Paul Newman @ 100: Exodus

Today marks Paul Newman’s centennial (1/26/1925-9/26/2008), but aside from tonight’s TCM programming, the occasion seems strangely under-heralded. Maybe this film is a partial reason why. Throughout his lifetime, Newman passionately advocated for liberal causes, but if he tried to speak on an Ivy League campus today, he would probably be shouted down and possibly physically attacked, because he appeared in Otto Preminger classic historical drama chronicling the founding of the state of Israel. Ironically, Newman was probably attracted by the film’s old school liberal themes, condemning anti-Semitism and championing indigenous people (the Jews) rebelling against their colonizers (the British and Arabs). Plus, Newman was also half-Jewish. This epic (at 208 minutes, “epic” is the right word) has only grown more controversial, for reminding the world why the Jewish people needed a homeland and how the Arab world immediately waged war against them. Preminger’s Exodus is also a stirring, old fashioned Hollywood crowd-pleaser that deserves rediscovery—and today would be the perfect day for it.

Initially, Kitty Fremont is no Zionist. She rarely thought about the Jewish people and when she did, it was not particularly edifying. To be fair, she still grieves her war correspondent husband—or rather she has rather avoided moving on with life. The nurse just finished a tour of duty at an American military hospital in Greece, so she stops in Cypress as a tourist before returning home. There, she visits her late husband’s friend, Gen. Sutherland, who administers the Jewish refugee camp. Sensing she needs purpose, he recommends she volunteer in the short-staffed camp clinic. First she declines, but when she recognizes her prejudice reflected in Sutherland’s subordinate, Maj. Caldwell, she agrees out of shame.

In the camp, she meets blond haired, blue-eyed fifteen-year-old Dutch refugee Karen Hansen Clement, who defies her preconceived image of Jewishness. Fremont is determined to bring Clement to America. However, the teen still hopes to find her missing father, the only other member of her family not confirmed dead in the concentration camps, in what the British call the Mandate of Palestine.

As it happens, Haganah commander Ari Ben Canaan has a plan to ferry hundreds of Jewish refugees like her to their homeland—and hopefully send a message to the United Nations in the process. The British steadfastly oppose any further Jewish immigration, out of deference to the neighboring Arab nations. Consequently, Sutherland will approve no such transfers, despite his reputation. Frankly, officers like Caldwell consider the Colonel so sympathetic to the Jewish refugees, they assume he must be secretly part-Jewish.

Of course, all the Jews Ben Canaan successfully shuttles into Israel will face violent reprisals after the historic 1948 UN vote. Fremont will see it all for herself, when she joins Clement and Ben Canaan in the future Israel.

Exodus was filmed on location in Israel and Cypress, where the ancient backdrops give it a sense of historical authenticity and visual splendor. Encompassing the events of the Exodus Blockade (which was admittedly given a much happier ending), the Acre Prison escape, UN Resolution 181, and the subsequent Arab pogroms targeting Jews (while the Brits sat on their hands), Exodus is a true epic, sent against a sprawling canvas.

Newman is also terrific as Ben Canaan, even though many critics argued he was miscast, because he was too handsome to be Israeli (again, he was half-Jewish). Frankly, this is one of his toughest, steeliest performances of his Hollywood heartthrob years.  His closing eulogy serves as an acting master-class that both perfectly expresses his character’s grief and the aspirations of the Israeli people, to finally live in peace and security.

He also has potent chemistry with Eva Marie Saint, his co-star in the 1954 Our Town, which was a breakout vehicle for them both. Arguably, Fremont has the greatest character arc and shows the most growth amongst all the characters, which Saint quite bravely depicts.

The Last Movie Stars, on HBO Max

Even at the height of voyeuristic reality TV, nobody thought to make a Bobby & Whitney-style show about Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Everyone considered them Hollywood’s classiest power couple, so they assumed they must be boring. However, their relationship had plenty of behind-the-scenes drama. Ethan Hawke never shies away from any of it during his six-part documentary profile of Woodward and Newman, The Last Movie Stars, which premieres tomorrow on HBO Max.

