Movie-A-Day #206: The Hudsucker Proxy

[Chaplin]

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The Hudsucker Proxy

Cast
Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman, Charles Durning, John Mahoney, Jim True, Bruce Campbell, Joe Grifasi, John Seitz, Steve Buscemi, Peter Gallagher, Roy Brocksmith, David Byrd, John Cameron, Bill Cobbs, Lou Criscuolo, Jerome Dempsey, William Duff-Griffin, Nelson George, John Lyons, Jon Polito, Sam Raimi, Richard Schiff, Anna Nicole Smith

Synopsis
Mailroom clerk Norville Barnes is a rube, a schmoe, a grade-A ding-dong-just what Hudsucker Industries wants in a president! With him at the top, the stock will hit bottom...and the fat cats on the board can take over. But Norville (Tim Robbins) has his own spiffy little plan. And if a snoopy reporter (Jennifer Jason Leigh) doen't put the kibosh on the Hudsucker flimflam and finagling big cheese Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman) doesn't squash him, Norville's idea will put a smile on the HIPS of all America!

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Personally, this is my favorite Coen Brothers movie, and I also think it's one of their most underappreciated.

It is a true "period piece", with pretty incredible production design (mostly models, but very much set in an old 20s-era Chicago).

The acting is stellar all the way through, even Jennifer Jason Leigh's over exuberant reporter--it seems like she channels Rosalind Russell from His Girl Friday. A lot of cameos too--Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Anna Nicole-Smith...

"You know... for kids!"

 

[Chaplin]

TRIVIA:

* In Raising Arizona (1987) (also directed by Joel Coen), factory workers could be seen wearing a uniform bearing the name "Hudsucker Industries". The Chief also says "Yeah, and if a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump it's ass a-hoppin", just as Nathan Arizona Sr did.

* The song Waring Hudsucker sings as an angel is the same song Gale and Evelle sing after they've kidnapped Nathan Jr. in Raising Arizona (1987).

* In Barton Fink (1991) (also co-written by Coen) there was also a character called "Karl Mundt".

* Norville describes Smitty (Bruce Campbell) as a "smooth-talking heel," which is actually a description of the character that Campbell played in Crimewave (1985/I). Also, several scenes in Crimewave are set in "Hudsucker Penitentiary".

* "Hudsucker Proxy" was one of the incantations in the Book of the Dead in an early draft of Evil Dead II (1987).

* The published script is introduced with a fake interview with "producer" Joel Silver (who is uncredited in the film). In this interview Silver claims that the Coens were difficult to work with and among other things wanted Ethan to play Tim Robbins's part and Jeanne Moreau to play Jennifer Jason Leigh's (despite of the age difference of 30+ years).

* A sign on the wall in the Manhattan Argus pressroom reading "It must be fit to print. It must be accurate. Is it interesting?" is a close adaptation of one painted onto the wall of the pressroom in The Finger Points (1931).

* Both products made by Norville Barnes (the Hula-Hoop, and the Frisbee) are products of the Wham-o company.

* The mail room orientation takes exactly one minute.

* Jennifer Jason Leigh was instructed to play Amy Archer in the same fast-talking, no-nonsense way as Rosalind Russell did in His Girl Friday (1940). (LOL!)

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Crazy weird movie, don't remember a whole lot about it...but I think I liked it

Mike

 

[Dback Jon]

Haven't seen it, but looks interesting.

Chaplin - where do you get your great trivia at?

 

[Chaplin]

It's a link on IMDB.

I could have just said that I knew it from memory, but that would be lying... LOL

 

[Dback Jon]

It's a link on IMDB.

I could have just said that I knew it from memory, but that would be lying... LOL

Thanks - you could have, and I doubt many would have thought otherwise

 

[Mulli]

Paul Newman is excellent. Tim Robbins is solid. Jennifer Jason Leigh is weak, not up to the part.

I am not sure I like this as much as many do. A bit overdirected or heaved handed, my typical beef with the Coens.

 

[Cheesebeef]

the initial hula hoop rolling through the city leading into the craze sequence is awesome.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

...A lot of cameos too--Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi...

TRIVIA:

* Norville describes Smitty (Bruce Campbell) as a "smooth-talking heel," which is actually a description of the character that Campbell played in Crimewave (1985/I). Also, several scenes in Crimewave are set in "Hudsucker Penitentiary".

* "Hudsucker Proxy" was one of the incantations in the Book of the Dead in an early draft of Evil Dead II (1987).

Makes me wonder if there is a Coen Brothers-Sam Raimi connection.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Makes me wonder if there is a Coen Brothers-Sam Raimi connection.

Joel worked as an assistant editor on good friend Sam Raimi's 1983 film The Evil Dead. an they wrote Crimewave, a 1985 film that was directed by Raimi.

oh yeah... this is probably the biggest evidence of a connection. Raimi CO-WROTE Hudsucker... JACKASS!

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Joel worked as an assistant editor on good friend Sam Raimi's 1983 film The Evil Dead. an they wrote Crimewave, a 1985 film that was directed by Raimi.

oh yeah... this is probably the biggest evidence of a connection. Raimi CO-WROTE Hudsucker... JACKASS!

A writing credit...who pays attention to that? That's like wanting to know the name of the mechanic that tightened the lug-nuts on your wheels...Jackass!

 

[Mulli]

Finally finished. A bit long in parts but pure comic genius in other parts.

Overall, great show.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Finally finished. A bit long in parts but pure comic genius in other parts.

Overall, great show.

I tried watching, but I couldn't understand what they were saying so I turned it off.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Finally finished. A bit long in parts but pure comic genius in other parts.

Overall, great show.

Pretty accurate description. In the wrong mood, it's a snooze fest but in the right mood it's a very clever movie.

Steve