Where was the film hobson's choice filmed

The title is a pun hobson s choice is no choice at all, precisely the situation henry hobson finds himself in by the end of the. Hobsons choice is a play by harold brighouse, the title taken from the popular expression, hobsons choicemeaning no choice at all from thomas hobson 15451631 who ran a thriving livery stable in cambridge. A classic ealing film starring alec guinness, joan greenwood, cecil parker and michael gough but was it filmed in manchester. It was alexander korda who suggested harold brighouse s 1915 stage comedy hobsons choice to david lean as a possible film project. Jul 24, 2011 though primarily known for his epics, like most top directors, his filmography is varied, and hobson s choice was his foray into comedy and a charming look at romance enhanced by a very talented cast. Hobson s choice is a 1954 british romantic comedy film directed by david lean. Hobson s choice is one of director david leans best comedies, featuring a fine performance by charles laughton as the domineering bootshop owner whose drunken behavior causes his family to rebel. It was alexander korda who suggested harold brighouses 1915 stage comedy hobson s choice to david lean as a possible film project. Hobsons choice uses that reflection of the moon in laughtons big drunk scene when his big round face replaces the moons image to become the big yellow cheese in the lake. Among other things we see during this film adaption of it are temperance marchers and suffragettes, reminders that women were too often looked on as chattel, especially if the man of the house is one henry h. The winner of the british film institute best film award of 1954, hobsons ch oice chalked up another international success for director david lean.

As befits a film that marks this transition, hobsons choice embodies the very best of the intimate lean, while anticipating the startling clarity of vision he would later bring to the north african desert and the russian steppes. His pride is greater than her moral prurience, and brushing her aside, he does a brisk, reckless, and wobbly dash up the single flight of. He hired out horses and gave his customers no choice. Filming of hobsons choice in peel park university of. Jun 30, 2014 hobsons choice may have been in black and white, but it was a david lean production filmed at shepperton with charles laughton in the lead. Hobsonov izbor, na prostoru bivse jugoslavije poznat i pod naslovom hobson u neprilici, je britanski igrani film snimljen 1954. Hobsons ch oice is a 1920 british comedy drama film directed by percy nash and starring joe nightingale, joan ritz and arthur pitt. Hobson s choice is a delightful old play that is set in manchester in the united kingdom during edwardian times. Its working class, northern english roots give the film a bracing texture that never. Hobsons choice, essential revision notes notes english. Aug 19, 2019 hobson s choice is a 1954 british romantic comedy film directed by david lean. Hobson eventually agrees to pay, the money is settled on the girls and they can now get married.

Stockport is also shown at the close of a scene much earlier in the film, which sees. The title is a pun hobson s choice is no choice at all, precisely the situation henry hobson finds himself in by the end of the play. It was on a row of shops between north james henry st. His buffoonery occasionally veers too much towards the slapstick for my liking in this particular story, but david lean clearly cannot get enough of him. I have introduced hobson s choice to my children as well as many friends and they too have added it to their list of favorites. Hobsons choice criterion collection is a fantastic presentation of a toooftenignored gem from the david lean catalogue.

Charles laughton, henry horatio hobson, is the star of this wonderful film directed by david lean and originally released in 1954. Finally, we get the original theatrical trailer for the film. The panning shot from these 6 pictures is looking enen. When the novel was filmed in 1953 the film crew came to salford and used peel park. Usp251727 filming of hobsons choice in peel park, c1954. Hobsons choice is a 1954 british romantic comedy film directed by david lean.

Hobsons choice film clip 50th anniversary restoration. Hobsons ch oice definition is an apparently free choice when there is no real alternative. Filmed in an ethereal crisp black and white by david lean, hobsons choice is a beautiful little gem of a movie. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. The expression is best known in the uk, but became used worldwide following the successful eponymous 1954 film starring charles laughton. The outdoor location scenes were filmed around the salford area with peel park serving as the courting place for maggie hobson and william mossop.

