Customer Reviews

Paul Newman, The Man Behind the Baby Blues: His Secret Life Exposed

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I didn't realize this book was written by Darwin Porter when I ordered it. As Wikipedia says, Porter is known for writing celebrity biographis with outrageous allegations and no proof or evidence, all conveniently published after they die. I have a feeling the only thing true about Paul Newman in this book is the spelling of his name. It reads like Porter just sits down and types whatever he imagines.

I found myself thumbing through this fictional, trashy expose of the late, great actor Paul Newman's life. How much of it is factual? Perhaps maybe 2% or less, since Porter has invented situations and dialogue to match that border on the absurd. Never once does he really comment on Newman's art or preparation in his numerous roles. Rather he focuses more on the sexual escapades that Newman purportedly iniates with his co-stars, be they male or female. One outrageous comment he states in the book is that both Henry Fonda and James Stewart were both serviced by the same agent!! I bet Hank and Jimmy would be cracking up at this in their graves at this outrageous comment. Actually I think the book really gives you more about Porter's cynicism about Hollywood and himself than about Newman. His belief is that in order to rise to the top, you either have to had sex with someone at the top or know an executive who is gay. Most of the time Porter delights in outing various actors like George Peppard, Marlon Brando, etc. After thumbing thru this trashy book, I conclude that Porter himself is gay and reminscent of one of the characters in the play, "The Boys in the Band". Only recommended to those who read trash like The National Enquirer.

I tried to give zero stars but one is as low as I can go. I wish I could say the same for the author. Salacious speculation, invented conversations (was he there in the room with Susan Hayward and Newman?). This reminds me of the hatchet job that Irving Shulman did on Jean Harlow in 1964. Spare yourself from wallowing in this trough. If you care at all about Paul Newman, go watch "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or "Hud" or contribute to his charities by buying some of his excellent products. This book is absolute garbage.

Check out the notes in the back of any Darwin Porter book. There aren't any. He doesn't substantiate any quote or "fact" in any of his bios. His books are works of fiction.

According to this author, Paul Newman would have sex with anything not nailed down. When he stated Steve McQueen and PN got it on, I knew the book was full of lies. I knew that Brando was bi-sexual and Sal mineo was gay and many others. But Paul Newman having done them, me doesn't think so. His having sex with Jackie Kennedy was believable. His having sex with all those male stars, not believable. How can he get away with this trash? If I was Joanne Woodward, I'd be suing this guy for every dime he has. The book is total trash and full of 90% lies. Supposedly, he even slept with Robert Redford. Laughable, but sad that someone would try to smear someone like this. I'm glad I got the book from the library and didn't waste my money on this one. Tsk tsk. This author is evil, again, don't waste your time on this book. IT IS TRASH !!

Since the stories told in this book are supposed to have happened in the 50's, 60's and 70's, isn't it strange the author waited until Paul Newman had died (that is for 30 years !!!) to publish them ? Isn't it strange the people he is supposed to have had affairs with are dead ? Isn't it strange the people (who were by no means close friends) to whom he is supposed to have confided secrets or intimate thoughts are dead, too ? Of course, it's so much easier to bring such accusations when no one can deny them.
Isn't it strange that, in other writers' salacious bios about people the author says PN had affairs with, he is not mentioned (for instance : Dean, Brando, Monroe, Kelly etc...) ? Since he portrays PN as a sexmaniac, one may wonder why he doesn't accuse him of having had affairs with lots of actresses he worked with during that period, such as Joan Collins, Barbara Rush, Eva-Marie Saint, Elke Sommer etc... The answer is obvious : they are still alive and what they said about PN doesn't fit the way Porter portrays him, far from it ! I believe the hundreds of people who have actually known PN (and have described him as a very decent, generous and respectable man) and not an author whose lucubrations are not credible at all.

I agree with most of the other reviews. Total trash. It reads to me like the author just made stuff up as he went along. Was Paul Newman a boyscout? No, but I dont believe most of what is in this book.

This book is nothing more than the fantasies of a self-acknowledged gay man with celebrity crushes. Though there is an audience for that genre, to try to pass fiction off as a legitimate biography is reprehensible.
His sources are all dead, if that is any indication of the credibility factor.
Additionally, he has supposedly verbatim conversations between Paul Newman and various people - as well as intricate detailed descriptions of lighting, clothing, drinks and so on- as though he were a fly on the wall. The degree of detail is a huge red flag that we have not in fact entered the " hidden life of Paul Newman" but the " lustful mind of Darwin Porter."
Luckily I only borrowed this from the library, and I am going to ask that they re-shelve it as fiction. Better yet, I may just throw it away. It's no loss to the library.
It's a pile of crap book, as all his others appear to be, based on reviews that mirror mine.

Some of the reviews that speak in support of this book are either those of the "writers" themselves or those who so desperately want this to be true. Porter and Prince are so heartless that they don't care how much it affects others. Joanne Woodward was very hurt when this book came out. If they had any decency they would stop.

Seriously--it's not that I don't believe movie stars sometimes sleep their way to the top or that "straight" sex symbols can be bi-sexual or homosexual. It's possible that some/much of the book is factual. But the conversations sound completely false. Marlon Brando, James Dean, Paul Newman and Montegomery Clift sound exactly alike--as if filtered through (or fabricated by) the author's lusty imagination. True, some sources (Shelley Winters, Rod Steiger, Monty Clift's brother's unpublished memoir) are cited; but there's a lot of "what happened next is unknown..."; however, much is speculated upon, and you can be sure it involves Paul Newman having sex with someone. I gave this book 2 stars because it has pictures posted on the pages where people are mentioned rather than in the middle of the book.