Hobson's Choice (1954)
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- Not Rated
- 1h 48min
- Comedy, Drama
- 19 Feb 1954 (Canada)
- Movie
- Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Charles Laughton | ... |
Henry Hobson
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John Mills | ... |
William Mossop
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Brenda de Banzie | ... |
Maggie Hobson
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Daphne Anderson | ... |
Alice Hobson
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Prunella Scales | ... |
Vicky Hobson
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Richard Wattis | ... |
Albert Prosser
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Derek Blomfield | ... |
Freddy Beenstock
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Helen Haye | ... |
Mrs. Hepworth
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Joseph Tomelty | ... |
Jim Heeler
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Julien Mitchell | ... |
Sam Minns
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Gibb McLaughlin | ... |
Tudsbury
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Philip Stainton | ... |
Denton
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Dorothy Gordon | ... |
Ada Figgins
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Madge Brindley | ... |
Mrs. Figgins
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John Laurie | ... |
Dr. McFarlane
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Raymond Huntley | ... |
Nathaniel Beenstock
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Jack Howarth | ... |
Tubby Wadlow
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Herbert C. Walton | ... |
Printer
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Edie Martin | ... |
Old Lady Buying Shoelaces (uncredited)
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Hal Osmond | ... |
Man who serves the Writ on Hobson (uncredited)
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Leonard Sharp | ... |
Tailor who rents shop to William Mossop (uncredited)
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Robert Brooks Turner | ... |
Beanstock Worker Who Finds Hobson in Cellar (uncredited)
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Directed by
David Lean |
Written by
Harold Brighouse | ... | (play) |
David Lean | ... | (screenplay) & |
Norman Spencer | ... | (screenplay) and |
Wynyard Browne | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
David Lean | ... | producer |
Norman Spencer | ... | associate producer |
Music by
Malcolm Arnold |
Cinematography by
Jack Hildyard | ... | (photographed by) |
Editing by
Peter Taylor |
Editorial Department
Teddy Darvas | ... | assembly cutter (uncredited) |
Norman Savage | ... | first assistant editor (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
Wilfred Shingleton |
Costume Design by
John Armstrong |
Makeup Department
Gladys Atkinson | ... | hairdresser |
George Partleton | ... | makeup artist |
Tony Sforzini | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
John Palmer | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adrian Pryce-Jones | ... | assistant director |
John George | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
Joe Marks | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Bert Pearl | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
William Hutchinson | ... | assistant art director (as Bill Hutchinson) |
James Sawyer | ... | draughtsman (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Buster Ambler | ... | sound recordist |
John Cox | ... | sound supervisor |
Red Law | ... | sound recordist |
Jimmy Dooley | ... | sound camera operator (uncredited) |
Barbara Hopkins | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
Bob Jones | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
Peter Meyers | ... | assistant boom operator (uncredited) |
Ken Ritchie | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
Ivor Worsley | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
Bob Cuff | ... | matte painter (uncredited) |
Wally Veevers | ... | special processes (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Newbrook | ... | camera operator |
Alan Hall | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
Ray Hearne | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Dennis C. Lewiston | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
Gerry Turpin | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julia Squire | ... | costume supervisor |
Music Department
Muir Mathieson | ... | music director |
Script and Continuity Department
Maggie Unsworth | ... | continuity (as Margaret Shipway) |
Additional Crew
Pamela Mann | ... | producers' secretary (uncredited) |
Margaret Townsend | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- London Film Productions (present)
- British Lion Film Corporation (produced in association with)
Distributors
- British Lion Film Corporation (1954) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as British Lion Film Corporation Ltd.)
- Deutsche London-Film Verleih (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Filmimport A/S (1954) (Norway) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1954) (United States) (theatrical)
- Wivefilm (1954) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Atlantis Film (1955) (Italy) (theatrical)
- D. E. F. (1955) (France) (theatrical)
- Goldberg Films (1955) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Nederland NV (1955) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Sascha Filmverleih (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Selecciones Fuster (José Fuster Candel) (1959) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Embassy Home Entertainment (1985) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (1989) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- The Criterion Collection (2009) (United States) (DVD)
- Arthaus (2015) (Germany) (DVD)
- Divisa Home Video (2016) (Spain) (DVD)
- Alpha Video Distributors (United States) (DVD)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Nelson Entertainment (United States) (VHS)
- Netflix (2021) (Non-US) (video) (VOD) (several territories in Europe)
- The Criterion Channel (2022) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
- The Criterion Collection (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- Thorn EMI Video Australia (1985) (Australia) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- BFI National Archive (a restoration by)
- Optimum Releasing (a restoration by in association with)
- StudioCanal (a restoration by in association with)
- The David Lean Foundation (a restoration funded by)
- The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (music played by)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
In 1880s Salford, England, widower Henry Hobson, owner and operator of Hobson's Boots, lives with his three adult daughters Maggie, Alice, and Vicky in a flat attached to the shop. Henry is miserly, dipsomaniacal, and tyrannical, not allowing his daughters to date since their sole purpose in life is to serve him and the shop--for no wages. He changes his mind about Alice and Vicky, for whom he will choose husbands although they've also chosen the men they'd marry if they could. However, Henry won't provide them with dowries, which might be a challenge in finding them men he would consider suitable husbands. He considers Maggie far too useful to him as the overly-efficient, organized one, so doesn't intend to let her go--besides, at age 30, she's too old for any man to want anyway. Incensed by her father's attitude, Maggie decides to show him how wrong he is about her being an unmarriageable spinster by proposing to timid Willie Mossop, the shop's poor, uneducated, illiterate boot hand--yet best bootmaker, apparently better than any bootmaker in nearby Manchester--who has known no other professional life than the shop. They enter into a marriage of convenience. Despite the differences in their social classes, Maggie believes she can show her father that she can find a husband while also forcing him to treat Willie better (and by association her) in paying him decent wages, otherwise she will use her wifely influence to convince Willie to take his and her valuable services elsewhere. If their hands are forced, Maggie believes their best weapon is wealthy, particular Mrs. Hepworth, who said that only Willie shall ever make her boots. Maggie has even taken into consideration what effect her actions will have on her sisters' nuptials, vowing to them that all will be all right in that regard. Although she truly has no idea how her father will react, she hasn't considered Willie, who might already have his own life outside the shop. If he does agree, what effect will her plan have on him and his entire being? Written by Huggo |
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Taglines | A Masterpiece of Lusty, Gusty, Rowdy Entertainment See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
Trivia | Although playing a 30-year-old, Brenda de Banzie was 44 at the time of filming. See more » |
Goofs | When Maggie and Will are standing outside the church before their wedding, a cooling tower can be seen to the left of Maggie. It would not have existed in 1800's Salford. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in David Lean: A Life in Film (1985). See more » |
Quotes |
Maggie Hobson:
I've been watching you for a long time and everything I've seen I've liked. I think you'll do for me. See more » |