To pimply adolescents entering manhood in 1969 or so, the cinematic duo were the new essence of cool.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were amiable, tragic anti-heroes who got the girl and pretty often the bank's money. Pursued through much of the movie by a posse at full gallop, they'd peer out from their mountain lair, not to panic but merely utter, "Who are those guys?"

With their Western duds, blazing six-shooters and debonair looks, Paul Newman and Robert Redford were one of filmdom's greatest pairings. Reunited four years later in "The Sting," the actors continued their con man's ways, projecting a laid-back, understated masculinity to young male movie-goers. Oh, and they had a few female fans, too.

Had Mr. Newman, who died Friday at 83, achieved nothing more than the roles in these films, he would have left the world with two enduring pleasures. But there was much more to Paul Newman, both on and off the screen.

The Cleveland native appeared in more than 65 movies in over half a century, with stars as diverse as Tom Cruise, Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Hanks and Joanne Woodward, his wife of 50 years. His filmography contains some of the worthiest titles of his day: "Cool Hand Luke," "The Hustler," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "The Verdict," "Road to Perdition" and "The Color of Money," for which he won his only acting Oscar despite a career with 10 nominations.

In 1981's "Absence of Malice," his character lectured Sally Field, who played an aggressive news reporter, about ethics. "You don't write the truth. You write what people say," he railed, making more than a few journalists squirm in their theater seats as well.

Mr. Newman was about more than compelling movie making. He was a humanitarian and a philanthropist. His line of Newman's Own food products -- salad dressing, popcorn, tomato sauce and the like -- generated $250 million in profits that funded thousands of charities, including Hole in the Wall Gang camps for children with serious illnesses. For that reason, some would say his greatest work was not done in the public eye.

Paul Newman was among the leading actors of his generation, but also a man of compassion and conviction. To his legion of fans, now not so young, nothing quite says cool more than that. Later, Butch.