New book claims actor Paul Newman was an alcoholic and a womaniser

[CatWoman]

I hate this shit. Funny this book wasn't written when he was alive, and thus able to defend himself. I hope this woman does not turn a profit. Better yet, I hope Newman's widow sues.

A new autobiograhy of Paul Newman claims the Oscar winner was a womaniser and an alcoholic.

According to the New York Post Shawn Levy's new biography, Paul Newman: A Life, portrays the late actor as a functioning alcoholic.

The book reportedly describes how Newman, wearing a bottle opener on a chain around his neck, put away 'beer after beer after beer, a case or more a day,' followed by scotch.

The book, due to be published next month in the U.S., describes how Newman was seen 'drinking beers on the set, in his office, at parties, during interviews, watching TV, getting ready for TV and relaxing after dinner.'

On the set of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, despite his reputation as Hollywood's most faithful husband, Levy claims, Newman had an affair for a year and a half with a journalist who was writing a puff piece on the movie.

In an interview she claims: 'I finally said to myself, "I can do better than this."

'I told him, "You're always drunk, and you can't even make love." I ended it.'

And the book describes how Newman hated it when people asked to see his famous blue eyes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1171965/New-book-claims-actor-Paul-Newman-alcoholic-womaniser.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. The field of biography - especially about show biz - has collapsed because of no fact-checking...

by publishers.

William Mann wrote a bio saying Katharine Hepburn was gay. So was Tracy.

Problem is, he even lied about the contents of her FBI file. A public document!!!

The Wash Post's film critic, who has NO CLUE on reading 'non-fiction' praised the book for all the "new information." BRAND new information!

[AllieB]

2. "Butch Cassidy" was 40 years ago.

Wouldn't have this crap come out back then? I hate this shit too-the dead aren't here to defend themselves.

[Historic NY]

4. Exactly, I know a lot of functioning alcoholics who cares he is dead.

[KoKo]

45. True story about what I saw of Paul & Joanne...at daughter's Graduation...

Back in the 80's we were invited to graduation of neighbor's daughter from a private school in Princeton NJ and one of the Newman's daughters was graduating (the one who married the Neiman-Marcus Heir's Son) and Paul and Joanne showed up.

It was a beautiful graduation on the grounds of the very traditional Gothic Architecture school and off in the crowd we spotted Paul with Joanne way in the background standing under the trees way off away from the rest of the parents, where you'd hardly have known who they were if you weren't looking. I was shocked that Joanne seemed so slight and that Paul seemed to be trying to blend into the ground What was amazing was that they were both very small people. So used to seeing them on BIG SCREEN, If one didn't know who they were you might have not noticed them because they were so in the "background" away from all the hoopla going on with parents, grandparents and the rest and the speakers and band playing.

The other thing I noticed was that no matter how small Paul was and how far away...there was something about those "eyes." So even though he was small in stature..there was still something there that stood out.

I thought it was great that they came to their daughter's graduation and that they didn't make a big deal of it...standing off to the side without any handlers, security or anthing but them. And, that they weren't really noticed probably says that they were just "ordinary" in their lives and didn't go for lot's of adulation or fanfare about who they were.

I buy a lot of Newman products. The older daughter is big on organics (the one featured on their products with Paul) and reading about her she seems really cool

I think they were what they were. I feel sad someone has to dredge up something like this about him. I've not heard any scandals about the children he had with Joanne although I know a kid from his first marriage, before Joanne, dies of Drugs...so he had his sorrows.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

66. Thanks for sharing that. n/t

[GoesTo11]

60. But damn it was a good movie

Watch it today, and you'll still love it.

[Warpy]

3. Whoever else he was, he was a guy who put out a food line

and turned the profits over to charity. That should deodorize any character flaws he might or might not have had right there.

[depakid]

12. Nell had a bit more to do with that

[KoKo]

53. Bio about Nell from WIKI:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell_Newman

[babylonsister]

16. Too true. And don't forget the cancer camps for kids. He's okay in

my book, regardless of what this dumbass bio says.

