Paul Newman Passes Away

Just minutes ago, I heard that Paul Newman died Friday of cancer.

In recent months, I've heard vague reports that he was ill, but I heard no reports that indicated the end was near. Apparently, Newman succeeded in keeping the details of his condition private.

Nevertheless, when one is 83 years old, as Newman was, anything can happen, and you should always be prepared.

But, speaking from the vantage point of my generation, as someone who remembers when Newman was a guaranteed box office draw and a Hollywood sex symbol, it was hard for me to imagine Newman in his 80s, let alone imagining that the robust actor would ever die.

At the CNN website, a poll has been set up where people can vote for their favorite Paul Newman film. I'll admit, that's a tough choice to make — in more than half a century, Newman made at least one movie in all but a handful of years, and there are valid cases to be made for many of them.

Even so, I've already named my choice in this blog — a few months ago. More on that in a minute.

(By the way, as of 11:26 a.m. Central, CNN shows "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" leading its informal poll with 31%, followed by "Cool Hand Luke" with 27% and "The Sting" with 20%.

(The online survey also reminds me of a fact that is seldom mentioned or acknowledged. Although the movie partnership of Newman and Robert Redford was widely hailed, it produced only two movies — "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting." Newman and Redford often talked about making another film, but could never agree on the details.)

Anyway, I was reminded, when I heard the news, of a blog post I wrote in June, in which I wrote that I had heard news reports that Newman was "seriously ill."

I wrote in June about his great career, but mainly I observed that this year is the 35th anniversary of the release of the film "The Sting." It's really been my favorite Newman film since I saw it as a teenager. If I cast a vote in CNN's online poll, I'll vote for "The Sting."

At the time of my post, I urged people to watch "The Sting" to mark its anniversary — and enjoy the story.

And now that Newman has passed away, I urge you to watch it and enjoy his performance.

Incidentally, at a time like this, I'm always reminded of what a truly remarkable job the New York Times does in its obituaries. If you want to see how well a person's life can be summarized in a single article, take a look at any obituary in any edition of the Times.

But, today, read the Times' tribute to Paul Newman.

An Anniversary to Celebrate

In this year that marks the 40th anniversaries of all the big — usually tragic — events of 1968, it's nice to be able to encourage the celebration of a good, even uplifting anniversary.

Even if it is in the world of entertainment.

The anniversary to which I refer is not a 40th anniversary — not yet. It's actually a 35th anniversary.

In 1973, "The Sting," starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, was made. I'm not sure of the exact date it was released theatrically, but it won several Oscars when the awards were given out in early 1974 — including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Writing — and Best Score, for Marvin Hamlisch's delightful adaptation of Scott Joplin's ragtime music.

Sadly, the news this month is that Newman, now 83 years old, is battling cancer. Reports have been mixed and, at times, contradictory, but the Associated Press reported on June 11 that Newman's partner in his salad dressing business, writer A.E. Hotchner, had confirmed what The Daily Telegraph reported on June 9 — that Newman is seriously ill.

All the more reason to watch "The Sting."

Newman was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in "The Sting." He didn't win, although he went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor for "The Color of Money" in 1986.

But that takes nothing away from Newman's work in "The Sting." Many people, myself included, rate his work in "The Sting" among the finest of his distinguished career.

Fifty years ago, Newman was the recipient of the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actor award for "The Long, Hot Summer." He's been entertaining audiences since 1954, but he announced his retirement from acting in 2007.

Whether his retirement coincided with his learning of his condition is, for the moment, a matter for speculation.

Obviously, when a person has reached the age Newman has, anything can happen — whether or not the reports of cancer are true.

So I urge you to take a couple of hours of your time, watch "The Sting" and reflect on Newman's magnificent career while he's still alive.

If you've never seen "The Sting" before, you're entitled to a few words of warning:

If you watch the film and, when it's over, you think that someone slipped something past you, don't worry. It happens to everyone!

Just watch the movie a second time to pick up on whatever you missed. And don't be surprised if you find yourself humming the Scott Joplin tunes.

I envy the pleasure of the discovery that awaits you!