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If ever there was an actor who had the "It" factor, it was Paul Newman. You know it when you see it—that effortless swagger, that ice-blue-eyed charm. The way he commanded the screen with such ease. We'll probably never see his like again, to be honest.
The Oscar-winning actor gave plenty of iconic performances throughout his nearly 60-year career, from Cool Hand Luke to Hud to The Color of Money. The aforementioned were regarded highly by film critics, including one of his earlier roles, 1958's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Based on acclaimed playwright Tennessee Williams' 1955 play of the same name, the film saw Newman star as Brick Pollitt opposite the legendary Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie "The Cat" Pollitt. The rest of the cast included Burl Ives as Harvey "Big Daddy" Pollitt, Jack Carson as Cooper "Gooper" Pollitt, Judith Anderson as Ida "Big Mama" Pollitt, Madeleine Sherwood as Mae Flynn "Sister Woman" Pollitt, Larry Gates as Dr. Baugh, and Vaughn Taylor as Deacon Davis. Richard Brooks directed from a script he co-wrote with James Poe.
Here's the film synopsis, for the uninitiated: "Brick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminally ill father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son."
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was lauded by critics and audiences alike. It has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, sitting pretty at 97% on the Tomatometer. Commercially, it was a success for MGM, becoming its biggest hit of 1958. Newman's turn as Brick in the lurid drama is frequently included on lists of his best performances. Both he and Taylor were nominated for Academy Awards for their compelling work.
However, not everyone was happy with the finished product. Williams wasn't thrilled with the liberties the film took with his story, such as scrubbing away Brick's repressed queerness and the play's critique of homophobia, as well as the addition of a reconciliation between Brick and Big Daddy. Newman himself was disappointed. Williams even tried to dissuade moviegoers from seeing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, telling those waiting in line for tickets that it would "set the industry back 50 years."
That aside, Newman's real breakout was proof positive that he was an actor to watch, a titan of a performer with boundless emotion brewing beneath his too-cool-for-school exterior.