[walldude]

5. Yeah he was such scum that Joanne Woodward stayed married

to him for 50 years.

[LWolf]

17. My thought, too. nt

[JerseygirlCT]

And I can think of few couples married for that long and in the

public eye (both of them), who still appeared to be very much connected.

From all reports of the "locals", Paul was a genuinely warm and friendly person, very well liked. And his foundation was (and is) very generous as well to charity in the area.

I thought he was terrific. And yes, even at his age, I thought he was still gorgeous in every way.

[hisownpetard]

64. I agree, on all points. A stellar life, well lived.

[Teaser]

6. "A new autobiography..." Proofreading FAIL. Journalism FAIL.

.

[babylonsister]

20. Yep. Kind of clues you in to the possible content, doesn't it.

This one deserves a major pass.

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Oh my goodness - I skimmed so fast I didn't even catch that

Written from beyond the grave, perhaps?

[madrchsod]

7. ya right......

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Remind me to add it to my "don't waste my money on this shit" list.

NY Post author, eh?

Fits.

[Bluebear]

9. He underachieved then. He could have been President! - Clinton & Bush in one beautiful body!

:)

[Control-Z]

10. So easy to judge a person

when you don't really know them. I knew a person who would order a drink, but not actually drink it, just to fit in. And I knew someone who accused that person of being an alcoholic. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care how much a person drinks or doesn't drink. If it doesn't get them into trouble, or make them ugly to be around socially, whose business would it be?

We have to monitor everyone's habits these days? Please.

[aquart]

27. A beer habit and that man's waistline? Suuuuurrre.

[dysfunctional press]

40. i can definitely believe it- especially since it was probably early on...

when he was a lot younger. butch cassidy , cool hand luke, hud, and other big films for him were quite awhile back, after all. i've known plenty of guys with similar physiques who could put away A LOT of beer.

[underpants]

11. He admitted the drinking on Letterman a few years ago

he said he drank a case or so of beer a day just doing things around the house

Newman was a lib and has to be attacked-that's all

[SoCalDem]

22. yep.. and handsome leading men "often" had flings with their leading ladies

It's HOW he met Joanne...and he was married then..:)

He also was of an era when drinking was NORMAL..so was smoking & carrousing..

Times are different now... there are "photo-stalkers" everywhere folloiwing "celebs & celebutantes" all over..just waiting for an incriminating photo..

I think Paul's family knew the measure of the man... and he went to his grave satisfied with his life..

[sendero]

38. Drinking..

... is STILL normal when you live in this world.

[Historic NY]

42. Is beer a fruit, a grain or a vegetable? Beer the other carb.

[alarimer]

62. And so what if he did?

I mean that sounds like a lot of beer to drink in a day but it doesn't mean he had a problem.

[panader0]

13. So he liked his beer (so do I)

and if he had an affair, so what? He still had a good marriage. He gave so much more to charity than most celebrities. I use only Newman's salad dressing, happy not only with the product but that the profits went to help kids that are dying. He was a great actor, a decent man, and a great guy to have a beer with.

[MrSlayer]

14. This is news?

I thought everyone knew that Newman drank and fucked around. He was a major Hollywood star, it would be a shock if he didn't. Cloris Leechman was on Stern a couple weeks ago and talked about how Newman hit on her all the time when they were working together. Big deal.

[Missy Vixen]

31. Of course, it's not nice to be cruel to an older woman

but frankly, Newman hitting on Cloris Leachman? Uh, I don't think so. She just happened to bring this up a couple of weeks ago? In other words, he was too dead to fact-check.

I call bullshit, Ms. Leachman. That guy could have had his pick; hard to believe it was her.

[Medusa]

54. While I have no idea if Leachman's story is true,

be fair to her, she was actually a lovely attractive woman in her day (I remember her well from the old Mary Tyler Moore show).

