Paul Newman & Chicago

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 30, 2008 4:00PM

He might have come of age in Hollywood and lived most of his life in Connecticut, but now that he's passed away people are also remembering the time Paul Newman spent in Chicago. The Color of Money, Martin Scorsese's followup to The Hustler, used various locations around town, including Chris’s Billiards at 4637 N. Milwaukee, O’Brien’s Steakhouse at 1528 N. Wells and even The Gingerman in Wrigleyville (click here for more). It gave Newman his only acting Oscar - and while he was in town shooting that movie, he was awarded an honorary Oscar, which he accepted via satellite.

But would you believe he was also here in 1968 for the chaotic Democratic National Convention? He was. Columnist Greg Mitchell remembers his passion for Eugene McCarthy's campaign, speaking at dozens of events and rallies, including perhaps 15 in Indiana alone. Mitchell goes on:

In Indiana, he drew large crowds and told one assembly from the tail gate of a station wagon: "I am not a public speaker. I am not a politician. I'm not here because I'm an actor. I'm here because I've got six kids. I don't want it written on my gravestone, 'He was not part of his times."

If we had to choose a favorite Paul Newman movie, it might be The Verdict (pictured above), which, incidentally, has a screenplay by Chicagoan David Mamet.