Cool Hand Luke
“The man... and the motion picture that simply do not conform.”
Synopsis
When petty criminal Luke Jackson is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play by the rules of either the sadistic warden or the yard's resident heavy, Dragline, who ends up admiring the new guy's unbreakable will. Luke's bravado, even in the face of repeated stints in the prison's dreaded solitary confinement cell, "the box," make him a rebel hero to his fellow convicts and a thorn in the side of the prison officers.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
4K TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-02-15
Top Cast
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Paul Newman
Luke Jackson
George Kennedy
Dragline
Luke Askew
Boss Paul
Morgan Woodward
Boss Godfrey
Harry Dean Stanton
Tramp
Dennis Hopper
Babalugats
Lou Antonio
Koko
Robert Drivas
Loudmouth Steve
Strother Martin
Captain
Jo Van Fleet
Arletta
Clifton James
Carr
Marc Cavell
Rabbitt
Richard Davalos
Blind Dick
Robert Donner
Boss Shorty
J.D. Cannon
Society Red
Joe Don Baker
Fixer
James Gammon
Sleepy
Wayne Rogers
Gambler
Release History & Theatrical Window
November 1, 1967
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 9, 2008
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$3.2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$16.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
5.07x
+$13M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Stuart Rosenberg
- Screenplay & Story
- Frank Pierson, Donn Pearce
- Original Score
- Lalo Schifrin
- Original Title
- Cool Hand Luke
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 7m
- Production Budget
- $3.2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $16.2M
- Production Studios
- Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Jalem Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Stuart Rosenberg
Frank Pierson, Donn Pearce, Hal Dresner
Lalo Schifrin
Conrad Hall
Sam O'Steen
Carter DeHaven Jr., Gordon Carroll
Department Leadership Roster
Lalo Schifrin
Original Music Composer
Stuart Rosenberg
Director
Frank Pierson
Screenplay
Sam O'Steen
Editor
Howard Shoup
Costume Design
Carter DeHaven Jr.
Producer
Gordon Carroll
Producer
Conrad Hall
Director of Photography
Donn Pearce
Screenplay
Hal Dresner
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Cool Hand Luke.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Cool Hand Luke.
Movie Collection
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
***Retro***
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cool Hand Luke
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Cool Hand Luke about?
When petty criminal Luke Jackson is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play by the rules of either the sadistic warden or the yard's resident heavy, Dragline, who ends up admiring the new guy's unbreakable will. Luke's bravado, even in the face of repeated stints in the prison's dreaded solitary confinement cell, "the box," make him a rebel hero to his fellow convicts and a thorn in the side of the prison officers.
Who directed Cool Hand Luke?
Cool Hand Luke was directed by Stuart Rosenberg.
Who stars in Cool Hand Luke?
The principal cast of Cool Hand Luke includes Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Luke Askew, Morgan Woodward, Harry Dean Stanton.
When was Cool Hand Luke released and how long is it?
Cool Hand Luke was released in 1967 with a total runtime of 2h 7m.
What was the box office and production budget of Cool Hand Luke?
Cool Hand Luke had a reported production budget of $3.2M and grossed $16.2M at the worldwide box office (5.07 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Cool Hand Luke?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Cool Hand Luke was composed by Lalo Schifrin.
Is Cool Hand Luke based on a book or true story?
Cool Hand Luke is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Donn Pearce".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Cool Hand Luke?
Cool Hand Luke holds official age classifications: AU: M (Mature — Recommended for viewers 15 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).