Rent Hobson's Choice (1954)

Excellent play, excellent film, excellent British acting, excellent British humour - Hobson's Choice review by RP

Based on a play by Harold Brighouse, this is not only an excellent stage play (I saw a revival at Birmingham Rep some years ago) but also an excellent film, combining a moral message with British humour.

Widower Henry Hobson is a successful bootmaker in 1880s Salford. He has three daughters but is a little stingy with his money (other than in spending rather too much on drink in the 'Moonrakers Arms') and forbids them to get married to avoid paying marriage settlements. He regards his oldest daughter Maggie, an astute businesswoman in her own right, as being on the shelf at age 30. But Maggie has her own plans and sets her sights on Will Mossop, Hobson's talented bootmaker, bosses him, educates him, weds him, and sets up in business with him. In a year they have become more successful than Hobson, and return to take over his shop.

Acted with much humour by a broad range of British talent, I enjoyed this very much. Apart from the well known leading men Charles Laughton and John Mills, in these older films I like looking out for small parts played by others who later became famous. There is a young Prunella Scales, later best known as Basil's dragon of a wife in 'Fawlty Towers' and also John Laurie, later best known as Private Frazer in 'Dad's Army'.

Great stuff - 5/5 stars.

One Of The Greatest of British Comedies - Hobson's Choice review by GI

Henry Hobson owns a respected Bootmakers shop in Salford in the 1880s and uses his three daughters to run the shop and look after him. He tries to constantly assert his authority over them and finds his only solace is in the local pub. When his trusted oldest daughter Maggie announces she's leaving to set up on her own with Henry's highly skilled boot hand, Will Mossop, Henry is less than pleased. This is one of the greatest of British comedies, it's a real classic and absolutely hilarious. David Lean directs this lovely comedy of manners and really recreates a very realistic nineteenth century northern England at the heart of the Industrial Revolution. Better known for his big epics it's great to see one of his more intimate films that are often forgotten. Charles Laughton is the centre of the film as the patriarch Henry who is losing control of his world and his performance as a drunk has never been bettered. When you add in the great John Mills and a host of British character actors you have a little gem of a film and one that deserves a modern audience.

Lean, but Played for Laughs - Hobson's Choice review by griggs

It’s easy to forget that David Lean, master of sweeping epics, could also turn his hand to comedy. Hobson’s Choice proves it, a slyly funny and surprisingly warm tale of stubborn fathers, ambitious daughters, and unexpected romance.

Charles Laughton gives a performance for the ages, a masterclass in physical comedy. From his staggering gait to his blustering outbursts, he makes Hobson both grotesque and oddly sympathetic. Against him, John Mills quietly steals the show: starting as a timid bootmaker, he blossoms into someone capable of standing his ground, his growth as satisfying as any epic character arc Lean ever staged.

What makes the film linger isn’t just its humour, but the way it balances satire with tenderness. For all the bluster and belly laughs, there’s real affection here, both for its characters and for the working-class world it portrays. An unsung triumph, and Lean in a playful mood.