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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 60 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Cool Hand Luke
A bottle opener. Luke used this bottle opener in the very first scene, when he was opening a beer bottle while cutting off the parking meter heads. It was always visible throughout the movie.
37. The men had to remember their laundry numbers which was written on the back of their shirts. Carr, the Floor Walker said, "Any man who forgets his laundry number spends a night in the box." Carr was played by Clifton James.
36. The sign above the prison gate read: Division of Corrections, Road Prison #36.
George Kennedy- Best Supporting Actor. Dragline, a loudmouth bully and self appointed leader of the inmates, was by far George Kennedy's best role. Paul Newman was nominated for best actor in 1967 but lost to Rod Steiger, who won for his role in "In the Heat of the Night".
Buck Private. The captain was also amazed that he came out of the Army the same rank as he went in. While watching the movie it is easy to figure out that Luke is a non-conformist who has problems with authority.
All of these (A Bronze Star, A Silver Star, Two Purple Hearts). The captain seemed quite amazed by these awards. He'd never had a war hero in camp before. It was never mentioned why Luke was awarded these medals.
2 years. The author, Don Pearce, also received a two year sentence, which helped him write the novel. He also wrote the screenplay. The captain said that two years wasn't much.
Destroying Municipal Property. The movie opens with a drunken Luke cutting the heads off parking meters. Asked why he did it by the other cons, Luke replied, "I had an old score to settle." He never said what the old score was.
Lucas Jackson. The captain, played by Strother Martin, addresses him by this name when he first arrives at the road camp.
A novel. The novel was written by Don (sometimes written Donn) Pearce in 1965. Mr. Pearce actually served time on a chain gang for safecracking. He also appeared in the movie in the uncredited role of "Sailor".
| Luke was caught again and brought back to the barracks, all beaten up with two sets of legs chains now on. The captain explained that he ran once and got one set of leg chains. He ran a second time and got two sets of leg chains. What would happen if he ran a third time? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part III
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Nothing. The captain said, "There won't be a third time cause you gonna get your mind right, and I mean right!" The captain was sure that the beating he took and the punishment that was to be dealt out would be enough to break Luke's spirit so he would comply with the routine of life on a chain gang.
A cold drink.. Dragline loved the photo and described it as, "A true vision of paradise itself, with two of the angels right there prancing around my boy."
A doubled bladed ax.. The young boys also gave him the ax and Luke tied the loose chain halves to his legs by using the stripes that he ripped from his pantlegs.
He sprinkled chili powder, pepper and curry.. Luke got the spices from two young boys he met. This really got the dogs sneezing and the boys got big grins on their faces watching the antics of the dogs.
He ran away when he was suppose to be relieving himself behind a bush.. Luke told a boss that he was "caught short here", which meant he had to relieve himself. The boss told him to go behind the bush and keep shaking the bush. Luke tied a string to the bush and kept shaking it while running away. Boss Godfrey fired a couple rounds into the bush but Luke was gone again.
He was in a stolen car.. Luke explained to the other cons that he stole a car. A cop pulled right up next to him, with him still wearing his state clothes. He said, "That was top flight police work, fella's probabaly a lieutenant by now."
| Luke was captured and brought right to where the gang was working. A set of leg chains were applied on him. The captain said it for his own good. Lukes said something and the captain stuck him with a club, knocking him down a hill. What did Luke say to the captain? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part III
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"I wish you'd stop being so good to me, Captain.". This is the scene where the captain says his famous line, "What we've got here is failure to communicate." The capatin addressed the men after he knocked Luke down the hill saying he tried to make Luke comply but couldn't reach him.
| With Luke "in the bush", a patrol car pulls into camp and the trunk is opened. The captain gets a big grin on his face. What was in the trunk? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part III
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A dead hounddog.. The captain may have been expecting Luke but instead got the dead bloodhound, Old Blue. Old Blue led the hunt for Luke. Dogboy carried him up to the captain crying, "...he run himself plum to death." Dogboy was the con in charge of the dogs and was played by Anthony Zerbe.
| Luke was a good prisoner until he was placed in the box because his mother died. He then decided to escape. How did he escape the first time? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part III
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He sawed a hole in the barracks floor and went over the fence.. This escape took place during a 4th of July celebration, right before final count. Another con went with him and got caught on the fence and went to the box. With 50 inmates, Carr, the Floor Walker, gave the count as, "48, 1 in the box and 1 in the bush, Boss." Why a smart guy like Luke didn't go until after the count was taken always surprised me.
