Throughout his long career in Hollywood, Paul Newman appeared in some of his generation’s greatest films. He’s best known for “The Color of Money,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” and “Cool Hand Luke.” The latter earned Newman an Academy Award nomination for best actor, and he delivers a practically flawless performance. The title comes from Luke (Newman) saying, “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand,” so the dialogue goes a long way.
Another famous quote, “I can eat 50 eggs,” has been parodied to death, but the most famous bit of dialogue is spoken by Captain (Strother Martin), who monologues about Luke’s defiance while working on a chain gang. The line begins, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate,” which succinctly sums up the situation at hand. That line holds a rare honor, as it’s in the 11th place on the American Film Institute’s list of “100 Years … 100 Movie Quotes.”
Consider how many movies have been made and all the ones with memorable quotes. There are thousands of them, so earning a spot on AFI’s list of only 100 movies is a distinction shared with only 99 films. The line is in great company, including “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” from “Gone with the Wind” and “Here’s looking at you, kid” from “Casablanca” in the first and fifth-place spots. On top of its inclusion, the famous “Cool Hand Luke” quote has found a home in other realms of popular culture over the years.
The pop culture legacy of Cool Hand Luke’s memorable quote
“Cool Hand Luke” is among the best movies ever made, and its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is evidence of that. The dialogue makes the movie memorable, and the quote stands out above the rest. In its entirety, Captain says, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men, you just can’t reach. So you get what we had here last week — which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don’t like it anymore than you men.”
Even if you’ve never seen the movie, there’s a good chance you’ve heard that line, thanks to a 1991 song by Guns N’ Roses. “Civil War” begins with the entire quote taken straight from the film, perfectly encapsulating the theme. The song is about conflict and an inability to communicate, making Captain’s words a perfect opening. That’s hardly the only place in media the quote has been employed, as it’s been used in “Waterworld,” “Major Payne,” “Ernest Saves Christmas,” 2007’s “Halloween,” and “Californication.”
Guns N’ Roses even returned to the film for its 2008 song “Madagascar,” featuring “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate” in the song’s bridge, among other historic quotes. Sadly, few actors from “Cool Hand Luke” are still alive to see the legacy of the film and its impact on the world. Still progressing into the 21st century, nearly 60 years after the line was first uttered, “Cool Hand Luke” quotes and themes continue to have an impact.