So this isn't a documentary on public housing? Drag: "Hud"

There was a time that the other Ol' Blue Eyes, Paul Newman, seemed to make movies that only started with "H" -- to wit, "Hud," Harper" and "Hombre," not to mention "(The) Hustler" and "(Cool) Hand Luke." Normally that might seem gimmicky. The problem with that theory is that most of these movies were damn good.

While I had seem "Luke" several times and "Hustler" and "Harper" once and enjoyed all of them, "Hud" had escaped me. Sure, it kept popping up on TCM, and I recorded it more than once, only to watch it vanish as other movies slipped into the queue. On this last go-around, I recorded "Hud" way back in September, meaning it had been in my house longer than my daughter. While not quite at running-joke status whenever my wife and I talked about what to watch, it was close. Until this weekend, when I finally buckled down and knocked it out.

It was worth the wait.

Our story revolves around three generations of cattle ranchers: aging patriarch Homer (Melvyn "No 'i,' dammit!" Douglas), his rebellious son Hud (Newman) and grandson Lonnie (Brandon "Hey, the kid from 'Shane!'" de Wilde). Lonnie isn't Hud's son, though, but his nephew, and you soon get the sense that his dad's death wasn't natural causes. It's also not hard to see that while Lonnie idolizes Hud, Homer sure doesn't think much of him, stoic as Homer tries to be.

In the middle of this family fun is the housekeeper, Alma (Patricia "Klaatu, barada, nikto" Neal), who's had troubles of her own but mostly just gets along these days. As for her and Hud, well, I haven't seen this much sexual tension since Crockett and Tubbs hopped into Sonny's Ferrari and zoomed through the streets of Miami in the dead of night. (You know, when there was something in the air tonight ... oh Lord ... )

While the plot has another conflict -- Homer's got bad cattle that may have to be put down -- the real story is how far Hud will go with his reckless ways, and how far Lonnie will follow him. Newman may be a pretty boy, but he tears into the role, playing the scoundrel to the hilt.

The other three leads almost match him. Douglas is the old, honorable man wondering how he got stuck with a son like Hud. De Wilde is better here than in "Shane," which everyone raves about for some reason. He's about perfect as the callow youth who wants to honor his grandpa but can't help wanting to be like his uncle. Neal gets a little less screen time, but she makes the most of it with her dance with Hud. Consider this exchange when Alma is talking about her ex-husband:

Alma: Only thing he was ever good for was to scratch my back where I couldn't reach it.
Hud: You still got that itch?
Alma: Off and on.
Hud: Well, let me know when it gets to bothering you.

Oh my. Of course, none of this ends well, which is another good thing about "Hud." Might be worth mentioning here that the movie is based on a Larry McMurtry novel, and it definitely looks it. The dusty town, the Western wear, everyone moseying everywhere. Felt a lot like "The Last Picture Show," and it was kind of neat compared with "Luke," which was in color, and "Hustler," where most of the action takes place inside. Still, I'm not sure if I'd place this one above those, especially "Luke," which I can always watch. No offense, Alma, but you're no Lucille.