The Lady From Sockholm

Deemed "a little bit of cinema history" by the BBC, this film noir spoof stars a cast of thespian sock puppets and follows the adventures of a sock puppet detective as he unravels a case involving the disappearance of high-end hosiery.

I acted as the writer and producer—working intimately with the set designer, puppet maker, editors and voice talent to achieve the finished product. In addition, I coordinated all business needs including hiring cast and crew, securing vendors, budgeting and accounting.

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Learn how socks go missing in the wash!

Synopsis ("The best Plot Synopsis Ever" Film Threat)

Wool War II rages and times are tough for sock puppets. Terrence M. Cotton, a washed-up gumshoe, finds himself knee-high in debt and praying for a big case. Enter Heelda Brum, a finely spun piece of high-end hosiery who hires Cotton to find Darnell, her missing mate. Cotton takes the missing sock case but the heat gets turned on high when Darnell's unraveled remains are discovered.

At the top of Cotton's suspect list is the cheaply woven criminal Big Toeny Marnetti. When interrogated, Big Toeny states that Heelda and Darnell aren't the designer duds Cotton thinks they are, and he tells Cotton the pair has tightly knit ties to an Asian underground silk ring. The news needles Cotton, so he goes looking for answers at The House of Bootah, a restaurant with its toes in every illegal operation in Chinatown.

At the House of Bootah he questions the leader of the smuggling ring, but instead of getting closer to finding who put the pinking shears to Darnell, Cotton discovers that Heelda's lies may have stained the investigation. When confronted, Heelda won't come clean; but Cotton is undeterred and sticks to the investigation like static cling.

But can a clean sock find justice in a dirty town? As Cotton threads the strands of the case together and gets closer to the truth, he must watch his step or risk meeting the same frayed fate as Darnell.

Characters

Terrence M. Cotton

A down on his luck gumshoe. When wealthy socialite Heelda Brum walks into his office he thinks his prayers are answered. But, can Cotton stay off the bleach long enough to solve the case?

Heelda Brum

High-end hosiery who hires Cotton to find Darnell, her missing mate. The last time she saw him they were soaking up suds at The Golden Drum nightclub. She suspects Big Toeny is involved.

         

Big Toeny

An uncouth tough guy, Big Toeny makes his living through illegal activities like bootlegging and money laundering. He's the prime suspect in Darnell's disappearance.

 

Archie Goodfoot

An eager young sock, Archie idolizes Cotton and wants to be a detective like his boss. He is often more a hindrance than a help.

         

Kicky Lafetiche

Big Toeny's moll and a singer at The Golden Drum nightclub. She has a haughty attitude and a secret agenda.

 

Spats Sinclair

Big Toeny's weasely henchman. His job is to make all obstacles in Big Toeny's way disappear.

         
         

Phoot Fung-Us

Evil figurehead of Chinatown's underground silk ring. Phoot imposes authority through verbal battle and by ordering his tube sock henchmen to do his dirty work.

 

Tootsie

Cotton's secretary is a mother hen and a bit of a talker. One minute she dotes on Cotton and the next she chastises him about the bleach. She is caring for her niece while her sister is away.

         

Sgt. O'lastic

The flatfoot in charge of Darnell Brum's murder investigation. He and Cotton have a long history, and neither trusts the other.

 

Fun Facts

  • The finished film has toured 6 countries and played in 40 film festivals—winning 2 audience and 2 jury awards.
  • Shot on 16mm film with a digital finish.
  • Over 100 pairs of socks were used to make the puppets.
  • The sets were built using mostly paper, paint and hot glue.
  • The film was shot in 12 days, all on one sound stage.
  • The puppet voices were achieved with full ADR replacement, requiring 80 additional hours in the sound booth.
  • The movie, The Lady from Sockholm, is available on Amazon.com for purchase and rental.

More fun facts, and full information about the film, can be found at www.sockholm.com.

Now on DVD!

You know all those socks you lose in the wash?

Buy or rent a copy of The Lady from Sockholm from Amazon.com and find out what happens to them when they go missing.