Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection

When the iconic Paul Newman passed away last year, it was a worldwide media event. I happened to be in Germany at the time and the airwaves were flooded with tributes to the consummate actor who was both a massive celebrity and the ultimate anti-celebrity. Newman worked hard to keep the focus on his art and the paparazzi away from his personal life and he spent much of his later years devoted to his twin passions of car racing and philanthropy through his Newman’s Own product line which raised money for charity. Yes, he was a gentleman in a field that hardly rewards such comportment in this day and age. Oh, and the fellow was quite the actor too, as the 13 films in this stellar collection prove. Stone cold classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hustler, and The Verdict nestle alongside the early steamer The Long Hot Summer and the kitschy, but entertaining The Towering Inferno. As befitting a set of this heft, there’s a 136-page book included full of photos and anecdotes.