REST IN PEACE

‘Cool Hand Luke’ Actress Dies at 87

Joy Harmon died in Los Angeles after a battle with pneumonia.

The actress who created one of the most memorable scenes in 1960s film has died. Joy Harmon was 87 years old. Harmon appeared briefly in the 1967 prison drama Cool Hand Luke. Her seductive washing of a car in front of an ogling chain gang of convicts became an iconic scene in American cinema. She also appeared in the classic films Village of the Giants and One Way Wahine. After decades in acting, Harmon made a career pivot, opening a bakery in Burbank, California, called Aunt Joy’s Cakes. She was known to happily sign autographs for fans who visited the bakery. Harmon was working there until pneumonia sidelined her several weeks ago. According to her family, she spent time in the hospital and then a physical rehabilitation center before coming back home to spend her final days in hospice care. Harmon’s family, which includes three children and nine grandchildren, describes her as a positive thinker full of life and vibrancy and someone who had no problem spreading joy throughout her life.