JohnDoe
Bryn
BrentonJohn Doe remembers Paul Newman
September 30th 2008 02:07
Live fast, Die Old, Leave a legacy to be envied.
Newman in Somebody Up There Likes me
Paul Newman’s recent passing has left John Doe empty and despondent, this will be brief.
While the grim reaper of death has taken many notable stars in the last few years none have left the same void in JD’s life. (Aside from maybe Brando).
Forever Cool
A towering figure of effortless cool, malleable charm and human vulnerability, Newman’s presence in front of the camera was over whelming. His entrances unforgettable as the lens burnt his image onto celluloid. Carrying a maelstrom of vibrant activity this was a man whose smallest mannerism could be more captivating than a 100 million dollar pyrotechnical explosion.
Over the course 2 years posting Johnny D has managed to review several of Mr Newman’s films. Click on the title link to read his critique of Cool Hand Luke, The Hustler and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
The Hustler
Back in May 2007 Newman announced his retirement from acting. This was the occasion where JD decided to reflect on some of his personal favourite films by the Cool Handed, Fast Eddie Hud stud. Click HERE to read JD’s entire salute to Paul Newman’s filmography with quotes from the man himself.
The end of an era, what Newman represented as a performer, what he bought to the silver screen and what he gave in return for his fame is a body of work, a life that stands as an idealist existence.
More than just an actor, he was a humanitarian that embraced obstacles, devoted himself to every challenge and led an extraordinary life of speed, fame and compassion.
Paul Newman R.I.P
NB* Stay Tuned because Bryn from Horrorphile will make a special guest appearance on this site with his review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Several Orblers have also expressed their own feeling on the death of Paul Newman, visit Blogging In America, Movies by Damsel and Idiot Boxers.
An early Paul Newman screentest opposite James Dean
An excerpt from a documentary about Newman's one true love, his wife Joanne Woodward
An interview Newman did at the time of his retirment
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Great actor.
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In 1969, Barbra Streisand joined forces with Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier to form a production company called First Artists. The late Steve McQueen joined the venture in 1971, followed subsequently by Dustin Hoffman in 1976. Barbra's first film for "First Artists" was "Up the Sandbox." Those of us old enough to have seen the film in its first theatrical release will remember the company's short lived animated "profile" trailer when it ran at the start of the film (below).
"First Artists" replaced their intriguing "profile" logo with the more familiar "script" logo (below) sometime after 1972.
The films that Newman made with "First Artists" were the exact films he wanted to make.. and they were pretty darn good: Pocket Money (1972) The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972). It's great to remember Newman as a fine actor and great looking guy, but I also like to remember him as one of the first modern independents who broke away from the Studio Contract System and started to make it easier for performers in Hollywood films to do what they wanted to do - what they thought was worth doing.
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thanks for the link also. Did you see my newest post of Newman quotes? He even had such a way to say amazing things.
Gene
Comment by JohnDoe
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Do you mean Larry Fink in What a Way To Go? If so good call, a fine black comedy.
Comment by JohnDoe
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I found it very hard writing, fortunately everything i wanted to say had been expressed in previous posts I did....I do agree i think it is the over all man that we lost that heightens the grief.
Comment by JohnDoe
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Do you mean Newman's film Rally Around The Flag Boys?
Comment by JohnDoe
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Did you have a browse at some of the other newman Posts I did?
Comment by JohnDoe
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Totally agree! Like Kirk Douglas and John Wayne he was one of the first to take control of his career and fund indie cinema he wanted to make. Shame about teh clusterfuck First Artists became.
Life and Time of Judge Roy Bean is a brilliant anti - newman part....Pocket Money I only enjoy for the teaming of Lee Marvin.
Thanks for the thoughtful response, come back soon.
Comment by JohnDoe
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I actually featured some of those quotes in my Newman salute back in 2007, fine choices.
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It so nice to see so much love for teh man throughout the orble sphere. Gone but never forgotten.
Comment by Bryn
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There aren't too many left in Hollywood of Paul Newman's clout, calibre and compassion.
I think fondly of the way he defended never "roaming" whilst married the fifty years to Joanne Woodward: "I've got steak at home, why would I go out looking for hamburger?"
Short, sweet tribute JD.
Cheers dude.
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Nice tribute JD.
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maybe the secret to Newman looking so youthful his whole life was his generous heart!
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My Mrs was shattered. She told me not long ago she thought he would die.
Sad to think, then she noted that all those cool old guys will start dieing like him, and Redford, and Eastwood...
great guys, sad stuff...
- Jarrah
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Comment by David Jobling
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I remember my mother getting upset when Charlie Chaplin died, and I can see that there will be a long list of classic performers shuffling off this mortal coil over the next few years. Of course that's just life isn't it - but the interesting thing I find about this phenomenon is how it starts to sort out the men from the boys (as it were) among our current crop of movie personalities - how many people expected Tom Cruise to take a popularity dive mid career? What about the rise and rise of Christan Bale?? We saw him as a boy in Empire of the Sun, and now we are becoming increasingly impressed with his talents as he gets older...
