View From The Couch

THE PAUL NEWMAN COLLECTION (1956-1975). The Hustler, The Sting, The Verdict, Cool Hand Luke — you won’t find any of these classic Paul Newman flicks in the new box set that bears his name. But you will find enough exemplary titles to make this item a worthy pickup, especially for fans of the legendary actor.

Newman was so embarrassed by his performance in his debut film, the 1954 Biblical epic The Silver Chalice, that he later took out an ad in Variety apologizing for his work. No such apology was necessary for his powerful turn in his subsequent effort, which catapulted him to stardom. In the real-life yarn Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Newman stars as Rocky Graziano, who turned away from a life of crime to find his calling as a boxing champion. James Dean was originally cast in the starring role, but his fatal car accident paved the way for Newman’s ascension; he’s terrific in the role, whether clumsily wooing his future wife (an appealing Pier Angeli), hanging around with his neighborhood pal (Sal Mineo) or standing up to his abusive father (Harold J. Stone). Steve McQueen appears unbilled in a tiny role as one of Rocky’s cohorts in crime; 18 years later, the two actors would share star billing in The Towering Inferno. This earned two Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration and Best Cinematography.

Before helming such enduring classics as Bonnie and Clyde and Little Big Man, Arthur Penn made his directorial debut with the moody Western saga The Left Handed Gun (1958). An adaptation of a Gore Vidal teleplay, this takes a sympathetic view of the Western icon William Bonney, the gunslinger who became better known as the desperado Billy the Kid. Leslie Stevens’ screenplay suggests that Billy’s desire to avenge the death of the only man who was ever decent to him was what inadvertently led him to become Public Enemy Number One. This is similar in theme and execution (though not in the amount of gore) to Sam Peckinpah’s 1973 Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid; the Garrett role here is effectively played by Western veteran John Dehner.

Coming off his first Oscar nomination (for 1958’s Cat On a Hot Tin Roof), Newman was poker-hot when he headlined the irresistible melodrama The Young Philadelphians (1959). He stars as an illegitimate son whose mother (Diane Brewster) has orchestrated his rise through high society by keeping both their pasts a mystery. Now a savvy lawyer, he risks his standing by helping out a drunken friend (Robert Vaughn) who’s been accused of murder. Vaughn earned an Oscar nomination for his fine work, though everyone makes hearty contributions in this slick entertainment.

Crime novelist Ross MacDonald’s The Moving Target served as the basis for the wildly enjoyable Harper (1966), which benefits from Newman’s engaging performance and William Goldman’s sharp script. Newman stars as Lew Harper, a wise-cracking private eye whose latest assignment — locate the missing husband of a cold-hearted millionairess (Lauren Bacall) — takes him all over LA in a determined effort to crack the case. Among the players he encounters are an over-the-hill actress (Shelley Winters), a cheerful gigolo (Robert Wagner) and the missing man’s sexpot daughter (Pamela Tiffin). Director Jack Smight keeps his foot on the petal, and Newman scores in one of his most memorable parts.

The only misfire in this collection, Pocket Money (1972) boasts a script by Terrence Malick (here billed as “Terry Malick”), the maverick filmmaker who would in more recent years divide audiences and critics with his epics The Thin Red Line and The New World. Newman delivers a very funny performance (love that accent!) as a none-too-bright cowpoke who heads down to Mexico to bring back some cattle for a businessman (Strother Martin) known for his cheating ways. Along the way, he teams up with an old pal (Lee Marvin), whose fanciful talk very rarely translates into actual results. Malick devotees will probably enjoy this rambling, inconsequential tale more than most viewers, with Newman and Marvin making the most of what’s required of them.

The Mackintosh Man (1973) is a typical example of the type of Cold War thriller that ran rampant during the 1960s and 1970s. It contains all the necessary ingredients — the right actors, characters and conflicts — but it unfortunately runs out of steam somewhere along the way. Newman plays Joseph Rearden, a secret agent who’s required to pose as an escaped convict in order to get close enough to unmask an influential member (James Mason) of British Parliament who’s really working for the Communists. The plan hits a snag when Rearden’s superior (Harry Andrews), the only one who knows his true identity, is put out of commission, forcing Rearden to place his trust in a fellow agent (Dominique Sanda). Director John Huston and scripter Walter Hill set up the story nicely, but a hurried and unsatisfying conclusion prevents this from fulfilling its initial promise.

Newman returns as private investigator Lew Harper in The Drowning Pool (1975), a sequel to his 1966 hit, Harper. This time, the irreverent gumshoe heads to Louisiana to help a former fling (real-life wife Joanne Woodward) discover who’s blackmailing her; as usual, there’s more here than meets the eye, and Harper soon learns that no one can be trusted. The Drowning Pool lacks the freshness of its 1966 predecessor, though Newman can still trade quips with the best of them. That’s 17-year-old Melanie Griffith cast as Woodward’s naughty daughter.

Extras on the various DVDs include audio commentaries, vintage featurettes and theatrical trailers.

Somebody Up There Likes Me: ***1/2

The Left Handed Gun: ***

The Young Philadelphians: ***1/2

Harper: ***1/2

Pocket Money: **

The Mackintosh Man: **1/2

The Drowning Pool: ***

Extras: **