The sixties were crazy years. Most of us have heard and read about this turbulent time in history. It was a period when young people started to look around and realize justice wielded a two-headed sword. There was ‘fair’ retribution for those with money and little for those without. It is sad to say that our scales have not changed much over the years. Our prisons have been filled with far too many first-time offenders who have had the book thrown at them. Our country was just waking up to these inconsistencies as seen through the top films. In 1967 alone, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, THE GRADUATE, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER, BONNIE AND CLYDE, THE DIRTY DOZEN, and of course…COOL HAND LUKE made their entrances across the country. Racism, bigotry, bullying, war, finding love among the hierarchy of classes, prison life, and chain gangs were hot topics. They were out of the box, so to speak, and would never be tucked away again.
I have always been attracted to Paul Newman. His blue eyes could carry me away to whatever location or subject matter that caught his attention and acting skills. I adored him as the lead in rom-coms. I laughed at his sarcastic, comedic monologues and dialogues. I was jealous of his wife, Joanne Woodward. I bought all his food products, watched his race cars, and gave him a place of honor on my wall featuring my favorite six movie idol men (I shared this story before when I reviewed THE STING. He was with me for over thirty years of teaching). So naturally, I would empathize and feel his aching pain when he was placed in prison and forced to work on a chain gang cleaning up southern state roads. It broke my heart as I sat in a darkened theater when COOL HAND LUKE premiered. His spirit carried this important piece of cinema and opened my eyes while witnessing a brilliant performance about a group of men we rarely see or give a second glance to as we go racing by in our cars. His attitude has stayed with me and taught me to look beyond a person’s facial appearance.
Don Pearce wrote the novel and screenplay. It was based on his own experiences working on a chain gang. The film got Hollywood’s attention and garnered four Oscar nominations while rewarding George Kennedy as Dragline to win Best Supporting Actor. Jack Lemon was originally considered for the role of Luke but backed out and decided to produce the film instead. Lucas Jackson was meant to be Newman’s. He personified coolness from every pore of his sweaty body. He worked his ass off to get this part right, even by learning to play the banjo, visiting southern prison camps, and studying the local dialect. He was a cool perfectionist.
The men in the prison camp created characters that stayed with viewers long after the credits rolled. Kennedy’s part was one of my favorites as well because of the unique bond he and Luke shared throughout their grueling days. The scene where a bet was made that Luke could eat fifty eggs in just one hour was hilarious. It was great comedy relief, and every prisoner, especially Newman and Kennedy, gave it their all. It has been said in later interviews two hundred eggs were used for this wild scene and halted filming at times the next day due to flatulence.
There were only a couple of women in this movie. One was The Girl, played by Joy Harmon, who merely washed a car in front of the “caged” men. She wore short shorts and a white shirt, but holy cow, that was a provocative scene without saying a word. Harmon did an audition in a bikini and was filmed for the final cut without the men on set. She said she was embarrassed when she sat in the movie theater and saw her performance. She had no idea how sexy washing a car would become.
The other woman’s role was Luke’s mom, played by the stage actress Jo Van Fleet. She and Newman had over ten pages of dialogue to complete in one day. They were superb together. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
COOL HAND LUKE gave audiences one of the best lines of all time. ”What we have here is a failure to communicate.” True, powerful words that have followed our society through many bleak times and still resonate today. “Right, Boss?”
COOL HAND LUKE is a masterpiece of stellar performances. It is a simple tale that inspires the spirit of never giving up or stop trying. Luke gave people hope, and that memory lived on long after the story ended. It is a tragic prison classic. It points to being better and recognizing mistakes can be made along anyone’s journey. One bad moment is not the sum total of a life lived. In the end, it is how we handle our shortcomings and strive to be better if given the opportunity. COOL HAND LUKE chose one direction, but it doesn’t have to be for everyone. In my head, I get this, and I am still just a pile of putty when I look into those magnificent baby blues.
COOL HAND LUKE is available on TCM.
