criterionforum.org

On that note, I went to see "Our Town" on broadway a few years ago, where he was magnificent in the role of the Narrator, or whatever he's called. Just magnificent.

A friend of mine was the stage manager of the show, so I went to visit her after the show, got to compliment the crew, etc. It was a very nice production. As I stand there chatting with my friend and the director, lo and behold, Paul and Joanne come from behind the curtain, walk right over to where I'm standing (My knees were shaking), he shakes my hand vigorously, smiles, asks "who are you?" I mention I'm a friend of the stage manager's and an enormous fan of his. He looked genuinely pleased.

We actually begin talking about the show! The staging, the way he interacted with performers. We chatted to ourselves for a good fifteen minutes! I casually mention I've done some acting in the past; he puts his hand on my shoulders and says, "Take it from me. Do some more." He leaves the back entrance of the theater, where we see the multitude of fans waiting outside.

He was an amazing, gracious man. He may have been the last great star of his generation. At least for me.

In his prime- probably the greatest looking male member of the species ever put on film.

My 70-year-old mother said he still looked pretty hot at age 83.

I loved this Playbill bio of Newman from a few years back, which I believe he wrote himself.

I feel I should also add that I genuinely really like his spaghetti sauce.

Even though everyone knew this was coming, still very sad news. Always seemed like a gentleman and his relationship with his wife was by all accounts one of the classiest in the business.

They were head over heels over one another from a to z. It was one of the most sincere love affairs I ever witnessed-- because it never seemed to wane. The respect level between the two of them was just astronomical.

HerrSchreck wrote:They were head over heels over one another from a to z. It was one of the most sincere love affairs I ever witnessed-- because it never seemed to wane. The respect level between the two of them was just astronomical.

Yes, indeed.

Years ago I was living on the Upper East Side, and being restless late one night I decided to take a walk, heading south on a pretty much deserted Madison. It was past 11, I was lost in my head, figuring some work problem, my eyes on the ground, when I suddenly looked up and noticed a couple heading toward me, who smiled in greeting as they passed. I returned the smile, thinking, That man has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen, and then realized it was Newman and Joanne Woodward, out for a stroll. What struck me immediately was not that this was a great iconic movie star sighting, but that you could tell from their easy companionability and comfortable intimacy that they were a couple that was still seriously, deeply, and unfussily in love.

I think Slap Shot is one of the great sports movies of all time and one of the funniest, period, but I was still pleasantly surprised to find out Pauline Kael thought Newman's performance in it was his best ever up to that point. Two great quotes from her review: "His likeableness is infectious; nobody should ever be asked not to like Paul Newman" and "Newman proves that stardom isn't necessarily corrupting, and we need that proof as often as possible."

Kenyon College has put a tribute to Paul Newman up on its website. The entire campus is saddened today, but rejoices in being a part of the life of a great man.

I don't think anyone else ever had a better, smoother transition from leading man to character actor. He did both brilliantly, never missing a beat.

The "Paul is a genuinely nice guy" stories are legion. I'm glad a couple of people here have added to the mosaic.

Marpessa Dawn, who played Eurydice in Orfeu Negro.

There are some really nice tributes surfacing online about Newman:

Dargis at the NYT

A nice collection of clips via YouTube.

Shawn Levy's tribute. He's written a book on Newman that is coming out soon and this is by far the best tribute I've come across so far.

Korean actress Choi Jin-Sil, in an apparent suicide.

Actor Ken Ogata passed away at the age of 71. Watching it on the news as I am writing.

RIP. Counting down to the Criterion website tie-in.

Gil Stratton, Stalag 17's "Cookie" and later a prominent L.A. sportscaster, age 86.

Oh my God, that's terrible. I was just thinking yesterday about how good he was in the Rivette film

Pneumonia? Christ.

I was watching him last night in Bozon's La France. Never realised he only had one leg too.

I liked him a lot in Pola X as well. Really a shame.

Mark Shivas

Neal Hefti, composer.

A nice tribute to Depardieu by Glenn Kenny.

Edie Adams.