HUD, quite simply, has some of the best performances ever put on film by its four leading cast members: Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal and Brandon De Wilde. Equally powerful is the black and white photography, which serves as the perfect background for the story and the performers. (B&W just can't be beat for some types of stories, and this is one of them.) Newman has never been given as much credit as he deserves, in my opinion, and he makes the tactless, self-centered, womanizing Hud come to life spectacularly. Patricia Neal, who won the Oscar for this, is amazing to watch, using her body language and her voice with consummate mastery. This film leaves you with an appreciation of how simple stories, handled by talented professionals, can pack a punch even forty years later. When compared to half of the "product" that's pumped out these days, HUD towers over most, propelled by character and story. Not a bad thing, if you ask me!