Joy Harmon, ‘Cool Hand Luke’ Car Wash Star, Dies at 87
Joy Harmon, known for her car-wash scene in ‘Cool Hand Luke’, has died at 87. Her family announced she died Tuesday at her home in Los Angeles.
Iconic film moment
She became widely recognized for a brief, wordless scene in the 1967 film. In the sequence, she washes a 1941 DeSoto while chain-gang prisoners watch.
The scene featured a tattered housedress, a portable radio and deliberately suggestive actions. George Kennedy’s character imagines her name is Lucille. Director Stuart Rosenberg staged the moment with precise direction.
Career highlights
Harmon began as a child model. She was a finalist in a Miss Connecticut pageant and reached Broadway in the 1958-59 comedy Make a Million.
She worked in television and film throughout the 1960s. Her credits included game-show work and many guest TV roles.
- Assistant on Tell It to Groucho (1961)
- Contestant on the final season of You Bet Your Life (1960)
- Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)
- Roustabout (1964)
- One Way Wahine (1965)
- Village of the Giants (1965)
- The Loved One (1965)
- Young Dillinger (1965)
- Angel in My Pocket (1969)
She also appeared on popular TV shows of the era. Credits include The Beverly Hillbillies, My Three Sons, Burke’s Law, Gidget, Batman, Bewitched, Occasional Wife, That Girl, The Monkees and The Odd Couple.
Casting and recollections
Harmon later described her Cool Hand Luke audition in interviews. Her agent advised wearing a bikini, so she did.
She recalled Paul Newman complimenting her blue eyes. The part had no lines, but she accepted to work with Newman. She did not expect the role to become so memorable.
Later life and family
After leaving acting she worked at Disney Studios. In 2003 she opened a bakery in Burbank called Aunt Joy’s Cakes.
She said she received fan mail weekly and often replied with photographs. That detail was shared in a 2017 interview with the author Tom Lisanti.
Harmon married producer and editor Jeff Gourson in 1968. They divorced in 2001. She is survived by three children — Jamie, Julie and Jason — and nine grandchildren.
A GoFundMe page was created to assist with her medical expenses. Her family provided the death notice and arrangements.
Filmogaz.com expresses condolences to her family and fans.