They first worked together on the Broadway production of Picnic and soon became an item. There was a slight complication though, given the fact Newman was already married—to somebody else. That obviously planted the seed for certain tensions, as the Newman’s daughters (from both marriages) eventually address.

Despite their mutual fame and frequent collaborations, the two were on different career trajectories, which contributed to the other major theme of Hawke’s docu-series. At first, Woodward was the bigger star, thanks to her Oscar for The Three Faces of Eve. Of course, Newman soon eclipsed her with Somebody Up There Likes Me and he only grew in popularity through his Tennessee Williams films.

To tell their story, Hawke had a wealth of primary sources to draw from. Newman had commissioned his screenwriter friend Stewart Stern to conduct interviews with all the major people in his life (including his first wife), when he had a notion of writing an autobiography (that Knopf bought at auction for good money). When Newman changed his mind, he burned the tapes, but the transcripts survived. Making a virtue of necessity, Hawke recruited many of his colleagues for dramatic readings of the transcribed interviews. Mostly, it works quite well. George Clooney and Laura Linney are excellent vocal sound-alikes for the star couple. Brooks Ashmanskas also sounds so perfectly insufferable as their pal Gore Vidal, it is almost spooky.

Hawke (who previously helmed the refined doc, Seymour: An Introduction) has a keen eye for selecting clips from the couple’s filmography that marry up well with the themes and events under discussion. Many of the scenes should prompt viewers to revisit the given films. All the really big one, like The Hustler and even Paris Blues (which both have classic jazz soundtracks) get their full just due. Yet, it is a bit frustrating we only see scenes of Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain and Altman’s Quintet to illustrate Newman’s periods of personal confusion and unrewarding professional choices.

Still, it is a little weird to hear Absence of Malice so casually dismissed. If anything, this should be the Sydney Pollack film’s moment, since we’re now in an era of fake news and journalistic scandals, like the Taylor Lorenz doxing incident. Newman himself dismisses The Towering Inferno as mere commercial fare, but from the perspective of 2022, it looks like a pretty hard-hitting expose of shoddy construction techniques.

Regardless, Hawke’s most conspicuous oversight is the complete absence of Newman’s notorious (from his point-of-view) televised nuclear freeze debate with Charlton Heston. By all accounts, Heston handed Newman his head and reportedly the liberal star never spoke to his conservative former friend afterward. Frankly, it was a major event in Newman’s life that would nicely fit with analysis of his box office bomb, WUSA (which everyone concedes was a failure). Indeed, Stuart Rosenberg’s yarn demonizing a right-wing radio station arguably reflects a lack of understanding of differing viewpoints that contributed to Newman’s humbling in the Heston debate.

Tales of Tomorrow: Ice from Space & The Bitter Storm

Neither Paul Newman nor Joanne Woodward ever appeared in horror film, so, sadly, it is likely they both considered their acting careers to be failures. At least, they had a smidge of science fiction. Of course, Newman was in Robert Altman’s Quintet, but both thesps also appeared in separate episodes of the early 1950s sf anthology, Tales of Tomorrow, neither of which is discussed in the upcoming 6-part HBO Max documentary, The Last Movie Stars.

Tales predated The Twilight Zone, which you might think could have co-starred at least one of the power couple, but neither did (just family friend Robert Redford). The earlier show is lesser-known, but it remains a cult favorite, because it was written by science fiction writers, for science fiction fans. Frankly, “Ice from Space” (written by E.H. Frank and directed by Don Medford) is a lot like TheThing from Another World, but instead of an alien, it features a mysterious block of ice. Somehow, it seeped into an experimental rocket on its return to Earth and is now freezing the isolated desert military base into a frozen wasteland. It is up to Major Dozier to stop its freezing effects, before it expands to more populated areas.

