Trading Places


Richard Hunt appeared in the 1983 John Landis film "Trading Places". His role is a small one, but still funny. He plays Wilson, a stock market trader guy who works for the "bad guys." Now, I don't know a thing about the stock market, so this whole movie is going over my head, and I don't know any technical terms. So anyway, Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy are the good guys and Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche play the Duke brothers, who are the bad guys. Got it? Ok, so we zoom practically to the end of the movie, because that's where Richard is (but we pass by Frank Oz's cameo. Let's all wave to Frank)...


***NOTE!!! This does contain spoilers. If you don't want to know how the movie ends, then don't read. Don't say I didn't warn you!***


"Good morning Mr. Duke."
"Wilson."
"Good morning Mr. Duke."
"Wilson."

And then Dan Aykroyd (Louis) and Eddie Murphy (Billy Ray) talk. And then we go back to the Dukes and Wilson.

"We want you to buy as much o.j. as you can the instant trading starts."
"Don't worry if the price starts going up, just keep buying."
"But gentlemen, they're going to broadcast the crop report in an hour. What if the--"
"Let us worry about that Wilson."
"Yes sir!"

And then Louis and Billy Ray talk some more.

So then we're on the floor of the stock trading place. Wilson looks confidently at the clock. Then other stuff happens. And then Wilson gets out a pen. Then more stuff happens. Then a bell rings and Wilson yells something. And now everybody is yelling. Then Wilson yells and does something with his hands. It probably means "buy". Then others are yelling, and Wilson is still yelling. More yelling and more arm movements from Wilson. Finally Louis makes his move and yells something. Now there's even more yelling from the crowd! Wilson tries to get his way through this crowd. There's more yelling and then the Dukes realize that something is up, and they go try to find Wilson. While everyone is still yelling, Wilson is still trying to make it through that crowd. Eventually, while people are still yelling, Wilson makes it to where Louis and Billy Ray are. Then it gets quite when some guy comes on the tv to make an announcement about the crop report. When he's done talking about the orange crop, there's more yelling. It appears that Wilson is trying to sell. And things just go down hill from there. In between shots of the crowd yelling, Wilson becomes more frustrated, yelling "Sell!" He becomes the human pin ball and is bounced around a bit, and he collapses. After more shots of the yelling crowd, somebody carries Wilson out of the crowd. One of the Dukes says, "Wilson! Where are you going?" Then the other grabs Wilson's face and yells, "You idiot! Get back in there and sell, sell, sell!" Then Wilson is carried off sputtering, never to be heard from again...


After reading this, it just might be better to go rent the movie...


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