His mother died.. The captain had Luke fall out of line when the men were going to work the morning after Luke's mother died. He explained to all the men by saying, "When a man's mother dies he gets thinking about the funeral and paying his respects. Before he knows it, his mind ain't right. He gets rabbit in his blood and he runs." He would keep Luke off the road and in the box for a few days. He said, "It's for your own good."
50. Dragline covered all bets on the egg eating contest. Dragline asked Luke why he picked 50 and Luke replied, "It sounded like a round number." (There happened to be 50 inmates at the camp.) This was the funniest scene in the movie.
A banjo. John was played by John Pearce and his son John Jr. was played by Eddie Rosson. The banjo was the one Luke sang his "Plastic Jesus" song with.
Arletta. During the visit, Luke always called her Arletta, never Ma or Mom. Arletta was played by Jo Van Fleet. She went to see Luke because she was dying. This would be the last time she saw him. She traveled on a bed rigged up in the back of a pickup truck.
| No inmate got a nickname unless Dragline gave him one. Dragline gave Luke the name of "Cool Hand Luke" because of a winning poker hand that Luke had. What was that winning hand? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part II
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King, 10,9,4,3. Dragline said that he won the hand with nothing. Luke replied, "Yeah, well sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand." Earlier Dragline wanted to give Luke the nickname of "No Ears" as he said to Luke, "You don't listen much, do you boy?"
| Prison officals allowed inmates to fight each other on Saturday afternoons, if they had a problem which needed to be solved. Luke and Dragline had a big fight. What was the reason for this fight? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part II
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Luke made comments about a girl washing her car.. The girl put on a sexy show for the inmates while she was washing her car as the men were working alongside of the road. Dragline named her Lucille and fantasized about her that evening. Luke made the comment that she knew she was driving the men crazy and Dragline didn't like that, so Dragline then challenged Luke to a fight. The girl was played by Joy Harmon. Although Luke was beaten senseless, he actully won the fight as Dragline wouldn't hit him anymore and went inside with the rest of the cons.
A nightgown, a #10 can and a white porcelain pot with a lid.. The box was a small wooden structure which was high enough for a man to stand up but not long enough for a man to lie down. A man had to strip and put on the nightgown. A boss then slid in the #10 can and the white pot for personal reasons. A padlock was then placed on the door.
| Carr, the Floor Walker, is an inmate trustee in charge of the barracks. He explained to the new men about the rule violations that would be punishable by spending a night in the box. What was NOT a rule explained in Carr's recitation? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part II
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Escape. Carr was played by Clifton James. His recitation to the new men is one of the film's most memorable scenes. Although escape would put a man in the box, Carr's rules dealt with the living quarters.
"He was a good ol' boy; a natural born world shaker.". Dragline always had the attention of the other inmates and could create a hero image of Luke. Luke was a free thinker who could not comply with society or authority. He was looking for something from God and the movie was full of innuendos about religion.
| A police officer wanted to radio ahead to open the emergency clinic. The captain said he would take Luke to the prison hospital. The officer said that is too far away. How long would it take to get to the prison hospital? | "Cool Hand Luke": Part IV
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It was over an hour away.. Although Luke's death is never shown, when the car pulled away and ran over Boss Godfrey's sunglasses, a red flashing light is then shown. It is here that the viewer can presume Luke died.
They are run over by the vehicle carrying Luke.. This is the first time that Boss Godfrey is shown without his sungalsses. The movie had many shots and angles of Boss Godfrey's sunglasses, which gave him a cold and ruthless appearance. They gave him an image which struck fear into the inmates.
He choked him.. Dragline brought the seriously wounded Luke out of the church and attacked Boss Godfrey, choking him and knocking off his signature reflecting sunglases.
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