Jan Herman: Lining Up for Paul Newman, R.I.P.

Paul Newman, who died at 83, once told me in an interview, "There's a part of me that has always wanted to win an Oscar when I'm 83, so I could say, 'So there!'" The interview took place in Boston, at the Meridien Hotel. Newman was 57 then and in top form, promoting The Verdict . He starred as an alcoholic Boston-Irish lawyer, and there was the usual Oscar talk. The script, written by David Mamet, called for him to play the role as a piece of bruised human wreckage who has sunk so low he's become a deadbeat ambulance chaser. Bleary-eyed, he searches the obituaries for notices of accidental deaths. Then he lines up with the mourners at the funeral service and drops his card in the widow's lap. The Verdict (1982). Click to enlarge." /> The Verdict (1982). Click to enlarge." /> The Verdict (1982). Click to enlarge." src="http://www.artsjournal.com/herman/PaulNewman240-thumb-239x199.jpg" width="239" height="199" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 20px 20px;" />  ... (link)