Editing Cool Hand Luke (section)

===Casting===
[[Paul Newman]]'s character, Luke, is a decorated war veteran who is sentenced to serve two years in a Florida rural prison. He constantly defies the prison authorities, becoming a leader among the prisoners, as well as escaping multiple times.{{sfn|Dimare, Phillip|p={{google books|0qUJ-JuSPdQC|page=106}} -  {{google books|0qUJ-JuSPdQC|page=107}}|2011}} While the script was being developed, the leading role was initially considered for [[Jack Lemmon]] or [[Telly Savalas]]. Newman asked to play the leading role after hearing about the project. To develop his character, he traveled to [[West Virginia]], where he recorded local accents and surveyed people's behavior.{{sfn|Levy, Shawn|2009|p=204}} [[George Kennedy]] turned in an Academy Award-winning performance as Dragline, who fights Luke and comes to respect him.{{sfn|Debolt|Baugess|2011|p=152}} During the nomination process, worried about the box-office success of ''[[Camelot (film)|Camelot]]'' and ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]'', Kennedy spent $5,000 on trade advertising to promote himself. He later said that thanks to the award, his salary was "multiplied by ten the minute [he] won", adding, "the happiest part was that I didn't have to play only villains anymore".{{sfn|Brown, Peter|1981|p=190}}

[[Strother Martin]], known for his appearances in westerns,{{sfn|McKay, James|p=178|2010}} was cast as the Captain, a prison warden depicted as a cruel and insensitive leader, severely punishing Luke for his escapes.{{sfn|Langman|Ebner|2001|p=177}} The role of Luke's dying mother, Arletta, who visits him in prison, was passed to [[Jo Van Fleet]] after it was rejected by [[Bette Davis]].{{sfn|Reed, John Shelton|p=196|2003}} [[Morgan Woodward]] was cast as Boss Godfrey, a laconic, cruel and remorseless prison officer Woodward described as a "walking [[Mephistopheles]]".{{sfn|Burr, Sherri|2007|p=19}} He was dubbed "the man with no eyes" by the inmates for his mirrored sunglasses.{{sfn|Ebert, Roger|p=102|2010}} The blonde [[Joy Harmon]] was cast for the scene where she teases the prisoners by washing her car after her manager, Leon Lance, contacted the producers. She auditioned in front of Rosenberg and Newman wearing a bikini, without speaking.{{sfn|Lisanti, Tom|p=114|2000}}