[MrSlayer]

58. Right, she's just lying to slander Paul Newman.

What a ridiculous post. You do realize she was a beauty queen before she was an actress right? You do realize this happened 40 years ago? The very idea that the great paragon of virtue Paul Newman tipped a few back or chased women in his heyday is ridiculous right? Give me a break, she has no reason to lie about it. She didn't say she fucked him, just that he hit on her.

[Missy Vixen]

65. Oh, and she could possibly have no interest in how Joanne Woodward would feel about her little

anecdote? Please. Beauty queen or no, Cloris Leachman showed on "Dancing With the Stars" she'll do anything to extend her fifteen minutes.

>What a ridiculous post.<

Almost as ridiculous as yours, isn't it?

[bemildred]

15. Right wing trash. nt

[Elwood P Dowd]

18. How in the hell can someone drinking a case of beer a day

drive so well in all those races -- even during his 70s? The man was a good race car driver for years.

[TheCowsCameHome]

23. He didn't use turn signals or let others pass - He must've been loaded.

:rofl:

[dflprincess]

32. Not to mention keeping his physcial appearance up the way he did

I'm sure he had faults and whatever they weren't bad enough for Joanne to leave him. I don't know why someone would want to hurt her and the rest of his family by publishing this crap.

[Raine]

19. Gee then when did he ever have time

for all his movies projects and charity work. I call BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JVS]

24. "A new autobiograhy of Paul Newman claims the Oscar winner was a womaniser and an alcoholic."

How does a dead man write his own biography?

[tnlefty]

25. Strange, my Mom remembers an off the cuff remark of his

about being a high profile actor and how Hollywood marriages don't work often because of cheating...'why should I settle for hamburger when I have steak at home', is what she frequently said to me.

I'll still be purchasing Newman's products and thinking of him and his wife fondly.

Now can we have an Edwards' thread? :evilgrin: :rofl: :spank: :spank:

[DeepBlueC]

26. I remember that too

[tnlefty]

29. I don't remember ever hearing his stating that, just that

my Mom would frequently mention it. :hi:

[dflprincess]

33. It was quoted a lot when he died.

I think he said it during an interview with "Playboy". Supposedly, Joanne did not like being compared to a piece of meat (een if she was the steak). Though I imagine they had a few laughs over it.

[tnlefty]

50. My Mom first stated this to me 15+ yrs. ago.

Not when he died. I understand Ms. Woodward's not liking it what he said even though my Mom thought of it as a compliment to her, in a round about way.

[dysfunctional press]

36. "why should I settle for hamburger when I have steak at home?"

ummm...because you get tired of eating steak and would like to taste something different every now and then?

[Raine]

41. When your system is used to the best

the cheap garbage will make you :puke: it's poison to your system. x(

[dysfunctional press]

44. hamburger doesn't have to be the cheap stuff.

hamburger hamlet used to make a pretty decent burger.

as far as 'the good stuff' is concerned- find the best-looking woman in the world- and you'll likely find someone who's tired of fucking her.

[tnlefty]

47. Whatever...

she didn't interpret it that way, nor did I.

[dysfunctional press]

67. i was just providing an answer to the question asked in a like fashion...

not trying to interpret the remark itself- i don't think that it actually needs interpretation...i'm pretty sure that most everyone knows what he meant. i meant the same thing.

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. Any woman who thinks she can do better than Paul Newman, even a drunk Paul Newman

is not playing with a full deck. LOL

[Vidar]

30. Bullshit!

[blue neen]

34. He was first and foremost a human being who left this world a little better than when he entered it.

All of the children Paul helped with his charity were certainly helped by his kindness and generosity.

Paul Newman's heart was in the right place, which is a lot more than I can say about other famous people.

What did George Bush and Dick Cheney ever do to help children? Sorry, they were too busy killing them in a war based on lies.

[Doctor_J]

35. NY Post throwing mud on a dead liberal

I'm SHOCKED!

