Cool Hand Luke (1967)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

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 | Authority | Chain

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
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
Craig Binkley	....	set dresser (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
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)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

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

Production Companies

• Jalem Productions

Distributors

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

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

Filming Locations:

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Company:

Jalem Productions

Trivia:

The company that produced the film, Jalem Productions, is owned by Jack Lemmon.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Luke cuts his chains with the axe, he ties the chains to his ankles with a strip off his trousers. He ties his left ankle but not his right, yet as he gets up and runs away both are tied on.

Quotes:

Captain, Road Prison 36: What we got here is... failure to communicate.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Soundtrack:

Midnight Special

The anti-hero

One of the reasons that the late 60s/early 70s was such a powerful era in filmmaking is the emergence of the anti-hero (defined as an individual with heroic qualities, but not in a position we would usually find a hero). This is symbolized greatly in `Cool Hand Luke'. We can identify with Luke because his crime is venial and his concerns over the great questions of life are ours. It is because of this and his persuasive charm that the other prisoners (played remarkably well by Kennedy and a host of others to include Wayne Rogers, Ralph Waite, Dennis Hopper and one of the actors who played a crewmember on `Alien') live vicariously through him.

Filled with memorable scenes (the boxing match, 50 eggs, the fealty of his fellow prisoners who help him finish his food after his stomach is shrunk in solitary confinement, `shakin' it here boss', the sneezing dogs, and of course the carwash part) and outstanding character development (created by what is said and what is not said, i.e. the visiting brother), one of screen history's most repeated lines and the great acting of Newman, this movie deserves to be called a classic. Released the same year as `Bonnie and Clyde', it makes one long for the days when you needed a real script to make a movie.