The Complete History Of The Paul Newman Daytona
[Part 7 of 8]
Paul Newman's Acting Career
Paul Newman's acting career spanned 6 decades. He began his acting career by attending The Actor's Studio in New York City, which taught method acting.
In the photo below taken in 1955 we see Paul Newman in The Actor's Studio. James Dean had also attended The Actor's Studio and in the year this photo was taken, James Dean was on his way to being a huge movie star. Notice that all the men in the photo are wearing suits with ties and Paul Newman is the only one wearing a T-shirt with white socks and moccasins.
East Of Eden Screentest With James Dean
In the following video we see James Dean and Paul Newman in a screentest together for the movie East Of Eden.
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
Paul's first major movie role was in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) where he played the role of boxing legend, Rocky Graziano. Paul Newman spent much time with Rocky to learn to how to emulate him on-screen as seen below.
In retrospect it is fascinating to explore how similar–in many ways–Paul Newman was to James Dean, Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen. This next photo was taken in 1956 by Sanford Roth during the filming of Somebody Up There Loves Me.
Paul Newman typically played roles that cast him as a rebel in movies like Exodus (1960); The Hustler (1961); Hud (1961); Hombre (1967); Cool Hand Luke (1967); The Towering Inferno (1974): Slap Shot(1977) and The Verdict (1982).
Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (1958)
One of Paul Newman's most memorable roles was when he starred alongside Elizabeth Taylor in Tennessee Williams Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, which was nominated for the Academy Award for best picture. Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman both received Oscar nominations for their rolex in the movie.
1960 Hud
Paul Newman played a cowboy in many movies and one of his most memorable performances was in the movie Hud.
The Hustler (1961)
In 1961, Paul Newman co-starred with Jackie Gleason in the cult-classic named The Hustler.
Jackie Gleason played Minnesota Fats and Paul Newman played the role of Fast Eddie Felson. Piper Laurie played Sarah Packard and George C. Scott played Bert Gordon. The Hustler was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won the awards for Best Art-Set Decoration and Best Cinematography. Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott were both nominated for Best Actor In A Supporting Role.
As we will see later in this section, in 1986, Paul Newman would reprise his role as Fast Eddie Felson in the movie, The Color Of Money, an win the Academy Award for Best Actor. The Hustler was responsible for creating a resurgence of the popularity of pool in the U.S.
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid is considered to be one of Paul Newman's greatest movies. Robert Redford co-starred with Paul Newman in the now famous wester. It is ironic, because Steve McQueen was originally chosen to star in the movie opposite Paul Newman, but there lawyers could not agree on which star would get top billing.
Paul Newman is pictured below from a famous scene in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid.
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid was the highest grossing film of the year in 1969, and at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970 it won 4 Oscars, including best screen play. At the 24th British Academy Film Awards it won 9 awards including Best Film.
The Sting (1973)
Paul Newman made another blockbuster film in 1973 together named The Sting. I remember seeing this film when I was a kid and again when I was in college and I remember it being a great film.
The Sting was another blockbuster hit and took in more than $160 Million. The Sting also won the prestigious Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director as well as 5 additional Academy Awards.
The Towering Inferno (1974)
In 1974, Paul Newman starred with an all-star cast in The Towering Inferno which included (Pictured from left to right) Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Paul Newman, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Vaughn and O.J. Simpson.
When I was a kid I would always get Steve McQueen and Paul Newman confused. Looking at the photo below, it is easy to understand why. Steve & Paul could be brothers.
Both men are famous Rolex watch wearers, and Steve McQueen is wearing his Trademark Rolex Submariner in this photo and this photo was also taken on the set of The Towering Inferno. We see Steve McQueen on the far left with Fay Dunaway between him and Paul Newman.
In this next photo (below) we see Steve McQueen and Paul Newman with Barbra Streisand and Sidney Poitier. I like this photo because it looks like they are all having a great time.
...Academy Award Winning Performance Wearing Rolex...
Rolex Coolness: Paul Newman
The Color Of Money
Stainless Steel Rolex Datjeust
In 1961, Paul Newman costarred with Jackie Gleason in the "The Hustler." In 1986, Paul Neman reprised his role as "Fast Eddie Felson" in the movie "The Color Of Money." Paul Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal as Fast Eddie in 1986 and he was wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust which can be seen on his wrist throughout the movie. Tom Cruise costarred with Paul Newman in The Color Of Money.
Fast Eddie Felson
As you can see in the photo above and below, Paul Newman wore a stainless steel Rolex Datejust on a Jubilee bracelet in The Color Of Money.
The Money Shot
Tom Cruise Holding Paul Newman's Rolex Datejust
In the next photo we see a screen-shot taken from the The Color Of Money, that shows Tom Cruise playing with Paul Newman's Rolex Datejust in the movie. Of course this close-up helps making a solid positive I.D., as a stainless steel Rolex Datejust. Notice the bezel has no fluting, thus making it a straight stainless steel bezel.
Paul Newman is pictured below in 1986 with his two costars from The Color Of Money, Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantinio. Marin Scorsese who directed the movie is pictured on the far right. Paul Newmans is wearing his trademark stainless Rolex Daytona on his wrist on a Fatstrap.
Paul Newman won the Academy Award for best actor for his 1986 performance in The Color Of Money. After he won the Oscar he said "It's like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years. Finally she relents and you say, "'I'm' terribly sorry, I'm tired."
Paul Newman also received another Oscar as the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, that was presented by Tom Cruise in 1994.
The Road To Perdition (2002)
I saw Road To Perdition in a theater when it first came out and I remember being engaged and thinking it was a food movie. I also remember that Paul Newman played a not-so-nice-guy and he did an excellent job at it. I would even venture to say that his performance was ominous.
Paul Newman plays an Irish American crime boss during the Great Depression in Illinois. This all takes place during the Al Capone mob-rule era.
Tom Hanks is pictured below on the left with Paul Newman in the middle and Daniel Craig who now plays James Bond.
The Road To Perdition was a box office success and was nominated for six Academy Awards including Paul Newman for Best Supporting Actor.
This next image is kind of funny to me =) It shows Paul Newman's character roughing-up Daniel Craig's character and the reason it is funny to me is because in real life, Daniel Craig plays James Bond and he is a huge Rolex fan.
For some reason, I can see a caption that has Paul Newman saying to Daniel Craig:
"What kind of James Bond are you? You can act like a man and wear a Paul Newman Reference 6263 Rolex Daytona!!!"
By the way, in real life, Daniel Craig does wear a Paul Newman Daytona 6263 today!!! And, George Lazenby wore a Rolex Chronograph when he played James Bond in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."
