Hobson's Choice

1954

1 hr. 47 min.

Comedy

List

92%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Henry Hobson (Charles Laughton), a British widower, is the overbearing owner of a shoe shop. His three daughters -- Alice, Vicky and Maggie (Brenda De Banzie) -- work for him and all are eager to get out from under his thumb. When the headstrong Maggie announces she intends to marry Henry's best employee, Will (John Mills), father and daughter engage in an intense showdown. As Maggie works on launching a competing business, she also helps her sisters free themselves of their domineering father.

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SICKS6SIX S

films don't get much better than this, Lawton is at his best IMO and all the supporting actors feed off him and deliver great supporting roles, a true classic in every sense of the word, today's directors could learn a lot by watching this film,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

Alec B

More evidence that David Lean was not a cold and indifferent observer of the characters in his films. Its a beautifully tender and funny film centered by an incredible performance by Charles Laughton. Also it is worth noting how well Lean captures the feeling of being drunk. Might well be the definitive film for that kind of experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

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Melanie M

An absolute classic British film. One you can watch over and over again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/27/23

Full Review

Jackie L

It's just an absolute joy to watch. Laughton, De Banzie and Mills are just magnificent. Even if you didn't know you'd guess it was directed by David Lean.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

B

As someone who loves David Lean movies and loved Charles Laughton in Witness for the Prosecution I had high hopes for this but the old school accents irritated me, the story didn't particularly grip me and I can't think of a thing in the film that was particularly funny, slightly troubling bearing in mind it was a comedy, and the romantic element of it is almost non existent. Not a dreadful film but perplexed by its reputation, just doesn't have an awful lot going for it, there are odd bits of nice cinematography but it didn't really salvage the film and I couldn't recommend it at all.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/04/23

Full Review

Ian G

There's no exposed skin in this one. No swearing. There's no innuendo. Not a single explosion. Nobody dies. The only morality indicated is - the deeply moral sort. What it has in spades is a very fine comic script, a superlative cast with two giant names from English cinema (Charles Laughton & John Mills) and a small bevvy of character specialists that combine to make this a refreshing film that's impossible to dislike. Its plot line is in no way difficult, and the viewer at no point has to head scratch or backwind the stream to rewatch anything - the speech is superclear, the cinematography is just as a B/W film should be, indeed after a couple of minutes you entirely forget that it's not in colour, such is the qualithy of the writing, the performances and the directing. For me, it's beyond any possible negative comment. I greatly like such well made films from this post-WW2 era. (dated from 1952, the very year of my own first appearance, I have something very real in common with this marvellous movie - does that make me a marvellous person? - I'm too modest to claim such, of course... :) It's set in an industrial town in Lancashire - Salford. About 1900 or so. Hobson has a successfull bootmaker's shop and if Hobson himself ever made boots it's probably been a long while back. His bootmaking staff are two worthies who must create footwear in a poorly lit dank cellar under the shop. And the story is how Hobson gets his much needed come-uppance and how too, just desserts of a more welcome sort are meted out to his most prized bootmaker who is an illiterate innocent with, we're told, the best bootmaking skills in all of Lancashire. The other half of the core cast is the trio of daughters who were produced in life by Hobson's long deceased wife, and who among them run both the shop and the household. But the winds of change are tugging at the security of Hobson's situation, because the two younger lasses are of an age to be looking to get themselves husbands as soon as can be managed - each has a suitable swain with a bright professional future - they only need Hobson to stump up their "settlements" - IE - a modern word for a dowry, to help the young folk set up house. But Hobson only sees money as something to fund his overfondness for the demon drink where he sups daily with a table of his boozy associates, none of whom really like Hobson but as he has money they suck up to him. Which suits him just fine. All that would remain the status quo - but for the oldest daughter, Maggie. She's told she's "past marrying age" as Hobson mockingly tells her in front of her two sisters. But Hobson has no idea what he's dealing with here - in reality Maggie's been effiiciently running the shop unpaid for twenty years and now has decided she's done enough and wants the same as her sisters - and knows exactly how to get it. She has singled out a husband for herself, and his identity proves to be quite a shock to all concerned. Including the chosen man. She's a campaign-planning-mistress, is Maggie - and the backbone of the film's plot is the route taken to what's needed to produce a happy ending. Because films of this sort are never about miserable endings, they show how marvels can be achieved by dint of honesty, constancy and sheer willpower when allied with hard work and a willingness to trust others and put in all the work needful for the aim to be achieved. It's the "how" in this case that makes this film a runaway success. It's one of those marvels that had me wondering how I could have reached the age I have without running across it - I found it quite by chance when flicking through some You Tube titles. Try to find this one - it really is a little beauty. Unless, of course you're looking for explosions, car chases and hard to follow plot lines that are full of unanswered gaps, if so you'd best carry on looking. But even so, I'd still advise you to watch Hobson's Choice, it might just extend your viewing preferences a little.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/14/22

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David Lean

Director

Charles Laughton

Henry Horatio Hobson

John Mills

Willie Mossop

Brenda De Banzie

Maggie Hobson

Daphne Anderson

Alice Hobson

Prunella Scales

Vicky Hobson

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Joe Clay

Times (UK)

David Lean’s impeccable adaptation of Harold Brighouse’s comedic play features terrific turns from Charles Laughton, John Mills and Brenda de Banzie.

Oct 18, 2022

Full Review

TIME Magazine

Hobson's Choice is a cheerful little slice of death, warmed over and served with some lively comic sauces by Producer-Director David Lean and Actor Charles Laughton.

May 1, 2013

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Although Laughton richly overplays every major scene, his performance remains one of the film's highlights.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

It’s adorable.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 28, 2022

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Howard McClay

Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles)

An exhilarating film frolic.

Mar 30, 2022

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

...shrewd and jolly British comedy.

Dec 16, 2019

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Synopsis

Henry Hobson (Charles Laughton), a British widower, is the overbearing owner of a shoe shop. His three daughters -- Alice, Vicky and Maggie (Brenda De Banzie) -- work for him and all are eager to get out from under his thumb. When the headstrong Maggie announces she intends to marry Henry's best employee, Will (John Mills), father and daughter engage in an intense showdown. As Maggie works on launching a competing business, she also helps her sisters free themselves of their domineering father.

Director: David Lean
Screenwriter: David Lean, Norman Spencer, Wynyard Browne
Production Co: London Film Production, British Lion Film Corporation
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2020

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