Two of the amazing things about Paul Newman's quest for a big win at the Oscars were the distance of his derby trot — spanning more than 40 years — and how dramatic it was when he finally crossed the finish line triumphant.
Paul Newman's Oscar nominations seemed to come easy early in his career. His first best-actor nod was for his starring role in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in 1958, just four years after his screen debut in "The Silver Chalice." That was an overblown Biblical costume epic so bad that when it later debuted on TV in the 1960s when he was a superstar, Paul Newman took out an ad in Variety to apologize and to beg viewers not to tune in. Of course. that only encouraged fans to do so and it became a ratings hit.
Newman's nomination for "Cat" was a vindication after being blasted by critics who said he was miscast as a Southern lad who aches with homosexual yearning for his childhood chum Skipper, who committed suicide. Maybe it helped that the Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway script was butched up for the screen — the homosexual stuff got zapped because of the Hays Code, infuriating Williams, who was backed up by Newman. But Newman nonetheless proceeded with the revamped role and pulled off an impressive performance in the film, which was nominated for best picture.
Next, Paul Newman was nominated for "The Hustler" (1961), "Hud" (1963), "Cool Hand Luke" (1967), "Absence of Malice" (1981) and "The Verdict" (1982). In between, he was also got a producer nod for best-picture nominee "Rachel, Rachel" (1968), but, strangely, not for directing it. That was peculiar because best-pic contenders usually get a corresponding bid for best director, of course, especially if its helmer is a heartthrob star — like later winners Robert Redford ("Ordinary People"), Mel Gibson ("Braveheart"), Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves") and Clint Eastwood ("Unforgiven," "Million Dollar Baby"). Obviously, Paul Newman's directorial skills on "Rachel" were seriously admired. He won best director from the Golden Globes and the New York Film Critics Circle that year.
The fact that he was a heartthrob star was probably to blame for his early failure to win a chunk of academy gold for acting. While Oscar voters don't hesitate to reward studs for directing, it's curious to note that none of those same director champs ever won for acting. I call it the Slap the Stud Syndrome — Hollywood's payback to the handsome, famous, rich, girl-besieged male stars for having everything else.
Perhaps Paul Newman came closest to winning an Academy Award early in his career in 1961 when nominated for "The Hustler." "He feels it's the best thing he's ever done," his wife Joanne Woodward told Variety and they both attended the ceremony. Maximilian Schell had won the Golden Globe earlier that derby season, but he didn't compete against "Judgment at Nuremberg" costar Spencer Tracy. Both were nominated at the Oscars and many pundits believed they'd divide the "Nuremberg" vote. However, Schell won and, thunderstruck, he told reporters backstage later, "I thought Paul Newman would win!"
When Paul Newman was nominated for acting for a seventh time, it was clear that he would finally win, but he didn't care. He snubbed the ceremony, telling the Associated Press, "It's like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years. Finally, she relents and you say, 'I'm terribly sorry. I'm tired.'"
One year earlier, when it was absolutely definite that he'd claim a statuette — an honorary one, to salute his career — he didn't show up to accept the prize in person either. However, he did appear via satellite from Chicago to say thanks.
Newman wasn't faithful about attending the Oscars in general. He showed up for most of his nominations, but skipped his first in 1958 ("Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") because he refused to miss any performances of his Broadway show "Sweet Bird of Youth." That was the official reason, but it was obvious he wouldn't win that year after David Niven claimed the precursor awards at the New York Film Critics Circle and Golden Globes for "Separate Tables."
Again he skipped the ceremony in 1963 (nominated for "Hud") while performing opposite his wife on Broadway in "Baby, Want a Kiss." Albert Finney ("Tom Jones") was considered the favorite to win, but Newman said he was rooting for Sidney Poitier ("Lilies of the Field"). Of course, Poitier prevailed.
"There must be something wrong with a group that hands out awards and then has to send telegrams, saying, 'Please come,'" Newman once said. "It should be fun to go to — not agony. There's something barbaric about it."
In 1993, Paul Newman received another honorary Oscar statuette — the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award — in recognition of his extensive charity work, which he accepted gratefully in person, and reaped two additional acting bids: "Nobody's Fool" (1994) and "Road to Perdition" (2002).
You always win for the wrong role, Katharine Hepburn once said — and she knew what she was talking about, being Oscar's biggest winner (four trophies). Paul Newman was certainly a good example of that and he often said that "The Color of Money" was one of his least noteworthy performances. No doubt that had something to do with his refusal to show up to accept a statuette for it. Of his nine nominations for acting, his most critically acclaimed screen turns were "The Hustler" and "Cool Hand Luke."
He'll certainly be remembered for those stand-out performances plus "Cat." However, he was not nominated for the two other roles that were probably the most famous of his career, both involved pairings with Robert Redford: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (best picture nominee of 1969) and "The Sting" (best picture winner of 1973).
Newman's quest for an Oscar must've been all the more frustrating to endure considering the good luck experienced by his wife Joanne Woodward, who was nominated for the first time just 2 1/2 weeks after they got married in Las Vegas in January, 1958. And, of course, she won just weeks later for The Three Faces of Eve" (1957). Newman's first nomination (and loss) came a year later.
He won best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for "The Long Hot Summer" (1958) and was nominated twice for best director at the fest: "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds" (1972) and "The Glass Menagerie" (1987).
The only Golden Globe, SAG Award or Emmy he ever won for acting were for a supporting role in the TV miniseries he also produced, "Empire Falls" (2005). The National Society of Film Critics voted him best actor of 1994 for "Nobody's Fool."
In his new blog The Feinberg Files here at The Envelope, Scott Feinberg pools reax to Newman's loss from showbiz legends Ernest Borgine, Patricia Neal and Mickey Rooney.
Read the Los Angeles Times report on Newman's life and death.
Visit our photo gallery showcasing some of the Paul Newman's most memorable films.
While revisiting the highlights of his career and life, Elizabeth Snead notes that Newman will be missed.
(20th Century Fox, Buena Vista Pictures, HBO)
