More than his phenomenal acting and good looks, there was one particular detail about Paul Newman that made the film what it is today – those sparkling blue eyes. Newman’s eyes were so distinct that they really lit up the films he starred in.
Those eyes were so important that the producers even pushed to re-shoot a number of scenes to focus more on Newman’s baby blue eyes. For them to spend more on re-shooting must have meant that those eyes were a VITAL part of the overall film. They believed that more coverage of his eyes would mean more profit for the film. I guess they made the right decision!
Boxing Scene
In one short scene with minimal dialogue, viewers actually got to learn exactly the type of character Luke was. This part in the film was the iconic boxing scene that took a total of three days for Paul Newman and George Kennedy to nail. It was definitely much harder to film than it was to watch!
You would think that acting wouldn't entail actual punches and hits but these dedicated actors were willing to do just about anything to achieve a phenomenal take. As such, the two exceeded expectations in their efforts to perfect such a scene.
Race Car Driving
Paul Newman was truly a phenomenal man full of talent as he wasn't just skilled in acting, but in so many other areas as well. One of his greatest skills was in the race car driving, a hobby that Paul first ever found any grace in.
Newman was actually able to win a number of national championships as a race car driver in the Sports Car Club of America. His racing name was P.L. Newman and apparently, he said he would only the sport when he started to embarrass himself. Additionally, Newman used the television coverage he got from racing as a platform to help raise awareness for his foundation and charity racing events in his life.
Joy Harmon
Joy Harmon, the actress who made the car washing scene so iconic, was pretty oblivious to just how popular the scene would become. Actress Joy Harmon had no idea just how famous her car-washing scene would become, especially being one of the few women who took part in the film. She was obviously unaware that this would be one of the film’s most notable scenes. She even mentioned, “I just figured it was washing the car.”
In addition to some fun facts about the scene, the convicts in the scene weren't entirely acting since they were actually shivering in the freezing cold! It must have been a difficult three days to film that!
Real Physical Labor
If you create a film based on a chain gang, you should expect that the cast is physically on point! It wasn't much of a surprise then that the cast in the film actually performed some of those grueling scenes, and not any stunt doubles.
The scene of the gang members covering a road with asphalt was actually performed in real life as they got the job done about a mile off a California highway. Great work, boys!