Joanne is too much of a woman to put up with a philanderer.

[Iggo]

37. Famous actor drinks beer, chases women!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.........

:boring:

[dysfunctional press]

39. didn't he wear a bottle opener around his neck in 'cool hand luke'?

or am i thinking of another movie?

anyway- when he was at about that stage in his life, and especially the way 'hollywood' was at the time- it would surprise me if he HADN"T been a hard-drinking skirt chaser.

[CatWoman]

46. yep

[saltpoint]

43. Never knew any film stars personally. But paid respectful attention to

the ones who were talented and compelling and whose characters help illuminate my personhood and citizenship.

Newman's name figures very prominently on that list. I owe him all of the respect I feel for him as an artist.

If any of you folks have still not seen him in HUD, rent it soon and report back.

[KoKo]

48. Joanne and Paul did a movie together and Joanne on her own in movies was no slouch either...

Google them Both and Joanne. Fine Movies ...all of them...worth a watch.

[saltpoint]

51. Agree. Hi, KoKo. They were great together and on their own in

individual films.

I wonder if anybody around here remembers the film WUSA. That reaches quite a bit back, but it packs a real punch.

Great film, great acting.

[KoKo]

55. "From the Terrace" (Fave of Mine) and "Long Hot Summer," another...

Both might seem dated...but, "From the Terrace" deals with Financials...and might be worth a watch to see how times have changed. In the original the color was incredible..autumn leaves falling and the coat his lover wears in an incredible scene...but when I rented a couple years ago, the colors were faded in the DVD...

Whatever...I loved both those movies.

[saltpoint]

56. I don't blame you one bit.

It would be pointless for someone to try and take American film seriously without including the Newmans at several levels.

[ContinentalOp]

49. OMG! BEER!?

WTF. This is shocking.

[Odin2005]

52. Didn't know you could write an autobiography after your dead.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

57. How considerate of this "author"

I'm sure Newman's widow and children really are thrilled that this kind of slimy shit would be published.

I'm sure any negative aspects of his human nature were far outshadowed by the kind and decent things he brought to this world.

Fuck you, Shawn Levy. You are a true asshole.

[Peregrine Took]

59. On a personal level, I once worked with a woman who was widely loved by

her staff and then moved away in retirement.

One of her "friends" came by to tell us afterwards that she (retiree) was a hopeless drunk who was often seen on the verge of falling down toally smashed in her high rise building.

Nice, huh? And what purpose did that serve other than to try to destroy our feelings for someone we loved?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

69. Her "friend" was probably jealous of the woman's popularity

But I can't imagine that putting her down after she died would satisfy the person maligning her.

[ninety lives]

61. Give me a break

Is that the best you can do?

[ACTION BASTARD]

63. New York Post you say?

That's all that I need to know.

[RB TexLa]

68. Alcoholic, big deal. Womanizing? Too much money for one not to have done

a tell all book or TV interview.

[bertman]

70. Who gives a fuck?! He did a hell of a lot for people and progressive causes.

[frogmarch]

71. I always liked Paul Newman and

Joanne Woodward, but even if I didn't, I would still feed my dog Newman's Own dog food. It's the best, in my opinion. I don't care if Paul drank a lot or had flings with women. His dog food turned the sickly little pound pooch I adopted into a vibrant, healthy dog in nothing flat, and that's what matters to me.

Why do these people have to write tell-all books about celebs, especially after they're dead and can't defend themselves? It's disgusting.

[John Kerry VonErich]

72. He's taking Absence Of Malace a lil too seriously.

:wtf:

[MilesColtrane]

73. The dickless Mr. Levy obviously waited until he was dead, because...

...even the 83-year-old, cancer riddled Newman would have kicked his sorry ass.



Paul Newman (a man)


Shawn Levy (an enormous, cowardly bag of douche)



The web site of a necrophile: http://shawnlevy.googlepages.com/