History Trivia / CoolHandLuke

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Despite being technically set in TheFifties, this film is heavily associated with TheSixties. The film was clearly shot during the Vietnam War, hence the anti-establishment themes. It's even been suggested that the famous line is a metaphor for UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. Creator/RogerEbert felt the film was a product of its time.
--> "The year 1967 was at the center of the Vietnam era, and Luke was against the establishment."

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100HeroesAndVillains:
*** #30 Hero, Luke Jackson
** AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes:
*** #11, "What we've got here is failure to communicate"
** AFIS100Years100Cheers: #71

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

** Morgan Woodward, who played 'The Man With No Eyes', remained in character between takes - wearing his mirrored sunglasses and not speaking to anyone.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Donn Pearce drew on his experiences in a chain gang.

** Joy Harmon was planned to film the car wash scene on set with the other actors. However her scenes ended up being filmed separately, while the reactions of the men were filmed later - with a cheerleader wearing an overcoat standing in for 'Lucille'.

** Creator/JackLemmon (whose production company made the film) was originally offered the role of Luke, but after reading the script, he felt that Creator/PaulNewman would be perfect. He acted as a producer instead.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/GeorgeKennedy was usually stuck as villains. He credits this film with helping him get more varied parts.

* DeletedScene: Scenes cut from the film featured dialogue setting up Dragline's sunglasses and the men ogling a woman driving by in a convertible. More details here http://theeditroomfloor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/a-lost-scene-from-cool-hand-luke.html.

* DisownedAdaptation: In a 1989 interview with the Miami Herald, Donn Pearce said, "I seem to be the only guy in the United States who doesn't like the movie. Everyone had a whack at it. They screwed it up 99 different ways." For one thing, Pearce thought Creator/PaulNewman was "too scrawny" and completely wrong for the part.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Columbia passed on making the film, having just lost a lot of money on the prison picture ''Film/KingRat'' that no one went to see. [[spoiler:They were also not keen on the fact that the lead character dies at the end]].

* PlayingGertrude: Jo Van Fleet plays Luke's mother, but was only eleven years older than Paul Newman.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot:
** The film was originally set in Florida (and would be filmed entirely on location). Budget reasons led to it being relocated to (and filmed in) California.
** The director loved Morgan Woodward as Boss Godfrey. But he found that his [[VocalDissonance voice didn't match how intimidating the character needed to be]]. So all his dialogue was removed.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Despite being technically set in the 50s, this film is heavily associated with the 60s. The film was clearly shot during the Vietnam War, hence the anti-establishment themes. It's even been suggested that the famous line is a metaphor for UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. Creator/RogerEbert felt the film was a product of its time.

* PlayingAgainstType: George Kennedy was usually stuck as villains. He credits this film with helping him get more varied parts.

** Dennis Hopper, Luke Askew and Warren Finnerty would later star in ''Film/EasyRider'' together.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Despite being technically set in the 50s, this film is heavily associated with the 60s. The film was clearly shot during the Vietnam War, hence the anti-establishment themes. It's even been suggested that the famous line is a metaphor for the Vietnam War. Roger Ebert felt the film was a product of its time.

** Telly Savalas was offered the role of either Luke or Dragline.

** Telly Savalas was offered the role of either Luke or Dragline

* BeamMeUpScotty: Narrowly averted via MeaningfulEcho. The famous line, "What we've got here is a failure to communicate!" is used towards the end of the film. The first instance of the line is "What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach" (notably, the version without the indefinite article was sampled by Music/GunsNRoses for "Civil War").
** Though it's also typically quoted with a thick southern accent, meaning the warden's version should be used.
* DeletedScene / MissingEpisode: Scenes cut from the film featured dialogue setting up Dragline's sunglasses and the men ogling a woman driving by in a convertible. More details here http://theeditroomfloor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/a-lost-scene-from-cool-hand-luke.html.

* MethodActing: Creator/PaulNewman learned how to play the banjo for this film. In order to develop his character, he travelled to West Virginia, where he recorded local accents and surveyed people's behavior.

** Creator/JackLemmon (whose production company made the film) was originally offered the role of Luke, but after reading the script, he felt that Creator/PaulNewman would be perfect.

* DeletedScene / MissingEpisode: Scenes cut from the film featured dialogue setting up Dragline's sunglasses and and a the men ogling a woman driving by in a convertible. More details here http://theeditroomfloor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/a-lost-scene-from-cool-hand-luke.html.

* PlayingGertrude: Jo Van Fleet was only 11 years older than Creator/PaulNewman, despite playing his mother.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/JackLemmon (whose production company made the film) was originally offered the role of Luke, but after reading the script, he felt that Creator/PaulNewman would be perfect.

* CreatorCameo: Donn Pearce, who wrote the original novel, appears as the convict Sailor.

* ItWillNeverCatchOn:Columbia passed on making the film, having just lost a lot of money on the prison picture ''Film/KingRat'' that no one went to see. [[spoiler:They were also not keen on the fact that the lead character dies at the end]].
* MethodActing: Creator/PaulNewman learned how to play the banjo for this film. In order to develop his character, he traveled to West Virginia, where he recorded local accents and surveyed people's behavior.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Donn Pearce drew on his experiences in a chain gang.

* AFIS100Years100HeroesAndVillains:
** #30 Hero, Luke Jackson
* AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes:
** #11, "What we've got here is failure to communicate"
* AFIS100Years100Cheers: #71

* HeyItsThatGuy: The singing convict is played by Creator/HarryDeanStanton.

* HeyItsThatGuy: The singing convict is played by HarryDeanStanton.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Among the convicts are [[{{Airport}} Joe Patroni]], [[BlueVelvet Frank Booth]], [[TheWaltons Pa Walton]], [[{{Series/MASH}} Trapper John McIntyre]], and Film/{{Mitchell}}.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Among the convicts are [[{{Airport}} Joe Patroni]], [[BlueVelvet Frank Booth]], [[TheWaltons Pa Walton]], [[{{Series/MASH}} Trapper John McIntyre]], and {{Mitchell}}.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Among the convicts are [[{{Airport}} Joe Patroni]], [[BlueVelvet Frank Booth]], [[TheWaltons Pa Walton]], [[{{MASH}} Trapper John McIntyre]], and {{Mitchell}}.