- Reportedly dislikes the famous line that Cool Hand Luke (1967) is best remembered for: "What we've got here is failure to communicate." It's a bit of business credited to him but it wasn't in the book. He's convinced it's not something that a "redneck" guard would ever say. Even Bartlett's Familiar Quotations got it wrong and credited the line to Pearce. But in its 16th Edition, Bartlett made a correction and attributed the line to fellow screenwriter Frank Pierson.
- Received $6,500 for "Cool Hand Luke" the book, $65,000 for the film rights, and $15,000 for the first draft of his Oscar-nominated film script. Paul Newman, who Pearce thinks was miscast as Luke, received over $750,000 for acting in the film.
- He spent two years on a chain gang; an experience which helped him write Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Granted a pardon in 1970 by the Florida governor and cabinet.
- Pearce's model for Cool Hand Luke is said to have been Donald Graham Garrison, a convicted safecracker credited with stealing between $4 and $5 million during his criminal career.
- In 1966, the Associated Press quoted Pearce as saying, "There was a real Cool Hand Luke and I knew him. But there is also a lot of me in the character." But in 1983, the Associated Press stated: "Although Pearce never met the lead character, he said Luke 'was a legend among chain gangs and died in Raiford while I was there.'".
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