A scene from Cool Hand Luke 1967
Arletta

I always hoped to see you well fixed. Have me a crop of grandkids to fuss around with.

Luke

I'd like to oblige you, Arletta, but uh, right off, I just don't know where to put my hands on it.

Arletta

You know, sometimes, I wished people was like dogs, Luke. Comes a time, a day like, when the bitch just don't recognize the pups no more, so she don't have no hopes nor love to give her pain. She just don't give a damn...

Luke

You've done your best, Arletta. What I've done - myself is the only problem.

Arletta

No, no it ain't Luke. You ain't alone. Everywhere you go, I'm with you. John too.

Luke

You never thought maybe that's a heavy load?

Arletta

Aw, why, we, we always thought you was strong enough to carry it. Was we wrong?

Luke

I don't know. There are things just never the way they seem, Arletta. You know that. A man's gotta go his own way.

Arletta

I guess I just gotta, gotta love you and let go, hmm?

Luke

I guess.

Arletta

Well, I ain't askin' what ya gonna do when you get out because I'll be dead and it don't matter.

Luke

You never did want to live forever. I mean, it wasn't such a hell of a life.

Arletta

Oh, I had me, I had me some high old times. Your old man, Luke. He wasn't much good for stickin' around, but dammit, he made me laugh.

Luke

Yeah, I would have liked to have knowed him, the way you talk about him.

Arletta

[after coughing]

He'd have broke you up. Luke?...What went wrong?

Luke

Nothin', everything's cool as can be. Arletta, I tried. I mean, to live always free and above board like you. And, I don't know. I just can't seem to find no elbow room.

Arletta

Oh now, you always had good jobs. And that girl in Kentucky. Oh, I'd taken a shine to her.

Luke

And she sure took off - with that convertible fella.

Arletta

Well, why not? Idea of marryin' got you all, all bollocksed-up. Tryin' to be respectable. You, you was borin' the hell out of all of us. I'm leavin' the place to John.

Luke

That's good. He earned it.

Arletta

Ain't nothin' to do with it. I just, I just never give John the, the kind of, you know, feelin' that I give you, so I'm, I'm gonna pay him back now. Oh, don't feel you have to say anythin'. The way it is, you see, sometimes you just, just have a feelin' for a child...with John, I just didn't.

In this scene

More from Cool Hand Luke

Cool Hand Luke (1967) poster
Cool Hand Luke 1967 · 40 quotes · 4 characters All Cool Hand Luke quotes →
All Cool Hand Luke quotes →