Paul Newman was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of pool shark 'Fast Eddie' Felson in 1961, and won the Oscar for his reprisal of the role in 'The Color of Money' in 1986.

Paul Newman was one of a small group of post-WWII Hollywood movie actors – including Marlon Brando and James Dean – who wowed audiences by convincingly playing characters who were rebellious, alienated and, of course, incredibly charismatic.

Given Newman’s iconic status in the film industry and his recent death from lung cancer, a retrospective of some of his films, “Paul Newman Through the Decades,” will be hosted by the Coaster Theatre Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 5, 6 and 7. Seven films chronicling his work as both actor and director will be shown.

The film festival kicks off with a no-host wine reception at 6:30 p.m. Friday, followed by a 7:30 p.m. showing of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

With his piercing blue eyes, actor Paul Newman lived an actor’s life despite all the hoopla about his sex appeal. Many of his roles affirm this – “Cool Hand Luke,” “The Verdict” and “Hud,” to name a few. On the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), Newman is quoted as saying, “I would like it if people would think that beyond Newman, there’s a spirit that takes action, a heart, and a talent that doesn’t come from my blue eyes.” That’s not to say he didn’t have a sense of humor about his stature in the movie business. Said Newman, “I picture my epitaph: ‘Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown.'”

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” based on the play by Tennessee Williams, directed by Richard Brooks

7:30 p.m. Friday, June 5

In Mississippi, wealthy plantation owner Big Daddy Pollitt doesn’t know that he’s dying of cancer. For his 65th birthday, his family gathers. There’s his favorite son, Brick (Newman) and Brick’s wife, Maggie (a smoldering Elizabeth Taylor), a second son, “Goober,” and his ambitious spouse who’ve spawned an unruly passel of “no-necked monsters.” Rivalries and longstanding tensions boil over between brothers, husbands and wives and fathers and sons – mostly having to do with sex, alcohol and money. Things come to a head when the truth about Big Daddy’s health comes out.

Actors Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor posed backstage at the 64th annual Academy Awards show in 1992. The pair costarred in the multi-Oscar-nominated ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ in 1958.”What a Way to Go,” directed by J. Lee Thompson

3 p.m. Saturday, June 6

This is a black comedy with Newman playing one of four leading men opposite actress Shirley MacLaine. Louisa May Foster, a romantic young woman, is determined to marry for love, but as soon as she marries a poor man for love, he dies prematurely as a rich man obsessively pursuing even greater wealth. Newman plays Larry Flint, an over-the-top expatriate artist living in France. When he cries, “Money corrupts. Art erupts!” Louisa marries him on the spot, reveling in their Bohemian lifestyle. Alas, Flint becomes famous for paintings he’s created using machines that visually record other people’s art – music, in this case. Like the others, he chooses money over a happy life with Louisa.

“Rachel Rachel,” directed by Paul Newman

5 p.m. Saturday, June 6

Rachel is a 35-year-old schoolteacher who lives with her mother. When a man from the big city asks her out, she begins to have to make decisions about her life and where she wants it to go. She’s poorly equipped, though – bound irrevocably as she is to her mother, who’s a walking bundle of neuroses and ailments, and haunted by dreams of her stern Scottish father, a mortician. This is a small, intimate film improved by fine performances, particularly that of Newman’s wife, actress Joanne Woodward. Writes one reviewer in TIME magazine, “It is in the transcendent strength of Joanne Woodward that the film achieves a classic stature … by any reckoning, it is (her) best performance.”

Robert Redford, left, and Paul Newman starred in 1969’s ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.'”Sometimes a Great Notion,” directed by Paul Newman

7 p.m. Saturday, June 6

This is the story of the Stamper family, a hard-headed logging clan in the fictional town of Wakonda, Ore. Newman plays Hank Stamper, who runs the company – a natural leader plagued by insecurities and desires. The town is furious when, during a strike by union loggers, the Stampers continue cutting and shipping timber, even supplying the regional mill with all the lumber the town would have supplied if others hadn’t been on strike. This decision, and the surrounding details, are explored in this multilayered historical background and relationship study.

“The Hustler,” directed by Robert Rossen

Noon Sunday, June 7

“Fast Eddie” Felson is arrogance personified. He is an expert pool player who spends his days hustling a few dollars from unsuspecting dopes. His bravado at the table leads him to challenge renowned pool player Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). In a 40-hour marathon, Felson hits both highs and lows. He loses everything, including any confidence in his game, and turns to his girlfriend (played by Piper Laurie) to recover. Ignoring her advice, however, his driving ambition once again takes over, leading to tragedy in his personal life and a rematch with Minnesota Fats.

“The Color of Money,” directed by Martin Scorsese

2 p.m. Sunday, June 7

Newman recreates his role here as “Fast Eddie” Felson. The plot involves a former pool player, forced into retirement by gangsters, who agrees to act as coach/manager to a young player (Tom Cruise) who reminds him of himself early in his career. But Felson becomes increasingly troubled by the prospect of history repeating itself. In an effort to avert a tragedy, he severs ties with Cruise and returns to his first love … pool. In the film’s finale – a pool tournament in Atlantic City – Felson finds his self-respect and ultimately, redemption.

“Sometimes a Great Party,” talk by Matt Love

4 p.m. Sunday, June 7

Author Matt Love talks about his adventures during the filming of “Sometimes a Great Notion” on the Oregon Coast.

“Mr. and Mrs. Bridge,” directed by James Ivory

5 p.m. Sunday, June 7

Walter and India Bridge (Newman and Woodward) are a Midwestern couple struggling to cope with three children in a changing world in America in the 1930s. As the father, Newman’s character is a conservative, highly traditional person who directs the family. The mother tries to hold together the family, while Mr. Bridge works as a lawyer. Once the children are grown, complications ensue because they have a more modern view of life. Woodward has said that the role of Walter Bridge is perhaps closest to Newman in real life.