{"id":22034,"date":"2012-01-13T15:44:19","date_gmt":"2012-01-13T22:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=22034"},"modified":"2022-09-05T10:57:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T17:57:11","slug":"hobsons-choice-1954","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=22034","title":{"rendered":"Hobson&#8217;s Choice (1954)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;My brain and your hands will make a working partnership!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Poster-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-22040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Poster-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe ambitious eldest daughter (Brenda de Banzie) of a patriarchal shoe store owner (Charles Laughton) woos her father&#8217;s best employee (John Mills) into marrying her and setting up their own shop, much to the consternation of Laughton and her two class-conscious sisters (Daphne Anderson and Prunella Scales).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Laughton Films<\/li>\n<li>Class Relations<\/li>\n<li>Cross-Class Romance<\/li>\n<li>David Lean Films<\/li>\n<li>Father and Child<\/li>\n<li>Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>John Mills Films<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>Strong Females<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nIt&#8217;s actually somewhat astonishing to be reminded that this classic comedy by director David Lean (one of only two in his oeuvre) is based on a stage play, given how utterly un-stagebound it feels. Lean&#8217;s masterful direction opens up the story to show us a pre-Industrial England in which feminism was just beginning to emerge, and women like Brenda de Banzie&#8217;s Maggie were truly unsung mavericks. Indeed, <em>Hobson&#8217;s Choice<\/em> is not only a droll comedic delight, but a notable feminist film, in addition to offering a refreshing skewering of class relations. To that end, Laughton&#8217;s Henry Hobson is a genuine paradigm of his time: he&#8217;s a self-satisfied, condescending patriarch who believes his position in life (as both a father and a business owner) provides him with <em>de facto<\/em> entitlement to boss others around, and to spend his own time lolling about in a local pub. <\/p>\n<p>The storyline centers on Hobson&#8217;s delicious come-uppance &#8212; with the title itself ultimately referring to the fact that Hobson really has <em>no<\/em> choice in mending his ways. Interestingly, while he&#8217;s the clear antagonist of the story, we can&#8217;t help feeling a bit of compassion for him, given how inevitable his downfall is &#8212; and how clueless he is about its coming. Meanwhile, de Banzie&#8217;s Maggie makes for a most unlikely protagonist, but that&#8217;s precisely the point: from the very beginning, she&#8217;s posited (by Laughton) as someone too old and too plain to marry or make anything more of her life than what she has; she spends the rest of the storyline proving him wrong. It helps that de Banzie herself is a somewhat unknown cinematic face: her only other notable (supporting) film roles were as a female baddie in Hitchcock&#8217;s second version of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10409\"><em>The Man Who Knew Too Much<\/em> (1956)<\/a>, and as Laurence Olivier&#8217;s wife in <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=79308\"><em>The Entertainer<\/em> (1960)<\/a>. This makes her emergence as an unexpectedly strong force-to-be-reckoned-with all the more pleasantly surprising. <\/p>\n<p>Peary nominates Laughton as one of the Best Actors of the Year for his work in this film, and it does remain one among many of his impeccable performances; no one was better at embodying grotesque disdain than Laughton. John Mills is equally delightful (if unexpectedly cast) in the pivotal role as Willie Mossop, a gifted yet intellectually challenged shoemaker who slowly comes into his own as a man of means. Every scene he&#8217;s in is delightful, but my favorite is probably the one showcasing the moments before and after his wedding night (with the night itself, naturally, cut out); with help from Lean, Mills masterfully conveys everything we need to know about this critical facet of his shifting relationship with de Banzie. Also worth pointing out is Malcolm Arnold&#8217;s instantly hummable score, which seems as much a part of the film experience as the visuals and storyline. This one is a true delight, and should be seen by all film fanatics at least once. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Brenda de Banzie as Maggie Hobson<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-de-Banzie.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-de-Banzie-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-de-Banzie-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-de-Banzie-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-de-Banzie-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-de-Banzie.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Charles Laughton as Henry Hobson (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Laughton.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Laughton-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Laughton-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Laughton-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Laughton-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Laughton.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Mills as Willie Mossop<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Mills.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Mills-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Mills-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Mills-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Mills-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Mills.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine direction by Lean<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Direction.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Direction-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Direction-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Direction-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Direction-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Direction.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The effective opening sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Opening.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Opening-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-22039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Opening-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Opening-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Opening-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Hobsons-Choice-Opening.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Malcolm Arnold&#8217;s jaunty score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a most enjoyable dramatic comedy. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0047094\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2833hobs.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/hobsons.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/index.php?page=review&#038;id=2164\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/78157\/hobsons-choice#articles-reviews?articleId=194377\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/hobsons-choice\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.chicagoreader.com\/chicago\/hobsons-choice\/Film?oid=1048701\">Chicago Reader Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;My brain and your hands will make a working partnership!&#8221; Synopsis: The ambitious eldest daughter (Brenda de Banzie) of a patriarchal shoe store owner (Charles Laughton) woos her father&#8217;s best employee (John Mills) into marrying her and setting up their own shop, much to the consternation of Laughton and her two class-conscious sisters (Daphne Anderson and Prunella Scales). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Charles Laughton Films Class Relations Cross-Class Romance David Lean Films Father and Child Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=22034\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22034"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86848,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22034\/revisions\/86848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}