In a career that spanned over half a century, the late Paul Newman played characters who ranged from heartless, selfish jerks such as Hud, to charming rogues like Luke Jackson, Henry Gondorff, and Reg Dunlop. Many of Paul Newman’s characters in both categories had a problem with women, alcohol, or both. With his slim build and gravelly voice, Newman was the kind of man many women want to be with and many men want to be like.
Paul Newman was equally adept at playing heavy drama or slapstick comedy, whether his costars were Robert Redford or little knowns, as in the 70’s hockey farce Slap Shot. It was hard to believe that Paul Newman was four years older than my Dad. Newman has been missed in the film industry the past few years and will be missed in our World. Here are my favorite Paul Newman movies in chronological order, oldest first, with the note that I haven’t seen many of his films prior to the late 60’s.
10. The Hustler
The first of two times Newman portrayed “Fast” Eddie Felson, pool shark. Newman’s Fast Eddie pursues a match with Minnesota Fats, played by Jackie Gleason like Captain Ahab chasing the Great White Whale. Eddie has Minnesota Fats down, but loses it all, gets his thumbs broken later, has his girlfriend commit suicide after she is violated by Eddie’s gambling sponsor played by George C. Scott. In the end, Newman’s Eddie finally beats Fats, but only after great personal expense.
9. Cool Hand Luke
Set in a Florida prison where cruel and unusual punishment is the norm, Paul Newman plays Luke Jackson, known as “Cool Hand Luke”. Luke is looked up to as a hero by the other inmates, especially escapes and sends his buddies a picture of himself with two attractive women. As usual, when Luke escapes from the prison he is eventually captured and returned to harsh discipline administered by the Captain (Strother Martin). When Luke finally breaks and begs for mercy, the other inmates lose respect for him and tear up the picture, which was fake. In the end, Luke finally defies the Captain one too many times. It is from this film that the phrase “what we have here is a failure to communicate” is derived.
8. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
The first of two times Paul Newman costarred with Robert Redford in a blockbuster film with Paul Newman as Butch and Redford as Sundance. The pair rob trains for a living, along with the Hole In The Wall Gang. The first thing I thought of upon hearing of Paul Newman’s death was the scene in which Butch and Sundance are trapped by a posse with jumping off a cliff the only possible escape. Butch wants to jump into the river below to which Sundance responds: “I can’t swim!” Newman laughs aloud and says “Hell, Kid, the fall’ll probably kill ya'”. One of the best westerns ever in my opinion, the movie goes from a light-hearted romp to a tragic ending.
7. The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean
In this John Huston directed story, Paul Newman plays the man known as the “law west of the Pecos”, Judge Roy Bean. The film was based more on the legend of the Judge than the true story of the life of Judge Roy Bean, I’m sure. In the film, the “Hanging Judge” Bean brings rigid “law and order” to Texas in a rough justice, Judge, Jury and Executioner kind of way. When he’s not lusting for singer Lilly Langtry, anyway.There is a lot of humor in the movie, to the surprise of some, with beer-drinking bears and the like.
6. The Sting
The 1974 winner of the Best Picture at the Academy Awards, this is another collaboration between Newman/Redford, and my personal favorite Paul Newman movie. As the roguish grifter Henry Gondorff, Newman teams with Johnny Hooker (Redford) to con the ruthless mob boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) to avenge the death of Hooker’s partner, and some serious money as well. In the elaborate scheme the pair must con Lonnegan in such a way that the “mark” never finds out that he was conned, due to his mob ties. In the funniest scen in the film, Gondorff gets into a card game with Lonnegan on a train and not only takes Lonnegan’s money, but treats the mobster with extreme disrespect, constantly calling him “Donovan”, “Dunnigan” and everything except Lonnegan. One of the few films on this list that does not have a bad ending, Gondorff, Hooker and their accomplices fleece Lonnegan by faking the death of Gondorff at the hands of Hooker, with a crooked cop played by Charles Durning escorting Lonnegan to safety.
