I first saw Cool Hand Luke as a university student.  It was the perfect time for me to watch this 1967 classic.  With its anti-establishment theme and emphasis on the importance of standing for something—even if you’re still figuring out what that something is—Cool Hand Luke made quite an impression on my collegiate mind.  One of the film’s elements that impressed me most was the beautiful Joy Harmon.

Joy Harmon is “Lucille” in the classic Cool Hand Luke car wash scene.  With her perfect figure, blonde mane, and beautiful blue eyes, Joy infused the film with a feminine sensuality that drives Paul Newman and the other inmates crazy.  In just over 3 minutes of screen time, Joy left her mark on the film, the 1960s, and pop culture at large: the car wash scene in Cool Hand Luke consistently ranks among the most iconic in cinema.

I remember googling Joy’s name after watching Cool Hand Luke that first time.  I wanted to see where her life and career had taken her.  The more I learned about Joy over the years, the more impressed I was with this remarkable woman who found her greatest happiness beyond the fame and fortune of Hollywood.

Joy Harmon’s Hollywood Career

Joy Harmon got her start on Broadway in 1958’s Make a Million.  Groucho Marx, enchanted by Joy’s performance in the play, invited her to appear on his popular television show, You Bet Your Life, before hiring her to be his permanent straight man on his next show, Tell it to Groucho.  Joy continued her promising path in television with roles in countless classic shows, such as The Beverly Hillbillies, My Three Sons, Gidget, Never Too Young, Batman, Bewitched, and The Monkees. 

Joy also shined in featured and lead roles in several films, including Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), Young Dillinger (1965), Village of the Giants (1965), and One Way Wahine (1965), before landing the star-making role of Lucille, the car wash girl, in Cool Hand Luke. 

Audiences and critics alike raved about the beautiful blonde who even Paul Newman admitted had exceptionally blue eyes.  (“Gosh, you have the bluest eyes,” Newman told Joy at her audition for the role.)

Despite her success and growing fame, Joy left her acting career behind in 1973 to focus on raising her family.  Though she continued dabbling in voice work, Joy’s first priority was always her children. 

Aunt Joy’s Cakes

It was with the help and encouragement of her children that Joy began a second career.  She’d always loved baking, bringing her delicious baked goods to film sets during her acting days, but now Joy turned her passion into a career.  What started as a home baking business eventually became Aunt Joy’s Cakes, a state of the art bakery located in Burbank, CA.  Since 1993, Aunt Joy’s Cakes has served individuals, cafes, and Hollywood studios.  Think of your favorite tv show, and chances are that Joy Harmon has supplied the cast and crew with her delicious cakes, cookies, and cupcakes.  

Joy’s path from stardom to motherhood and entrepreneur is inspiring.  It’s a strong woman who can taste the fame and adulation of Hollywood without compromising her standards; without losing her inherent kindness.  It takes an even stronger woman to turn her back on that fame and adulation to put her family first and still find time to start her own business. 

Meeting Joy Harmon

I’d dreamed of meeting Joy for years.  And this summer, I did.  At her beautiful bakery, I finally had the chance to tell Joy what an inspiration her life journey has been to me.  

For Joy Harmon, baking is more than a career: baking is Joy’s way of bringing happiness and love into the world.  (As a patron of Joy’s heavenly cakes and cookies, I can attest that she far exceeds this goal every day.)  As Joy told me in our interview: 

“I pray everyday that whatever we send out, it will be a blessing and we want to do our very best to help others and make them happy with all the desserts that we send out.”

Joy Harmon: Cool Hand Luke’s Natural Born World-Shaker

This season of giving thanks, I’m grateful for the positive example Joy Harmon has been in my life, and for the unique opportunity I had to tell her so, face to face.  I am thrilled for the chance to share Joy’s story with Vanguard of Hollywood listeners.

Listen to episode 84 of Vanguard of Hollywood for my interview with Joy Harmon, and be inspired by the faith, strength, and sweetness that, to quote the celebrated line from Cool Hand Luke, make Joy Harmon “a natural born world-shaker.”

Aunt Joy’s Cakes and Joy Harmon’s Children’s Book

For more about Joy Harmon or to place an order for her beautiful and mouthwatering cakes, cookies, or cupcakes, visit auntjoyscakes.com.

And be sure to get your own copy of Joy’s beautiful children’s book, Fluffy, A Puppy Again. You can find Fluffy, A Puppy Again, on Amazon.

Must-Watch Joy Harmon

Joy behind the scenes of her first Broadway play, Make a Million.

Joy Harmon on You Bet Your Life with Groucho Marx.

Joy is perfection in the lead role of 1965’s One Way Wahine.

Don’t miss the beautiful documentary about Joy’s life, From Cheesecake to Cheesecake: The Joy Harmon Story (2013).