TCM’s ‘Paul Newman 100th Birthday Tribute’ Celebrates the Hollywood Legend All Day Sunday

Paul Newman was born on Jan. 26, 1925, and to celebrate a century of the legendary actor, TCM has planned 12 straight hours of his films, running the gamut from Newman’s most famous roles to forgotten treasures. So pop up a bowl of Newman’s Own popcorn, and settle in for a day with the blue-eyed icon.
All times EST.
12pm: Rachel, Rachel (1968)

Everett Collection
Though Newman doesn’t appear in this film, Rachel, Rachel was his directorial debut and starred his wife, Joanne Woodward, who received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Rachel Cameron, a repressed, virginal school teacher who begins to open up to life.
It also received a Best Picture Oscar nomination, but was shut out of the Academy Awards; however, Newman and Woodward both picked up Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Actress, respectively.
2pm: Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Everett Collection
This Robert Wise-directed drama about the life of boxer Rocky Graziano was Newman’s breakthrough; he picked up the role of Graziano after James Dean, who was originally slated to play the athlete, died tragically in 1955.
4pm: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Everett Collection
Richard Brooks directed this adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-winning play about Brick, a depressed, alcoholic former athlete (Newman), and his scheming, sexy wife, Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor). Though the film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor and Actress Oscars for Newman and Taylor, Newman was supposedly disappointed in the film, which differed sharply from Williams’ original play.
6pm: Hud (1963)

Everett Collection
Newman yet again got a Best Actor nod for his performance as rude, brutish Hud, the selfish son of a Texas ranching family. Considered one of the first “revisionist” Westerns, Hud uses the tropes of a classic ranching drama to tell a story of family dysfunction.
8pm: Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Everett Collection
Nobody can eat 50 eggs! Chain-gang prisoner Luke might be Newman’s most famous role, give or take a Butch Cassidy. The rebellious Luke, who refuses to submit to the abuses and indignities pressed upon him in a Florida prison, became a symbol of freedom and cool, especially to the 1960s anti-establishment counterculture. Hard to believe the role was originally pitched as a vehicle for Telly Savalas! Newman lost Best Actor, but George Kennedy, who played fellow prisoner Dragline, won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
10:15pm: Nobody’s Fool (1994)

Paramount Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
The evening ends with the TCM premiere of Newman’s final Best Actor-nominated performance. In this dramedy, Newman plays Donald “Sully” Sullivan, a 60-something small-town slacker who decides, in the final era of his life, to clean up his act, and try to win the respect of his son.
Newman appeared in a handful of live-action films after Nobody’s Fool; 2002’s Sam Mendes-directed Road to Perdition was his final onscreen role. However, he continued to voice-act, with the 2008 documentary The Meerkats being his film film. He died on Sept. 26, 2008, at the age of 83, after a battle with lung cancer.

1965
February 2025
Flashback to 1965 and celebrate the very best of TV, Movies, Music, Fashion & more!
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