Incredibly, younger folks may recognize him more from a bottle of salad dressing than from his awe-inspiring filmography. Some years ago, in partnership with one of his daughters, actor Paul Newman started a highly visible and successful line of food products, including said salad dressing (try the balsamic vinaigrette), brownies, popcorn, and my personal favorite - pink lemonade. He did this not because he wanted to see his face when he went to the grocery store, but because by using his name and likeness to launch a food business, he could donate the after-tax profits to charity.

By the way, his social conscience didn't just begin with the launch of "Newman's Own". In the early sixties, he and his equally talented, committed wife Joanne Woodward were outspoken supporters of the civil rights movement. They knew Dr. King, and were willing to stand up for what was right when it was not the easy or popular thing to do.

And in this cynical age., when the break-up of show business marriages is as routine as catching a cold in winter, the enduring Newman/Woodward union of over forty years gives us a measure of hope about the strength of our basic institutions.

I was lucky enough to meet them both several years back at the opening of their new theatre at the Westport Playhouse, where I moderated an evening with them and their daughter Nell around a screening of "The Effect Of Gamma Rays On Man In the Moon Marigolds" (1972), an offbeat but affecting film that was the only time Newman would direct both his wife and daughter. The movie itself and the discussion which followed will remain in my memory always.

That night, my wife and I foolishly trusted the Merritt Parkway, and found ourselves crawling as we headed towards a dinner with one of my screen idols. Maddeningly, we were over half an hour late, but were warmly welcomed into their group. I remember distinctly that Paul was wearing both reading glasses and a black leather motorcycle jacket with patches, which would have looked incongruous on anyone else but him. I also remember him standing up and walking around the table, offering everyone a piece of carrot cake. Cleary he was not your typical star, nor your typical human being.

Paul Leonard Newman grew up in Ohio, and came east after college to attend Yale Drama School. He further developed his talent in New York at the fabled Actors' Studio, and pursued television roles. His first movie part, in 1954's "The Silver Chalice", so embarrassed him that he took out an ad in a Hollywood newspaper apologizing to audiences. He was already an original.

Listed below are ten of my favorite Newman titles. Robert Wise's absorbing biopic profiling the rise of boxer Rocky Graziano, "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956), would also make the list if it were only on DVD.

We are immensely grateful for your time among us, Paul Newman. It's curiously frustrating that all we can do is thank you for all you've given us (and many others less fortunate), both through your films, but just as important, in the way you chose to live your life. There's no doubt that somebody up there will certainly like you.

• October 25th, John introduces "The Longest Yard" at a private club in Skillman, New Jersey

• October 29th, John lectures on "The Divine Escape: The Great Depression and Hollywood's Golden Era," sponsored by Wachovia , New York City