Lionel Hutz

Lionel Hutz
The Simpsonscharacter
First appearance	"Bart Gets Hit by a Car"(1991)
Last appearance	"Realty Bites"(1997)
Created by	Jay Kogen Mike Scully John Swartzwelder Matt Groening
Designed by	Matt Groening
Voiced by	Phil Hartman
In-universe information
Occupation	Lawyer(Main) Shoe repair expert Real estate broker
Spouse	Selma Bouvier(ex-wife)
Relatives	Patty Bouvier(ex-sister-in-law) Marge Simpson(ex-sister-in-law) Homer Simpson(ex-brother-in-law) Bart Simpson(ex-nephew) Lisa Simpson(ex-niece) Maggie Simpson(ex-niece)
Home	Springfield

Lionel Hutzis a fictional character in the American animated sitcomThe Simpsons.He was voiced byPhil Hartman,and his first appearance was in theseason twoepisode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car".Hutz is a stereotypical shadyambulance chasinglawyer inSpringfield,with questionable competence and ethics. Nevertheless, he is often hired bythe Simpsons.Following Hartman's death on May 28, 1998, Hutz was retired; his final speaking role was five months earlier, in theseason nineepisode "Realty Bites",and has since occasionally cameoed in the background.

Role inThe Simpsons

Personality

Lionel Hutz is anambulance chasingpersonal injury lawyerand, according toLisa Simpson,a "shyster"whom the Simpsons nonetheless hire as their lawyer in multiple episodes (a fact remarked on byMarge Simpsonin a typically self-aware aside), mostly because Hutz is the only legal counsel the Simpsons can afford.His legal practice, shown to be located in ashopping mall,is named "I Can't Believe It's A Law Firm!"and also offers" expert shoe repair. "He often tries to entice potential clients with gifts, including a" smoking monkey "doll, a pen that looks like a cigar, an exotic faux-pearl necklace, a business card that" turns into a sponge when you put it in water, "and even an almost-fullOrange Juliushe had been drinking himself. John G. Browning of theSoutheast Texas Recorddescribes the character of Hutz as a literal ambulance chaser: "Hutz typifies the sleazy lawyer. He exaggerates his academic credentials ('I've attendedHarvard,Yale,MIT,Oxford,theSorbonne,theLouvre') "and is" the very worst in legal marketing ".

Hutz is characterized as both a grossly incompetent lawyer and an unethical individual in general. This is supported in his first appearance in "Bart Gets Hit by a Car",an episode which also demonstrates his greed as he wants half of the Simpsons' settlement money. Hutz is disliked and mistrusted by both Marge and Lisa. In" Bart Gets Hit by a Car ", Marge ultimately testifies against Hutz for hiringDr. Nick,aquack doctorwith a shady reputation, and for making Bart lie about his injuries. Hutz's incompetence and greed are also noted by his rival, the more competentBlue Haired Lawyer.In the episode "Marge in Chains"Hutz describes the following as his" problem "with Judge Snyder:

Well, he's had it in for me ever since I kinda ran over his dog. Well, replace the word "kinda" with the word "repeatedly" and the word "dog" with "son".

Hutz is characterized as a recovering alcoholic. In one episode he offers Marge a celebratory "belt ofScotch"at 9:30 in the morning, remarking that he had not slept in days. In the same episode, he hastily leaves the courtroom after handling a bottle ofbourbonin order to consult hissponsor,David Crosby.He then gives his closing statement, unaware that he is not wearing any pants, and thinks thatClarence Darrowwas "the black guy onThe Mod Squad".Beyond practicing law, he also tries his hand at sellingreal estate,reasoning that it was a natural move as most of his clients ended up losing their homes anyway.Out of desperation for work, he has resorted tobabysitting.Hutz, left in charge of the children for longer than he was hired, nods off in a sitting position; he produces a switchblade upon awakening suddenly. He burns all of his personal documentation in the Simpsons fireplace, claiming that "Lionel Hutz" no longer exists and he is now "Miguel Sanchez".His other alias is "Dr. Nguyen Van Phuoc". Hutz's incompetence and financial desperation sometimes lead him to resort to rooting through dumpsters, claiming it is client-related.Hutz was briefly married toSelma Bouvier,although this storyline is not shown in an episode and instead mentioned in "Much Apu About Nothing.”In “Selma's Choice,”Hutz attempts to get his hands on the Bouvier sisters’ Aunt Gladys' inheritance. When he was caught forging Gladys' signature by Marge and Lisa, Hutz was forced to properly read the will and give Marge's family Gladys' inheritance. Hutz has also been known to use a phone booth as an office.

