Classic movies have some of the greatest quotes. Some are so iconic that they’ve transcended the movie itself and become part of our cultural lexicon. You hear it, you use it, but you may not even know the story behind it.

Such is the case with today’s quote. Luke Jackson, hero of the movie “Cool Hand Luke” is boundlessly defiant. Against the greatest of odds, he lives life his way, which is usually the wrong way. Beginning with his arrest for vandalizing parking meters, the movie tracks his unbreakable will against his imprisoners, his fellow inmates, the prison Warden and, some might suggest, the Lord himself. And he just doesn’t seem to care.

The Warden, portrayed inimitably by Strother Martin, is continuously perplexed at his own inability to break Luke. When he counsels Luke that he’s just looking out for Luke’s own good, Luke asks the Warden not to be so good to him. This sets the Warden off on a short but violent tirade. He then checks himself and offers a line for the ages. Any time anyone feels as though he or she is not getting his point across is prone to repeat this line, even if they don’t know from whence it came.

Part of what makes this quote so memorable (and quotable) is Strother Martin’s delivery. Emphasizing the “h” of “what” gives him that air of southern aristocracy, the perfect foil to Luke’s defiant rebel.

More to come from this classic movie. Stay tuned……