Sad News

A high school junior in 1967 I went on a movie date. The film, Hombre. That's the night I fell in love with the most talented actor and beautiful man I had ever seen. Yes he was the same age as my mother but that didn't matter to me. I set out to purchase every poster with his image I could find. He and Robert Kennedy graced my walls until I carefully took them down and rolled them up to take with me to art school.

Other movie dates... Cool Hand Luke, The Secret War of Harry Frigg, Winning, then Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The Sting, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Towering Inferno, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Drowning Pool, Harper, Torn Curtain, The Hustler, The Long Hot Summer, Hud, Sweet Bird of Youth. Absence Malice, The Verdict, Harry and Son, Slap Shot, The Color of Money, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, Blaze, The Hudsucker Proxy. Classics all made fabulous by his talent, that face, that smile and those eyes.

I could go on and on about my favorite parts of each movie and why. His acting talent was only one facet of this mans greatness. His charities are legendary. He and Joanne have donated literally tens of millions of dollars to tremendously worthy causes. I read somewhere $120 million so far. Hole in the Wall is my favorite.


Newman's Own will live on to remind us of his generosity and desire to give. His movies will remain to remind us of his talent and beauty. Like those who swooned over Elvis and mourned his passing, I will likewise miss him.

Strangely, last night I had a dream. The only thing I remembered about it this morning was that Paul Newman was in it.... before I knew if his passing. My love and condolence to his family.