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
Video
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