It's a wonderful thing and a sad thing all at once, but I feel a bit like I did when Princess Diana died, although her death was completely unexpected, I feel Newman has contributed on so many levels to where we are at in certain areas of society, anti-discrimination based on race, freedom of speech, championing an innovative charity/capitalist process that has seen millions of dollars donated to the poor via salad dressing sales ...
It's going to be sad to see folk like Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine, Warren Beatty, and I'm not quite sure how I will cope when Jane Fonda, Mel Brooks, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Burt Reynolds and Jack Nicholson pass away as well - although I think there may be a good solid few years left in all of them it's going to happen eventually.
Ah well, life goes on......
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REST IN PEACE 1925 - 2008
Comment by Lilla
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What to say that hasn't already been said about this man, except that he leaves a legacy behind him, not only on film; but as a real life role model for hollywood lifestyles themselves, aswell ...
Quite an extra-ordinary guy ... sad to see him go, but the world is so much better for his having passed through.
Well said and as always enjoyable review... Love the (Danny Vito ?) play on words..
Lilla ...
Comment by Ash
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soory to see such a great person leave us... so many do each day, whether they be on the big screen or not... it is good that we have a record of such a life burned forever that generations to come may enjoy his work.
A wonderful tribute to a wonderful soul
Ash
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Comment by Mountain Fog
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it is incredibly sad that we have lost such an old soul, for that he surely must have been...
As for the reference to First Artists above, actually, Bete Davis was the very first person to stand up against the big studio hegemony, taking them to court to break her restrictive contract, at least I think that is true. However, United Artists was set up earlier, by actors and others on the creative side. Sadly, UA eventually went into the hands of corporate sharks.
For a lot of us, Newman will remain in our hearts as long as we are able to project his films, but for some, for a lot longer, as his charity has been incredible.
cheers
fog
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it's true - Bette Davis did take the studio she was contracted to into a long and drawn out court case to get out of her contract because she was dissatisfied with the roles she was being given - and while I haven't ever said Paul Newman was the first actor to set up his own production company (after all most of the big male silent film stars ran their own production companies) I do remember him as one of the first to actually come together with other successful actors to produce their own films, thus cutting out the instances where they felt themselves wrong for the part they were contracted to play (best example: Barbra Streisand at 22 years of age playing Dolly Levi who is meant to be in her 50's in Hello Dolly); it didn't involve long drawn out court battles over who own rights to whom as far as performance was concerned. They probably realized that Davis was wrongly discriminated against for several years and had to resort to placing full page adverts in Variety Magazine as an actor seeking employment.
Convinced that her career was being damaged by a succession of mediocre films, Davis accepted an offer in 1936 to appear in two films in England. Knowing that she was breaching her contract with Warner Bros., she fled to Canada to avoid legal papers being served upon her. Eventually, Davis brought her case to court in England, hoping to get out of her contract with Warner Bros.[23] She later recalled the opening statement of the barrister, Sir Patrick Hastings, who represented Warner Brothers. Hastings urged the court to "come to the conclusion that this is rather a naughty young lady and that what she wants is more money". He mocked Davis's description of her contract as "slavery" by stating, incorrectly, that she was being paid $1,350 per week. He remarked, "if anybody wants to put me into perpetual servitude on the basis of that remuneration, I shall prepare to consider it". The British press offered little support to Davis, and portrayed her as overpaid and ungrateful.[24]
Davis explained her viewpoint to a journalist, saying "I knew that, if I continued to appear in any more mediocre pictures, I would have no career left worth fighting for."[25] Davis's counsel presented her complaints – that she could be suspended without pay for refusing a part, with the period of suspension added to her contract, that she could be called upon to play any part within her abilities regardless of her personal beliefs, that she could be required to support a political party against her beliefs, and that her image and likeness could be displayed in any manner deemed applicable by the studio. Jack Warner testified, and was asked, "Whatever part you choose to call upon her to play, if she thinks she can play it, whether it is distasteful and cheap, she has to play it?" Warner replied, "Yes, she must play it."[26]
From Wikipedia: Legal case
The case, decided by Branson J. in the English High Court, was reported as Warner Bros. Studios Incorporated v. Nelson in [1937] 1 KB 209. Davis lost the case and returned to Hollywood, in debt and without income, to resume her career. Olivia de Havilland mounted a similar case in 1943 and won.
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Excellent review, JD. It would take many many posts to cover all of the great things Newman has done in the world. He set a higher standard for humanity with his generosity and for actors with his talent.
Going over to your review of "The Hustler" now.
By the way, I always thought "Slap Shot" was hilarious..a cult classic. In the extra goodies on the dvd, Newman tells funny anecdotes about the filming; how he was so immersed in his character that he started carrying it home, saying "Pretty soon the whole family was saying stuff like 'Pass the #$%!! bread please"--so I had to tone it down when I was at home after that."
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