Paul Newman, 1925-2008

The death has been announced of actor Paul Newman. He was 83. Newman's most famous role might be in the movie Cool Hand Luke, although he was nominated for several Oscars, in movies such as Hud and Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. The only time he won was for The Color of Money in 1986. Newman is survived by his wife of 50 years, fellow Oscar-winner Joanne Woodward.

TCM haven't yet announced which movies they're pre-empting for their tribute. One that most likely won't be showing up is the Fox movie From the Terrace, in which Newman and Woodward play a husband and wife in a marriage that's loveless, but enables him to become an executive. It's silly soap-opera stuff, and pretty badly dated, too, but it's not the fault of the actors, who were given a tawdry script. The movie also has Myrna Loy playing Paul's alcoholic mother, who is much less fun a drunk than she got to play in the Thin Man movies. (Although, watching her is a hoot.)