As we mentioned earlier, Paul Newman was truly an honorable man. He was so remarkable even beyond his career, as he gave time to put up his own foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation. He started it in 1982 with a single salad dressing and chose to donate all of the profits to charity. Now, the foundation produces everything from tomato sauces to salad dressings and even frozen pizzas! All the after-tax money from their sales goes straight to the foundation which is then circulated to charities around the world.
He truly had a heart for the less fortunate and that legacy still lives on today. The foundation even recently reached its own milestone of $530 million in donations! The man surely succeeded in his vision of helping thousands of charities and millions of people around the world.
Donn Pearce Didn't Favor Paul Newman
Apparently, Paul Newman wasn't Donn Pearce's actual pick to fit the character of Luke Jackson. Most casting crews would instantly pick the most good-looking actors but ironically, Pearce found that his looks opposed who Cool Hand Luke really was.
According to Pearce, the lead role should have been given to a more rugged and brawny man, instead of someone as charming as Newman. Pearce probably thought Newman's good looks were diverging too far from the actual character and his story. It was even reported that Pearce said Newman “wouldn’t have lasted five minutes on the road.” Pretty harsh!
First Time Feature Film Director
You'd probably be surprised to find out that Stuart Rosenberg, the film's director, actually had ZERO experience prior to working on this film! Rosenberg, though eventually awarded numerous nominations, was completely inexperienced to direct such a huge film, but producers trusted the man anyway.
Rosenberg apparently only had experience filming a number of episodes for various television series, such as “The Twilight Zone” and “The Untouchables.” Luckily, the first-timer didn't make a mess out of the film and actually brought it to the top charts. This success, of course, brought him all that recognition and even blessed him with more opportunities to direct more feature films like “The Pope of Greenwich Village” and “Voyage of the Damned.”
Another Hollywood Starlet
Hollywood superstar, Jo Van Fleet, was the theatre, film, and television actress chosen to play the role of Luke's dying mother. Though she had all the talent, the producers apparently did not have her as their initial choice.
Apparently, Bette Davis rejected the offer because it was too minor of an acting role. Because the Hollywood diva had better things to do, Jo Van Fleet ended up taking on the film. Van Fleet was mostly known for playing roles of much older women with a career that spanned over three decades.
An All-Male Set
Though it might seem a bit sexist, the director had all the good intentions of banning women on the set to truly encapsulate the environment of a prison. He even went as far as not allowing any wives to come during filming. All of this, he believed, would contribute to the film's authenticity.
The director was so stern on this regulation that he even made Joy Harmon, the actress who played "The Girl" in the very notable car wash scene, stay in a different location while she wasn't needed for the production yet. Pretty intense!