A brief look at yesterday, today and tomorrow reveals the timeless charm of the great icons of cinema. One truly gifted actress and two talented actors, Paul Newman, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe helped shape and mold our generation and still have a great influence in our society today. We Americans are famous for worshiping demigods of the miraculous moment. Celebrities, who have inspired, identified and transcended on-screen roles to become an active part of popular culture and people's lives, have become icons. Through their work in film, Paul Newman, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe became cinematic icons that will endure well into the twenty-first century. Paul Newman, screen legend, superstar and the most famous blue-eyed man in history was born on January 30, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of a successful sporting goods store owner. He began acting in elementary and high school plays. He served in World War II and after discharge from the Navy in 1946; he attended Kenyon College on an athletic scholarship. His sporting career ended with injury and he turned to theater, joining the Summer Stock Company in Wisconsin. After moving to Illinois in 1947, he married actress Jacqueline Witte and, after his father's death, took over the family business. Newman soon became restless and, after selling his share in the store to his brother, enrolled in the Yale School of Drama. During a break from classes he went to New York City where he landed a role in the CBS television series The Aldridge Family. (blockbuster) Numerous other television performances followed, and in 1952 Newman was accepted by the Actors Studio, making his Broadway debut a year later in Pinic, where he was signed by Warner Bros. He co-starred with Joanne Woodward, who soon became his second wife. Today Paul resides with his wife, actress Joanne in Westport, CT. Newman remained a prominent public figure through his extensive charitable work; After his son's drug-related death he created the Scott Newman Foundation and later marketed a number of gourmet food products under the Newman's own umbrella name. The entire proceeds went to support his project to help children with cancer. (classic film) Paul Newman, classically handsome with an abundance of sex appeal, was offered his first film Silver Chalice, 1954 by Warner Brothers.