A Lil' End-of-Summer Southern Gothic Melodrama

I watched the most wonderful movie last night on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). This amazing cinematic experience came courtesy of Mississippi-set melodrama The Long, Hot Summer (1958), starring real-life husband-and-wife duo Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. (The two wed shortly after production wrapped on this film.) Orson Welles, Lee Remick, and Anthony Franciosa round out the superb ensemble cast. This bonafide Southern Gothic masterpiece is based on a William Faulkner novel. This, of course, is the main reason I had to watch this movie. Newman was cute as a button (in that signature misunderstood-"bad"boy-with-a-good-heart/rebel-with-a-cause way), and Woodward was beautiful. You can definitely see the chemistry between these two. Watching them interact, you can see why their marriage lasted so long-- they were very much in love with each other. I was particularly impressed with Ms. Woodward's acting ability. She is the epitome of a Southern Gothic heroine: uniquely attractive, strong-willed, sensitive, expressive, sweet with a bit of an edge, and, most importantly, intelligent. As for her husband, well, what's not to be said? The guy was a total package. I've researched both members of this Hollywood "power couple" extensively on IMDb.com, and I've gotta say that I've become a fan. Mr. Newman, who passed away a year ago, made some great classic films-- like Hud (1963) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The former film is a haunting portrait of life in rural Texas, and the latter is nothing less than creative genius, seamlessly combining history and pop culture (the bicycle scene in which Newman and Robert Redford try to impress a girl (Katharine Ross) through some fancy stuntwork while "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" plays in the background, anybody?). I've also seen Cool Hand Luke (1967), which was decent. More importantly, he was a true humanitarian and progressive social activist. And, yeah, he ain't too shabby to look at, either. Anyway, I plan on watching-- and writing about-- more Newman/Woodward movies in the near future. I have yet to see Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), which also stars a young, gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor. Incidentally, this is another Southern Gothic melodrama and based on a Tennessee Williams play, which means I've gotta see it as well. They just don't make movies like the ones I've mentioned here anymore.