Hollywood legend Paul Newman passes at 83

There is sad news in Hollywood today. Paul Newman has died at the age of 83.



Paul Newman was a great actor, and had been in entertainment since the 1950’s, made 50 films, was on television and performed in the theater. He was of a generation that could act in all the formats, not just one that most today do.

He is known for phenomenal performances in films like Cool Hand Luke, The Sting (a favorite), The Hustler (another favorite), and The Color of Money. He was so good that he was nominated for 10 Oscars over his career, and he won one and received 2 honorary Oscar Awards.

He worked with some of the greatest directors and actors in the entertainment business. The list includes: Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, the Coen brothers, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Forest Whitaker, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, and Robert Redford.

Newman was also an accomplished race car driver. A passion that he pursued for decades. He was able to turn professional in 1977. He took second place in the grueling Le Mans Race in ‘79 and 5th place in Daytona in ’77.

Newman was also a charitable man. One of the most noted celebrity charitable contributors he gave for the causes he believed in most, children, though his Newman’s Own multi-million dollar food company is noted as having given over $175 million to charities. The company took no profits, all the money made was given away – name another celebrity or entertainer that has done something similar.

He also created the Scott Newman Foundation, after the death of his only son due to drugs. The foundation financed the production of anti-drug films for children.

And it must be noted that Paul Newman was married for 50 years, one of the longest Hollywood marriages. He was not seen in the various paparazzi magazines, nor was he known for scandals. He was a quiet man, of good humor and respect.

Like many in his generation, Newman served in the Navy during World War II. After the war he studied at Yale, and was part of the famed Actor’s Studio in New York City.

Newman is survived by his wife, five children, two grandsons and his older brother Arthur.

Losing notable entertainers - 3.28.2007.1

Well I suppose I could talk about the continuing legal troubles of Ms. Foxy Brown, or perhaps whether or not the kid on American Idol has talent or just big hair. Then again I could also jump off a bridge. Instead I’ll talk about a couple of other items that caught my interest you might have missed recently.

There were a few sad loses recently in the entertainment community. One of them was the loss of director Mr. Stuart Rosenberg. You may not recall the name, but many will recall his films. These films include the Amityville Horror (the original), Cool Hand Luke (a very good Mr. Paul Newman film with Mr. George Kennedy as well), Brubaker (great Mr. Robert Redford film), and The Pope of Greenwich Village. All of these films are deserving of being seen, well maybe not the Amityville Horror but it’s still watchable. This does not even touch on his numerous television directing credits. It’s always a shame to have such talented people pass.

Not quite as talented, but no less a loss was the popular Mr. Calvert DeForest. The name may not be as familiar as his most famous character, Larry ‘Bud’ Melman. Often seen on the Letterman Show from 1982 to 2002, he was a beloved recurring character. A unique blend of less than handsome looks, meek personality, and huge amounts of warmth his everyman qualities made him a regular staple on Letterman and endeared him to millions of fans. He had many other roles on television and a few movies as well, but it was his Letterman Show character that drew his biggest fame and placed him in events like the Winter Olympics and the anniversary of Woodstock. Talent in entertainment is always a great thing, but genuine warmth and likeability cannot be manufactured. Again it is a sad loss to us all.

In a loss of a different nature there is the fact that Mr. Bernie Mac has announced that he will be ending his 30 year career in entertainment after his film The Whole Truth, Nothing But The Truth, So Help Me Mac. Mr. Mac may be best known for his television show, The Bernie Mac Show and his part in the very successful film The Original Kings Of Comedy. That is just a small part of his 3 decades of entertaining the masses. Besides his roles in each of the Ocean’s Eleven films (the third, Ocean’s Thirteen out this summer), The upcoming Transformers movie, The Charlie’s Angels sequel, What’s the Worst That Could Happen (with Mr. Martin Lawrence), Life (With Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Eddie Murphy), Get on the Bus, and House Party 3 to name a few. This doesn’t even touch upon his numerous television appearances and comedy club performances. His appeal reached all Americans equally.

While I have found his performances to be hit and miss, like Mr. 3000, he is a good entertainer and humorous stand-up comedian. I can understand his desire to regain part of his life lost in 47 week tours and decades in the entertainment industry. I hope that there are still a few choice roles that Mr. Mac may be presented in the future. As a Black American actor and as an entertainer in general I think to lose his talents completely will be a void few will adequately fill.

This is what I think, what do you think?