February 2009 - Style Of Eye

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Style of Eye - February 2009

Paul Newman

February 20th 2009 06:33

Paul Newman was not only a fantastic actor, but he was also a great human being. But that’s been said a thousand times. His devotion as a husband was the stuff of Hollywood legend. He made a pretty darn good salad dressing. He wasn’t too shabby behind the wheel of a racing car. And he was a fabulous humanitarian.

The camera loved him too.

Paul Leonard Newman was born in 1925 and died last year of lung cancer. At 83 he lived a long life for someone who smoked heavily for a considerable part of it. He is survived by his second wife Joanne Woodward and five daughters (his only son died of a drug overdose in 1978). His marriage to Joanne lasted nearly fifty years. No other Hollywood couple can make that kind of claim.

Newman began his Hollywood movie career in 1954 and he continued acting up until 2007 (another claim few Hollywood actors can stake). He won one Academy Award for The Colour of Money, although he should’ve won it for numerous other films such as The Hustler, one of my favourite movies. His most famous roles were “cowboys”; Hud, Eddie Felson (The Hustler, The Colour of Money), Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy, Gondorff (The Sting), and in a rusty kind of way, Frank Galvin (The Verdict).

It was Newman’s ruggedly handsome face with his piercing blue eyes that made women fall weak at the knees and men muttering envy under their breath. Yet, he charmed us all, time and time again. In latter years when asked why he never fell prey to all the starlets who would throw themselves at his feet, Newman responded, “Why go out for hamburger when you’ve got steak at home?” A golden answer from a golden man.

Paul Newman, may your blue eyes twinkle forever on that big silver screen in the sky.

Paul Newman Dennis Hopper photograph 1964

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward Leo Fuchs photograph

Miss ya Paul! My favourite pic here is the "steak and kidney" profile shot. I love all the black and white photographs, especially the ones taken by Leo Fuchs. My other favourites would be two of Paul as Cool Hand Luke (shirt off, star of David necklace) and Paul as Butch Cassidy, he wears that hat and threads so well. The arty chain-link fence pic shot by Dennis Hopper is superb. I also love the pics of him with wife Joanne Woodward, they exude a true love.