Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Donn Pearce (screenplay) and
Frank Pierson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 November 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."

Plot:

A man refuses to conform to life in a rural prison.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Escape | Prisoner | Chain | Guts

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Luke
George Kennedy	...	Dragline
J.D. Cannon	...	Society Red
Lou Antonio	...	Koko
Robert Drivas	...	Loudmouth Steve
Strother Martin	...	Captain
Jo Van Fleet	...	Arletta
Clifton James	...	Carr
Morgan Woodward	...	Boss Godfrey
Luke Askew	...	Boss Paul
Marc Cavell	...	Rabbitt
Richard Davalos	...	Blind Dick
Robert Donner	...	Boss Shorty
Warren Finnerty	...	Tattoo
Dennis Hopper	...	Babalugats

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Australia:M | Spain:7 | Portugal:M/12 | USA:Approved (certificate #21450) | Sweden:15 | France:-12 | New Zealand:PG | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:12 (blu-ray) (2008) | Ireland:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | USA:GP (re-rating) (1970)

Filming Locations:

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Company:

Jalem Productions

Trivia:

Truckloads of Spanish moss was shipped from Louisiana to the set in California to hang in the trees around the prison.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the fight scene with Dragline Luke is knocked down into the dirt many times and is covered with black soil by the end. When the long shot shows Dragline walking away towards the barracks Luke has suddenly lost most of the black soil that was covering his sweat-soaked body.

Quotes:

Captain, Road Prison 36: What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "CSI: Miami: Hard Time (#2.3)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Plastic Jesus

memorable

Truly a memorable movie, and more than just a documentary about southern road gangs. It's a study on the theme of the indomitability of the human spirit in the face of oppression. I was about to name this as Newman's finest performance until I thought of Eddy Felsen in "The Hustler" and Frank Galvin in "The Verdict"; it's impossible to choose among such a cornucopia of acting achievements, but Luke is right up there (the analogy to Luke as Christ becomes a tad heavy-handed when we see him, at the close of the egg-eating scene, stretched out, arms outward, feet crossed, as if crucified; none the less, it's a powerful image). There is no doubt, however, about George Kennedy as Dragline; it is his finest achievement, and fully deserves the Oscar he got for Best Supporting Actor. It is also fascinating to find so many familiar faces among the inmates - actors such as Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton, Joe Don Baker, Ralph Waite. and Wayne Rogers - who would go on to fame in their own right. This movie can unquestionably be called a classic. American Movie Classics just started (11/2000) showing a beautifully restored letterbox version which shows it in all its glory.