Remember Paul Newman

If you're a Paul Newman fan, then no doubt you've heard the sad news that he died on Friday, Sept. 26th, at age 83, after a long battle with cancer. Newman, who lived in Westport, Conn., was an Academy-Award winning actor who personified handsome and cool in his numerous films. But he was also an activist, an avid race car driver, and had his own line of health-conscious foods. If you want to pay homage to Newman, why not go out and buy some Newman's Own popcorn and rent a few of his best films this weekend?You might want to start by viewing the brief bio-clip on the right, from the Biography Channel.

Here's a look at some of his best work in cinema to help you make your viewing decisions. And don't forget to vote for your favorite Paul Newman film at the bottom of this article.

This film is one of Newman's best, a 1969 American Western that tells the story of bank robber Butch Cassidy (played by Newman) and The Sundance Kid (played by Robert Redford). The film is loosely based on historical fact. The movie,  directed by George Roy Hill, is a treat -- funny, marvelous and not at all what you'd expect from a Western. Other great things about the film -- the music score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and the portrayal of Etta Place by Katharine Ross. Check out the video clip of the bicycle scene from "Butch Cassidy," one of my favorite film scenes of all time.

"The Sting," a 1973 film, reunites Newman and Redford in a story set in the 1930s about a complicated con game by two professional grifters. The film was based on the real-life con games carried off by brothers Fred and Charley Gondorf in the book The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man. Again, this film is directed by George Roy Hill and is noted for its musical score. The theme, "The Entertainer," is a piano rag number by Scott Joplin. The clip on the right is a classic scene from the film, in which Newman handles a deck of cards.

"Hud" is a 1963 film that focuses on a self-centered, modern-day cowboy and stars Newman, Melvyn Douglas, and Patricia Neal. This film shows a different side to Newman, who plays the title role of Hud Bannon, an arrogant, self-centered man whose life is only about drinking, joyriding in his Cadillac, and sleeping with married women. By the end of the film, Hud realizes that his life has little value. Both Patricia Neal and Melvyn Douglas won Oscars for their work in this gritty film. In the video clip to the right, watch Newman try to make a pass at Neal.

Released in 1958, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was an Oscar-nominated film based on the play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. This film paired two of the best-looking film stars of their time -- Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. Burl Ives played the wealthy Mississippian Big Daddy Pollitt, who's dying of cancer. His son Brick, played by Newman, is in a loveless and childless marriage with Maggie, played by an esquisite Taylor. Maggie taunts her husband about his obsession with a dead best friend, a vague reference to his homosexuality. This video clip shows just how beautiful these two actors were -- there should be a law against such good-lookiing people.

"Cool Hand Luke" established Newman as the classic anti-hero. In this 1967 film, which also reflected the anti-establishment feelings of the late '60s, Newman plays Luke, a prisoner in a Florida prison camp who refuses to conform to the system and makes two unsuccessful attempts to escape. The film also made one line famous: "What we got here is...failure to communicate." The line was one of the American Film Institute's Top 100 movie lines of all time. In the video clip, the prison captain (played by Strother Martin) utters the famous line while making an example out of Luke in front of the other prisoners.

"The Hustler," made in 1961, is the story of a small-time pool hustler, "Fast Eddie" Felson, played by Newman. Fast Eddie wants to become the best pool player in the country by beating the legendary "Minnesota Fats," and pays a steep personal price for his ambition. Jackie Gleason played Minnesota Fats. Newman appeared again as Fast Eddie Felson in the 1986 film, "The Color of Money," co-starring Tom Cruise. Newman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in that film. In the video clip, Newman is at his best as a wise-talking, cigarette-slinging, overconfident hunk. You gotta love this guy.