Paul Newman. Fifty eggs. One take. Very Cool Hand Luke.
Newman takes the title role of Luke Jackson – a loner, sentenced to two years on a chain gang for decapitating parking meters, who becomes the prison camp hero after defeating hulking George Kennedy in a hard-boiled egg eating contest guaranteed to leave viewers queasy.
Faced with the unrelenting demands of the camp’s daily routine, Luke’s resilience quickly antagonises the gang bosses.
“What we got here is a failure to communicate,” says the tough, odious Southern Captain with a sadistic sense of humour (Strother Martin).
Chiming perfectly with the “Summer of Love” in which it was released, this subtle blend of acknowledging the needs of the individual and respecting a freedom of spirit was one of the key American films of the 1960s.
The film was also influential in the massive popularity of Raybans!
Lucas “Luke” Jackson
Paul Newman
Dragline
George Kennedy
Society Red
J D Cannon
Koko
Lou Antonio
Loudmouth Steve
Robert Drivas
Boss Carr
Clifton James
Boss Godfrey
Morgan Woodward
Boss Paul
Luke Askew
Captain
Strother Martin
Arletta Jackson
Jo Van Fleet
Rabbitt
Marc Cavell
Babalugats
Dennis Hopper
Blind Dick
Richard Davalos
Gambler
Wayne Rogers
Tramp
Harry Dean Stanton
Alibi
Ralph Waite
Dog Boy
Anthony Zerbe
Sleepy
James Gammon
Fixer
Joe Don Baker
John Jackson Snr
John Pearce
Director
Stuart Rosenberg
