Oh, those blue eyes

If there were a perfect color for a fabric, it would be Paul Newman's blue eyes.

They weren't always the dominant feature in a movie, but in Cool Hand Luke, they were the focus of much of the movie, along with his smile, which could win over any woman's heart. I first loved Paul Newman because my mother loved him. When I was young, I remember her talking about Somebody Up There Likes Me, and seeing The Long Hot Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Hustler and Hud. At the time, I didn't understand the nuances of the stories. They were just part of the fabric of my growing up. At my house, we loved Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Robert Redford. My mom also did a mean imitation of Marlo Brando in On the Waterfront, but I digress.

Between the ages of 2 -10, when these movies were released, I wasn't aware that he wasn't playing a nice guy in some of these movies. By the time Cool Hand Luke was released, I loved Paul Newman all on my own. It's the first movie I remember seeing where the hero really didn't win in the end. To this day I have trouble watching the end of that movie - I can still remember the pain I felt when they ran that montage of beautiful blue eyes and dreamy smiles at the end of the movie. When Butch Cassidy came out, it was the "dream team" of the 1970's - Paul Newman and Robert Redford - WOW!-what more could a woman want?

Recently I saw The Road to Perdition and I was amazed at how much I couldn't stand him in the movie. He was so great in the role. To this day, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Long Hot Summer are two of my favorite movies. (I better add them to my profile) It's funny how different a movie is when you understand the story.

He's just a guy who was gorgeous as well as being a fantastic actor and, it seems a really wonderful human being. He will be missed by many. I find it comforting to know he's up in heaven with my mom.

mjs 10.01.08 12:24 am