that his epitaph would read "Here lies Paul Newman, a failure because his eyes turned brown."
Redford said in a statement released on Saturday that he had lost a "real friend whose life had left the world a better place." The two had planned to reunite to make one final movie; unfortunately, that movie was never shot because of Newman's health. He died after a battle with cancer.
Because our society is hooked on whose 15 minutes of fame it is today, the passing of Paul Newman will be mourned for little more than a few days, maybe a few weeks. I know that most will remember him fondly as an actor, and to be honest I think even Newman would admit that acting gave him the means to be charitable. The difference is he chose to be that way; not everyone does.
I was deeply saddened when I learned of his passing but I am also glad that he brought his talents to the big screen. Can you picture any other actor portraying Fast Eddie Felson, Butch Cassidy or Cool Hand Luke?
When I see those blue eyes in the future, I hope that I will also remember the human in front of the actor and the great gifts he left us to enjoy and further pursue.
Rest in peace Mr. Newman.
