DESPITE the deafening clatter of politics and the stirring haste of the festive holiday, this Hari Raya turned out to be a time of quiet sadness with the passing of four great men one after another within just a couple of weeks.

Paul Newman inspired the ‘king of cool’ look among boys

A. Samad Ismail, Ahmad Mahmud, Richard Wright and Paul Newman -- artistes in their own right -- will always be fondly remembered here, there and everywhere. And as their memories have been huddling in little corners of my mind lately, the resultant melancholy will occupy much of this column this week, in what should be a welcome departure from the hubbub of Malaysian politics and the latest craze of "now everyone can contest".

So much has already been said about Tan Sri Samad, the national literary laureate and journalist extraordinaire who is simply Pak Samad to everyone. But the magic of the man and his legend is such that the more the mention, the more remarkable his life has seemed.

I remember the twice-daily editorial briefings I had to give him at his hospital bed about seven years ago when I was chief news editor and he was head of the NST's newly-created editorial committee.

Pak Samad had to be in hospital for long stretches -- this one lasted about a month -- for complications from diabetes. But being in hospital never really shut him out of what was happening and how the paper was being run.

The meetings became a routine -- one in the morning, another at the end of the day -- which meant I had to go to Pantai hospital every day. On some days he would phone the office from his hospital bed looking for me if I was late. But we thoroughly enjoyed each other's company because the conversations almost always went beyond work, sometimes turning very personal, and I learned immensely from them.

As for Datuk Ahmad Mahmud, he will always be remembered, probably as the "last Samurai" of Jalan Ampas in the golden era of Malay movies. He was one of those who fitted in perfectly in the good-guy roles.

It was mainly his clean and somewhat boyish looks that did it. Remember the doctor roles he played in Ibu Mertua Ku and Seniman Bujang Lapuk?

Even more greatly adored on the silver screen in those days was Paul Newman, a giant of a name in Hollywood, especially by boys growing up with a rebellious streak.

It brings back memories of my time at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar where one of the things we always looked forward to was Saturday night movies at the school hall. The weekly schedule was organised by the students for the students through the school cinema club with the movies being screened using those monster-like projectors of old (which often malfunctioned when the reels got entangled).

Many good Hollywood pictures came our way, some featuring Paul  Newman who inspired the "king of cool" look among boys. One of his movies that was very hard to forget was Cool Hand Luke where he played a rebellious prisoner; one scene is etched in my memory, the egg-eating challenge that saw him gulp down, with much difficulty, 50 hard-boiled eggs.

The scene, and the emotion expressed by that first-class actor, was so real that of course some of us, being at a mischievous age, tried to replicate the feat in the dining hall the next day. Nobody got beyond five eggs, however.

The Paul Newman craze inevitably led to nicknames and look-a-likes, one of them being Ahmad Zahari Kadir, a few years my senior at MCKK. The first time I heard them call him Paul Newman I nearly fell out of my chair: indeed he looked and moved just like the actor.

Those crazy years have long passed and Zahari, now successfully retired from the army, is enjoying life in the corporate world.

As for keyboardist Richard Wright, music-lovers would remember him as perhaps the most under-rated of all members of legendary rock group Pink Floyd.

His death is also mourned because it buries once and for all whatever slight hopes remained for a reunion of one of the most creative groups of musicians of all time.

I think back with great affection on some of his compositions, especially Us and Them and the haunting The Great Gig In The Sky.

Pink Floyd which broke up nearly 20 years ago, got back together briefly last year when they performed at the Live Aid concert. The magic was never lost despite the passage of years that showed on their faces.