Unfortunately, the loud-mouth Congressman Burns will berate and bully Maj. Dozier every step of the way. Given its heroic portrayal of the American military and the crass, mean-spirited behavior of the observing politician, it is not surprising “Ice from Space” does not figure prominently in Newman’s profile. It is definitely an outlier in his filmography, but it is a cool, unconventional alien invasion story, boasting an excellent performance from Edmon Ryan as Maj. Dozier. Newman has a minor role-playing Sgt. Wilson, but you can tell from his cocky side-long glances into the camera that he believed he was a star in the making.

Winning: the Racing Life of Paul Newman

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were way too classy to ever appear in a reality TV show. However, for decades racing fans were able to get a good close look at Newman that was entirely different from what the one could glean from the glossy entertainment magazines. He was a competitor through and through, who is fondly remembered by his colleagues and teammates in Adam Carolla’s Winning: the Racing Life of Paul Newman (trailer here), co-directed by Nate Adams, which releases on VOD this Friday.

Winning was a 1969 Newman-Woodward vehicle that was reasonably successful at the box office, but it had special significance in Newman’s life. In preparation to play Frank Capua, Newman was sent to racing school, where he quickly discovered a real aptitude for driving. It quickly became a passion. As a successful movie star, Newman could indulge an eccentric hobby, but it eventually became a bona fide second career.

Throughout Winning the documentary, Newman’s former rivals give him credit for putting in the time and effort to develop his skills. He was willing to lose a lot of races before he started winning. He was legit, coming in first in his class and second overall at the 1979 Le Mans (the subject of the 1971 Steve McQueen movie). Frankly, it is really cool how to hear how Newman became an accepted and respected part of the racing world.

Believe or not, Carolla is building an impressive portfolio as a filmmaker. Following up the solidly entertaining Road Hard, the comedian (who collects and restores Newman’s former vehicles) has assembled a first-rate sports doc. Fans should understand, there is not much material concerning his film career here, besides Winning and the Pixar animated film Cars, for which Newman voiced the character of the Hudson Hornet. However, Carolla did score a sit-down with an old Newman friend and co-star by the name of Robert Redford.

Winning (2015) also features interviews with Winning (1969) co-star Robert Wagner, Cars director John Lasseter, both Mario and Michael Andretti, and trailblazing African American driver Willy T. Ribbs, who credits Newman’s support for his big break in motorsports. Sometimes amusing and other times revealing, their anecdotes paint a compelling portrait of Newman the sportsman.

It is just great to have a new Paul Newman film nearly seven years after his death. However, Carolla’s interview subjects make it pretty clear Newman’s zeal for racing necessarily resulted in fewer films for posterity. On the other hand, he therefore chose projects with a discernment that well served his cinematic legacy. Wholly entertaining and surprisingly insightful, Winning: the Racing Life of Paul Newman is highly recommended for fans of the man and the sport when it launches on VOD this Friday (5/22). Fittingly, it will also have a special screening at the Indiana State Museum IMAX Theater in Indianapolis on the same night.

Jazz Sounds of the Hustler

He composed the scores for most of the Tennessee Williams films that did not become classics. Indeed, the most memorable aspects of films like This Property is Condemned, The Fugitive Kind, and Baby Doll were probably their Kenyon Hopkins penned soundtracks. However, the former Paul Whiteman arranger did compose scores for a few acknowledged classics, including Robert Rossen’s The Hustler (trailer here), which screens at MoMA during the afternoon tomorrow through Friday, for anyone looking for motivation to call in sick.

Paul Newman is “Fast” Eddie Felson, the brash young pool-cue slinger, who learns some life lessons the very hard way. Felson is gunning for Minnesota Fats, the top dog of high stakes pool. Find him he does, in Ames Pool Hall, where they engage in an epic twenty-five hour match. As the momentum shifts between players, Hopkins’s jazz-oriented music brilliantly underscores the contest’s ebb and flow.

Of course, as Felson’s challenge opens the film, it is a safe bet things will not go as he planned. Indeed, the rest of the film builds toward the inevitable rematch. Along the way, Felson takes emotional and physical beatings, making some tragically irreversible mistakes. Perfectly cast, Newman still manages to hold the audience’s rooting interest, even when acting bitterly cruel or wallowing in self pity. Jackie Gleason’s performance as Minnesota Fats is masterfully understated. With grace and subtly, he conveys a character that has seen a lot of life, but came out on top, with his dignity intact. As George C. Scott’s professional gambler explains, Fats has class.

