Cool Hand Luke (1967)

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Director: Stuart Rosenberg

Writers: Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson, based on the novel by Donn Pearce

Stars: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J.D. Cannon, Lou Antonio, Robert Drivas, Strother Martin, Jo Van Fleet, Clifton James



Paul Newman brilliantly portrays Luke, a former war hero whose inability to bend to authority lands him on a Southern chain gang.

 


There he encounters both sadistic guards who use brutal force to maintain their positions and downtrodden prisoners who elevate Luke to the status of hero for doing only what comes naturally to him. 



Misunderstood by both groups, he is truly a man who just can't fit in anywhere.

 


The cast is full of familiar faces at the beginning of their careers.

 


Judging from the strength of this performance, it is easy to see why Newman became such a star.





























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