Hutz does not seem to care aboutconflict of interest;in "A Streetcar Named Marge"he represents clients in a lawsuit against the producers of a local production ofA Streetcar Named Desirefor not giving them any roles in the play, although he had a role himself.

Another display of his incompetence takes place in "The Boy Who Knew Too Much"when, while representing aFrenchwaiter who is accusingMayor Quimby's nephew Freddy of battery, he is surprised when the opposing counsel mentions that Hutz's client is an immigrant (despite the client's French accent). Hutz then demands that his client tell him everything from then on. Browning wrote that his "courtroom skills leave something to be desired"; in the episode "Marge in Chains", he motions for a "bad court thingy", to which the judge replies "You mean a mistrial?", and then refers to himself as the "law-talking guy".

Cases won

Although Hutz loses most of his cases in the episodes in which he appears, he does win several cases for the Simpsons. In "Bart the Murderer",he represented Bart when the latter was suspected of the supposed murder ofSeymour Skinner,and the charges were dropped when Skinner revealed himself to be alive. In "New Kid on the Block",he represents Homer in his case against theSea Captainand the Frying Dutchman restaurant over its "All You Can Eat" offer ( "The most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the filmThe NeverEnding Story").He also wins a case for Bart in "The Day the Violence Died",by proving thatItchywas created by an old man named Chester J. Lampwick—though the deciding factor of the case is mainly proven by Bart's footwork to collect the crucial piece of evidence, rather than Hutz's competence. Hutz initiates the trial with zero credible evidence.In "'Round Springfield",Hutz successfully suesKrusty the Clownafter Bart consumes a jagged metal Krusty-O from a box of cereal, resulting in an inflamed appendix. After winning the case, Hutz gives Bart only $500 of the $100,000 settlement.In "Sideshow Bob Roberts",Hutz wins a case againstSideshow Bob,who was mayor at that time, for electoral fraud, although Bart and Lisa once again found all the supporting evidence.

The only other case technically won by Hutz was in "Treehouse of Horror IV",where he represents Homer againstSatan(who, in a twist, is revealed to resembleNed Flanders). In a purportedly-deleted scene for this episode, as subsequently seen in "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular",Hutz's slogan is" Cases won in 30 minutes or yourpizzais free ". After he thinks he has lost the case, he gives the Simpsons their pizza. However, Marge informs him that they did win. Then, he tells them that the box was empty anyway. In the video gameThe Simpsons: Hit & Run,billboards can be seen around Downtown Springfield promoting Hutz's free pizza offer.

Creation and retirement

Phil Hartmanwas first suggested for the role of Lionel Hutz by Simpsons writerJay Kogen,who liked Hartman's "great, strong voice." WriterMike Scullydescribed Hutz as a "combination of overconfidence and incompetence. He never doubted his ability in the courtroom for some reason, even though he had no idea what was going on."

After Hartman's death in 1998,Hutz was going to be recast withHarry Shearer,but the character was retired along withTroy McClure,Hartman's other recurring character.The last episode to feature Hutz speaking was theseason 9 episode"Realty Bites".

Reception

Entertainment Weeklynamed Hutz as one of their 15 favorite fictional television and film lawyers.His characterization as an ambulance chaser who is only concerned with money has been viewed as part of a trend away from more noble depictions of lawyers in literature, such asAtticus Finch,and towards more critical depictions of lawyers and the United States legal system.Hutz has also been examined as an example of a fictional depiction of a member of theprofessional service marketin popular culture.

External links

• Lionel HutzonIMDb