The Hustler might be the best “sports” movie ever. Thanks to Hopkins’ music, the balls almost dance across the table. It also makes the film’s silences so much more effective. The soundtrack album credits a top-flight band of studio jazz musicians, including trumpeters Joe Wilder and Doc Severinson, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, reedmen Phil Woods and Jerome Richardson, and the great Hank Jones sharing the piano chair with Bernie Leighton (who holds the distinction of being the only other musician to solo on Charlie Parker’s “With Strings” sessions). Of additional jazz interest, separate from Hopkins’ soundtrack, a Dixieland combo led by trumpeter Dan Terry, featuring Kenny Davern on clarinet and Roswell Rudd on trombone, is briefly heard during a frantic party scene in Louisville.

Hopkins’s score is definitely in what would later be dubbed the “Crime Jazz” style. It is film noir music suitable for the characters’ twilight world of pool halls and bus stations. The Hustler also definitely looks right, thanks to Harry Horner’s Academy Award winning art direction. However, the opening titles are a bit of an oddity, stylistically suggesting television credits by using brief snippets from scenes the audience is about to watch in full.

The sad recent passing of Paul Newman happened to be an occasion to reconsider and appreciate his considerable filmography. Arguably, Felson, both in The Hustler and its eventual sequel The Color of Money, is his signature character. Sharply written, The Hustler is a moody classic, featuring vintage performances by Newman and Gleason, perfectly buoyed by Hopkins’ jazz score.

Jazz Score: Paris Blues

What is the best pairing in Martin Ritt’s 1961 Paris Blues? Easy: the combination of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with the trumpet of Louis Armstrong. The worst pairing? At the risk of heresy charges, it must be said the casting of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward was a mistake. It screens tonight as part of the MoMA’s Jazz Score series, so you are invited to judge for yourself.

Paris Blues could have been great. It is based on Harold Flender’s book (currently out-of-print), which, though not stylistically remarkable, did address some interesting issues. It centers on Eddie Cook, an African-American alto player (in Flender), who falls for a visiting American tourist. Cook faces two conflicts. He plays traditional New Orleans hot jazz, while many of his colleagues try to push him towards more modern bop-oriented styles. At the same time, his new lover wants him to give up the expat life and join her in America to campaign for civil rights.

Newman and Woodward are on the cover of my old movie tie-in mass market, but you won’t find anyone who looks them inside. According to Krin Gabbard’s Jammin’ at the Margins, Ellington committed to scoring Paris with the understanding that the central romantic relationship would be an inter-racial one between Newman and Diahann Carroll, but by the time cameras rolled, Newman and Woodward were the safe romantic leads.

For jazz audiences, Paris is also problematic for its treatment of the music itself. Newman’s Ram Bowen (a name Boogie Nights could have used) seeks musical validation through recognition for his classical compositions. Paris leaves little doubt as to its musical hierarchy—classical is up and jazz is down.

In effect, the music of Ellington, Strayhorn, and Armstrong is at war with the very film it is in. Which faction wins? Given the lameness of the Newman-Woodward relationship, it is no contest. Early in the film, Louis Armstrong, essentially playing himself in the role of Wild Man Moore, arrives at the train station, received by throngs of Parisians like a conquering hero. As the film closes, the Ellington band starts on a mournful note, but they suddenly rise up in revolt, ending on a defiant high note.

Although Cook’s moldy fig vs. bop conflict is not retained from the novel, Sidney Poitier and Carroll do debate whether Cook should stay in Paris living a relatively comfortable expat life, or return to America to pursue their relationship and progress in the civil rights struggle. Their scenes together are the best written in Paris. Of course, the greatest attraction in Paris is the music the film does not fully appreciate. It screens tonight and Wednesday at MoMA.