How Paul Newman’s First Film Nearly Ended His Career Before It Began

Paul Newman, who would have been 101 on January 26, turned heads in the 1953 Broadway production of the play Picnic. He won a Theatre World Award and, even more importantly, caught the attention of future wife Joanne Woodward, an understudy in the production. But then, the following year, came what Newman considered to be a disastrous film debut for the actor in the historical epic The Silver Chalice. Newman thought it was more than just the worst film he ever made — he believed it to be the worst of the decade, and spoke out against it whenever it was screened publicly. But while fans may have heard about how much Newman hated it, the reviews at the time weren’t quite so harsh.