5. Slap Shot
In this slapstick farce, Paul Newman played Reg Dunlop, the over the hill player/coach of the Charlestown Chiefs, a second rate minor league hockey team with a losing record in a town beset by job losses and a tanking economy. The cheapskate General manager, played by Strother Martin from Cool Hand Luke, cuts expenses to the bone, makes the players model clothes in their spare time, and has a deep dark secret from the past. Dunlop convinces the players the owner intends to move the team to Florida, imports three knuckle-dragging moron brothers to join the team to fight until a hockey game breaks out, and before long, the team starts winning, drawing big crowds in the process. In the championship game, Dunlop has a change of heart and tells the players to stop fighting and play “old-time” hockey. Until, at halftime, the players are told by the GM that there are NHL scouts in attendance and they didn’t come to see a “bunch of pussies”. When one of the dim-witted Hanson brothers says “what about old-time hockey?” the old man exclaims “p!$$ on old-time hockey!” Probably the funniest Paul Newman appeared in his his long career.
4. Absence Of Malice
As the son of a dead mobster, Newman’s character Michael Gallagher, reads in the newspaper that he is a murder suspect in a crime he did not commit. Gallagher proceeds to ruin the careers of the reporter (Sally Field), the prosecutor who tries to implicate him, and everyone in his path, going so far as to make it appear that he bribed a U.S. Attorney. One by one, Gallagher’s tormentors are fired, resign or are discredited. Wilford Brimley is a no-nonsense U.S. Attorney who does the firing and try as he might, he cannot touch Gallagher. My favorite Paul Newman‘s dramatic role.
3.The Verdict
Newman plays Frank Galvin, a shady, alcoholic lawyer (is shady lawyer redundant?) who takes the case of a woman in a coma to try to salvage his career. The film mirrors the Karen Quinlan case of that era somewhat. In the early 80’s the Quinlan case was a little like the Terri Schiavo situation, with less fanfare. In the end, Galvin salvages his career by doing the right thing and winning the case to boot.
2. The Color Of Money
It took over 20 years for the sequel to The Hustler to hit theaters. Paul Newman, reprising his role as Fast Eddie Felson, this time mentors Tom Cruise as Vince Lauria. Even the couch jumping scientologist Cruise must cringe at what has to be one of the most ridiculous hair-do’s in cinema history sported by Cruise’s Lauria. The ‘do is sort of a cross between Frankie Avalon circa 1962 and Buster Poindexter. Fast Eddie takes the unbearably cocky Vince under his wing, teaching him to hustle in local pool halls. Unfortunately for Fast Eddie, the dorky Vince is controlled by his shrewd girlfriend, played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio. With Forrest Whitaker in a small role as a hustler who outhustles Eddie, the ride inevitably comes to an unhappy end with the couple going out on their own, away from Felson.
1. Blaze
1. In the last great role I saw Paul Newman in, this 1989 film is based on the true story of Gov. Earl K. Long of Louisiana. In the film, the populist Governor of the Pelican State is played with great gusto by Paul Newman. Long is hounded by zealous prosecutors and political opponents and even committed to a mental institution at one point. The Governor openly carries on an affair with Blaze Starr, a voluptuous stripper played by Lolita Davidovich. In one sex scene, the sexy Starr asks Long why he leaves his boots on in bed. “Traction” growls the irascible Governor. No matter how hard political enemies try to defeat Long, the younger brother of earlier Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long of “40 acres and a mule” fame, the more the roadrunner-like Long outfoxes the Wile E. Coyotes of his state.
I’m sure there are some readers favorites left out, admittedly I never viewed a lot of Paul Newman’s older films or his more recent work. These are my personal favorites and kudos to the man for giving all proceeds from Newman’s Own to charity. I’ll miss his work. May the man rest in peace and Goodbye Newman.
