Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

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

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 | Prisoner | Escape | Guts | Authority

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 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
John McLiam	...	Boss Keen
Wayne Rogers	...	Gambler
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Tramp (as Dean Stanton)
Charles Tyner	...	Boss Higgins
Ralph Waite	...	Alibi
Anthony Zerbe	...	Dog Boy
Buck Kartalian	...	Dynamite
Joy Harmon	...	The Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Don Baker	...	Fixer (uncredited)
James Bradley	...	(uncredited)
James Gammon	...	Sleepy (uncredited)
Norman Goodwins	...	Stupid blonde (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	...	Chief (uncredited)
Rance Howard	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
James Jeter	...	Wickerman (uncredited)
Kim Kahana	...	Convict (uncredited)
Robert Luster	...	Jabo (uncredited)
Donn Pearce	...	Sailor (uncredited)
John Pearce	...	John (uncredited)
Cyril 'Chips' Robinson	...	Ben (uncredited)
Eddie Rosson	...	Luke's Nephew (uncredited)
Rush Williams	...	Patrolman (uncredited)

Directed by
Stuart Rosenberg

Writing credits
Donn Pearce		(screenplay) and
Frank Pierson		(screenplay) (as Frank R. Pierson)
Donn Pearce		(novel)

Produced by
Gordon Carroll	....	producer
Carter De Haven Jr.	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Conrad L. Hall		(director of photography) (as Conrad Hall)

Film Editing by
Sam O'Steen

Art Direction by
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
Fred Price

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Jean Burt Reilly	....	supervising hair stylist

Production Management
Arthur S. Newman Jr.	....	unit manager (as Arthur Newman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director

Art Department
John Barton	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Craig Binkley	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Don Miller	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Wes Webb	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Larry Jost	....	sound
Dan Wallin	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jordan Cronenweth	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Michael A. Jones	....	assistant chief lighting technician (uncredited)
Michael A. Jones	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)
Harry Sundby	....	chief electrician (uncredited)

Music Department
Barney Kessel	....	musician: guitar, soundtrack (uncredited)
Tommy Morgan	....	musician: harmonica soloist (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Jalem Productions

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner-Tonefilm (1968) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1981) (1986) (Finland) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1973) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Scanvideo (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1996) (1998) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Singapore:PG | USA:GP (re-rating) (1970) | 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 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Company:

Jalem Productions

Trivia:

Bette Davis was first offered the role of Luke's mother, but refused the bit part.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At one point in the movie a "white on red" stop sign is shown. In the film's late-1940s time period, stop signs were "black on yellow."

Quotes:

Dragline:He was smiling... That's right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn't know it 'fore, they could tell right then that they weren't a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he's a natural-born world-shaker.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Soundtrack:

There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down

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.