I watched Somebody Up There Likes Me on Turner Classic Movies last night and was quite transfixed by Newman's performance. Having perused his IMDB listing of films, I have to admit that I haven't seen a number of his films, which are his best?

(embarrisingly these are the only films I have seen of his)
- Road to Perdition
- Message in a Bottle
- The Color of Money
- The Towering Inferno

Essential viewing:
The Hustler
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Cool Hand Luke
The Sting
Slap Shot

Also good:
WUSA
Fort Apache: The Bronx
Hombre
The Mackintosh Man
The Hudsucker Proxy

Also check out one of his best performances with Nobody's Fool (1994).

that list should be all you need

I would add The Verdict as essential viewing.

Hombre

I also liked him in The Verdict and Long, Hot Summer.

In addition to others mentioned, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is essential.

He is, without a doubt, one of the ten greatest american actors to ever grace the screen. Some others not mentioned that are among my favorites:

Hud
Harper
Sometimes a Great Notion (A singular favorite of mine...sadly not on DVD )
Blaze
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
Sweet Bird of Youth

As others mentioned, the following are absolutely essential:
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Long, Hot, Summer
The Sting
The Verdict
Slap Shot
Cool Hand Luke
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
and of course: THE HUSTLER!!

He plays a real peach in HUD.

Butch Cassidy is my personal fave followed by The Sting

Not the best Hitchcock's film but I liked him in Torn Curtain.

In order, these are all outstanding films and performances. I saw most of them from renting at my local library, I always encourage this practice.

1. Cool Hand Luke
2. The Hustler
3. Hud
4. The Sting
5. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
6. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
7. The Verdict

color of money...

Another vote for THE VERDICT...

Yep, definitely Nobody's Fool.

Cool Hand Luke

thanks for all the input guys!

More votes for Cool Hand Luke, Butch & Sundance, and the Sting. But beware -- the only version of the Sting available on DVD is a full-frame version.

Another vote for both The Hustler & The Verdict.

More votes for:

The Verdict
Nobody's Fool
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
The Color Of Money
The Hustler

And just for fun it's not bad watching Absence Of Malice and Fat Man And Little Boy, just to see Newman's performances.

No votes for Exodus? I thought that this was a really good movie and Paul Newman was great in it. Obviously I know it's not one of his best movies, but the movie itself is very moving and the music is one of the best soundtracks of all time, at least I think so.

No love for THE SILVER CHALICE? Rightfully so .. worth seeing only to see how far he developed as an actor from this turkey.

Not in order, here's a list of all his movies

The Silver Chalace
Somebody Up There Likes Me
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof
Until They Sail
Exodus
The Young Philadelphians
The Long Hot Summer
The Hustler
Sweet Bird of Youth
Adventures of a Young Man
Hud
The Left Handed Gun
Hombre
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
Cool Hand Luke
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Winning
The Sting
The Towering Infero
Slap Shot
The Absence of Malice
Silent Movie
The Verdict
The Color of Money
Mr. And Mrs. Bridge
The Hudsucker Proxy
Nobody's Fool
Message in a Bottle
Road to Perdition
Harper
The Drowning Pool
The Mackintosh Man
Pocket Money
When Time Ran Out
Fat Man Little Boy
Twilight
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
Blaze
Fort Apache, The Bronx
Harry and Son
Quintet
WUSA
What a Way to Go!
Paris Blues
Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!
The Rack
The Helen Morgan Story
The Outrage
A New Kind of Love
From the Terrace
The Prize
The Secret War of Harry Frigg
Lady L
Torn Curtain
Harry and Son
Sometimes a Great Notion
Where the Money Is