PAUL NEWMAN 1925-2008
He fought a valiant and private battle against lung cancer, but lost it yesterday. I happen to have a Paul Newman memory I want to share. It occurred in 1969, when I was 19 years old, working at Warner Brothers Seven Arts in their headquarters at 666 Fifth Ave in New York City.

Stars always showed up there…from Warren Beatty to Woody Allen to you name it. It was commonplace but for me as a kid, always exciting. This particular day, everyone was all abuzz, as Paul Newman and Robert Redford were coming in to use one of the screening rooms, looking at Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. Well, all every girl wanted to do was look at Newman and Redford and I was no different. As it turned out they wanted some cold beer, and one of the secretaries I knew was taking it down to them in the screening room. I begged, weadled, pleaded to go with her, and finally she said okay. The screening room was dark, but small and so it was easy to see them sitting there and talking quietly. My heart raced wildly and I shook inside and out. I dared not say a word (as my secretary friend warned me in advance). We walked towards the two men and upon hearing us, they turned around in their seats, looking directly back at the two of us. She continued and brought them the cold six pack. I simply froze a few inches away because they had looked at me. Those two hunks that I could look at forever had actually looked at me! I heard them both thank her and then they turned back to the blank screen and their conversation. I stood frozen until my friend took my arm and turned me around to leave. The movie was not yet playing, or perhaps they were already done. All I do know is I have never seen two more handsome men, nor two more riveting pairs of baby blues..I thought for just a split second I had died and gone to heaven. All those years ago, just sitting there in that darkened screening room, Paul Newman’s handsome smiling face, turned towards me and those electric blues creating a light all their own, is how I will always remember him.

Even though we all knew this death was coming my heart sank and tears flowed when I heard the news this morning. Where there is life there is always hope and Newman was a living icon. Its not easy to bid adieu to such a beautiful human being, no matter how much preparation you have.

Yes, I am glad his personal struggle is over and his pain is gone. Paul Newman leaves a beautiful legacy of motion pictures and Hollywood memories for us all, as well as an incredible body of humanitarianism and continuing philanthropy. I guess its okay now Mr. Newman, to close those baby blues and may you rest peacefully. Thank you sir, for the memory…
Harriette Schwartz

Paul Newman, what a class act. I will miss him.