American Rhetoric: Movie Speech

"Cool Hand Luke" (1967)

Carr Explains the Rules of the House to New Prisoners

Audio mp3 delivered by Clifton James

Carr: Them clothes got laundry numbers on 'em. You remember your number and always wear the ones that has your number. Any man forgets his number spends the night in the box.

These here spoons, you keep with ya. Any man loses his spoon spends a night in the box.

There's no playin' grab-ass or fightin' in the buildin'. You got a grudge against another man, you fight him Saturday afternoon. Any man playin' grab-ass or fightin' in the buildin' spends a night in the box.

First bell is at 5 minutes of 8:00, when you will get in your bunk. Last bell is at 8:00. Any man not in his bunk at 8:00 spends a night in the box.

There's no smokin' in the prone position in bed. To smoke, you must have both legs over the side of your bunk. Any man caught smokin' in the prone position in bed spends a night in the box.

You'll get two sheets every Saturday. You put the clean sheet on the top, the top sheet on the bottom, and the bottom sheet you turn into the laundry boy. Any man turns in the wrong sheet spends a night in the box.

'Tramp' Potter: Which? --

Carr: No one will sit in the bunks with dirty pants on. Any man with dirty pants on sittin' on a bunk spends a night in the box.

Any man don't bring back his empty pop bottle spends a night in the box.

Any man loud-talkin' spends a night in the box.

You got questions? You come to me. I'm Carr, the floor-walker. I'm responsible for order in here. Any man don't keep order spends a night in --

Luke: -- the box.

Carr: [to Luke] I hope you ain't gonna be a hard case.