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Paul Newman a hollywood legend has died.

By
Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty

Many years ago... my sister-in-law lived in a home in Beverly Hills on Whittier Drive that came with a singularly pedigreed history.  It had once been owned by Telly Savalas, and prior to that by Paul Newman.

At the time Telly Savalas was still a recent star, having starred in Kojak, with his cue-ball head, and ever-present sucker.  There was a certain cachet to Telly and his family having lived in the home.

But Paul Newman was approaching legendary status at the time... by the time my sister-in-law lived in Paul's former home, he already had a long list of movies under his belt, Long Hot Summer (1958)  Rally Round the Flag, Boys (58) Exodus (1960) (My mother loved that one!), From the Terrace (60), Paris Blues (61) The Hustler (61), Hud (63), A New Kind of Love (63) Cool Hand Luke (67) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (69) Winning (69) WUSA (70) The Sting (72) and Towering Inferno (74) The Drowning  Pool, (75) Slapshot (77) along with many, many others... some whose names you know, some whose names prod a memory, and some who've disappeared into obscurity.

He went on to act in over 65 movies in a career spanning 50 years, and managed to remain a major star even into old age. His last on-screen role in a major film at age 77 was as Tom Hanks's gangster boss in Road to Perdition which was filmed, at least in part, right here in Evanston, using Charles Gates Dawes (vice president to Calvin Coolidge 1925-1929)  family mansion as a backdrop.

OKAY... BACK TO MY SISTER-IN-LAW, JUDY.. one day, while looking out her bedroom window, which overlooked the driveway, which lead up to the wrought iron gates, that kept back the curiosity seekers and tourists who liked to photograph (and sometimes take a souvenir) from Paul Newman and Telly Savalas's former home, she saw a gentleman sitting on the hood of his mustang convertible, sitting in their driveway looking at the house.

She immediately called her husband, and said... "look, there's someone sitting in our driveway.  Go shoo him away!"  Her husband looked out the window... squinted a bit, and stated "That's Paul Newman!".  Judy didn't believe him, so she peered out the window herself, only to see that he was right... at which time she made a sound that only dogs can hear!

"C'mon, we'll go downstairs and let him in... he used to live here, he'd probably enjoy seeing the old house".  Judy, declined saying "no... I'm not dressed, I don't have any makeup on"... so her husband went outside... had a nice conversation with Paul Newman in the driveway. Indeed Paul was having a bit of nostalgia, he'd driven by the house and just wanted to stop and admire it.  He declined an invitation to come inside.  But gave his thanks and drove on.

By the time Judy had made her way downstairs and to the driveway she was just in time to view Paul's mustang turning the corner onto Sunset Boulevard, an opportunity missed, a legend passed.

 

Posted by

 ALAN MAY, Realtor®   
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, 2934 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Office: 847.869.7300      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate & North Shore Real Estate
Licensed in Illinois

   

Comments (2)

Sal Poliandro - Helping People Win
RE/MAX Properties - Ridgewood, NJ
Broker Associate

Paul Newman will surely be missed.  He was a great man that showed everyone what a legend was made of.

Sep 30, 2008 08:36 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Paul was a graduate from Kenyon College in Ohio (the same school both of my girls graduated from), and he was very generous with the school, making major donations to their ongoing campaigns.

Paul was a class-act.

Oct 01, 2008 01:27 AM