SYNOPSIS: Hudsucker Industries is flourishing. Profits are stupendous, and stock is at an all-time high. So when their founder, Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning- Moonstruck, Suspect) leaps to his death from the 44th floor, his board of directors is thrown into panic. Hudsucker has not left a will, and his majority shareholding in the company must therefore soon be offered for sale to the public. But scheming Vice President Sidney J. Mussburger (Paul Newman- The Sting, Nobody's Fool) has a plan. He'll install a complete imbecile as Chairman and devalue the stock to a level where the rest of the board can acquire controlling interests for themselves.

Enter inexperienced college leaver Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins- The Player, The Shawshank Redemption), a modest mail-room worker who suddenly finds himself elevated to Company Chairman. Not surprisingly, such a tale of rags-to-riches soon attracts considerable interest from the press in the form of gorgeous star reporter Amy Archer (Jennifer Jason Leigh- Single White Female, Backdraft).

As stock values plummet, everything appears to be going according to plan- untill Norville actually does the unimaginable and invents a brilliant company-saving idea... something that captures the imagination of an entire nation.

NOTES: The Hudsucker Proxy was a massive gamble for the Coen brothers, but more of a gamble for Joel Silver who bank-rolled the movie to the tune of $40 million. It was their largest budget at the time and made less than £3 million at the US box office. It wasn't until it's release on video that it found an audience.

The alternatives to the name Hula Hoop that the brainstormers come up with include; The Flying Donut, Dancing Dingus, Belly-go-round, The Swingerina, Uncle Midriff, The Hipser, Daddy-O, The Shazzammeter, The Wacky Circumference, The Hoopsucker and The Hudswinger.

Buzz, the lift operator's full name is Clarence Gunderson, which can be seen by viewing this still. Gunderson is, of course, the surname of Marge's husband, Norm, in Fargo but did you know it was also Bunnie Lebowski's real name? As evidenced by DaFino's (Jon Polito's private Dick) line, "The Gundersons. It's a wandering daughter job. Bunny Lebowski, man. Her real name is Fawn Gunderson. Her parents want her back."

The mailroom orientation takes precisely one minute. Which was then probably docked from Noville's pay.

Apparently, in November 1999 there was a stage production of The Hudsucker Proxy put on by the University of Pittsburgh which, judging by the photos, looked pretty darned good. Check it out HERE. Thanks to Camille for the link.