Hobson s choice is one of director david lean s best comedies, featuring a fine performance by charles laughton as the domineering bootshop owner whose drunken behavior causes his family to rebel. A hobson s choice is a free choice in which only one thing is offered. The inspiration behind hobson s choice was great expectations, charles dickens, and this film joins david leans other classic adaptation, oliver, as probably one of the best film of the era. Jul 30, 2017 a video animation of a clip from the movie hobson s choice, the original clip was filmed at the back of the old bexley square town hall and courthouse. The gorgeous blackandwhite hobsons choice is the more sublime of the two, ranking with the best ealing studio features. And the younger generation triumphs as, in comedy, it always must. Find out when and where you can watch hobson s choice on tv with the full listings schedule at. A video animation of a clip from the movie hobsons choice, the original clip was filmed at the back of the old bexley square town hall and courthouse. Hobsons choice 1954 film wikimili, the free encyclopedia. The film won the golden bear at the 4th berlin international film festival in 1954 and british film academy award best british film 1954. Henry hobson charles laughton, a british widower, is the overbearing owner of a shoe shop. Read book parental choice a critical reconsideration of choice and the debate about choice. It is the first film based on the play hobsons ch oice by harold brighouse. I particularly enjoy the scenes of 19th century salford and the way the film is played out between a small group of actors but.

Hobson s choice is one between something or nothing. A stingy widower with a weakness for overindulging in the local moonraker public house, he exploits his three daughters as cheap labour. But then there arent many films like hobsons choice. Maybe not quite at the level of leans masterful oliver twist, but then again, what is. If i understood the pre film titles the restoration was financed by the david lean trust. A hobsons choice, as any slang expert will tell you, is no choice at. Hobsons ch oice is a cheerful little slice of death, warmed over and served with some lively comic sauces by producerdirector david lean and actor charles laughton. A hobsons choice is described by the chambers dictionary as the choice of the thing offered or nothing. I suppose the stereotypical drunk acting was a hoot at the time, but now it just looks embarrassing. A video animation of a clip from the movie hobsons choice, the original clip was filmed at the back of the old bexley square town hall and.

There are few films i enjoy watching more than once and enjoy each time. How clever is it that the author of the play named his character henry hobson and the play refers to that. Hobsons choice is a delightful old play that is set in manchester in the united kingdom during edwardian times. Henry horatio hobson charles laughton is the owner of a very successful shoe shop. Hobsons choice 1953 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. In this 1953 filmization of harold brighouse s 1915 play hobson s choice, hero john mills finds after several reels of. Hobsons choice 1953 the novel hobson s choice is setting in salford and peel park is a key setting. A salford bootmaker is irritated to learn his daughter is to marry one of his cobblers, and his outrage grows when they set up a successful shop which challenges his own for business. When the individuals composing the majority would no longer be reduced to hobson s choice, of either voting for the person brought forward by their local leaders, or not voting at all. Just before david lean set out on the path of the epic blockbuster, he gave us one final small blackandwhite film, hobson s choice 1954, and it serves as a reminder of how great a. The outdoor location scenes were filmed around the salford area with peel park serving as the courting place for maggie hobson and william. It is based on the play of the same name by harold brighouse. The phrase is said to have originated with thomas hobson 15441631, a livery stable owner in cambridge, england, who offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in his stall nearest to the door or taking none at all.

Salford is now a metropolitan borough of greater manchester, but at the time of the film it formed part of lancashire and became a. The rest of the cast are impeccable and charming in their supporting roles. Following the affable and curmudgeonly henry hobson, played with suitable aplomb by charles laughton, this british comedy tackles. Mar 22, 2009 lean s hobson s choice criterion, in a new highdefinition transfer from the restoration by the bfi national archive, is absolutely stunning. Screen adaptation of harold brighouse s classic lancashire comedy. Bbc manchester have your say location, location, location. It was alexander korda who suggested harold brighouse s 1915 stage comedy hobson s choice to david lean as a possible film project. Sep 22, 20 hobson s choice presented by the acting studio new york and chelsea repertory company. Also had scenes filmed in stalybridge and on stamford golf course near mossley. Hobsons choice presented by the acting studio new york and. Hobson s choice is available on vhs warner home video in the uk, dvd as part of the criterion collection, bluray, and laserdisc. As i delve deeper into his filmography, charles laughton has become as exciting in front of the camera as behind it, and hobson is a dynamo of a character. Father rants and raves, but finally agrees to a merger with his daughter that will assure mills a large measure of freedom over managing things. Of course, he gets all the best lines in hobsons choice and its only to be expected that the film slows down when hes not on screen.

John stuart mill, in his book considerations on representative government, refers to hobson s choice. Henry hobson owns and tyrannically runs a successful victorian boot makers shop in salford, england. The film stars charles laughton as the pompous henry horatio hobson, the often inebriated owner of a bootshop in late victorian norther england. Hobsons choice may have been in black and white, but it was a david lean production filmed at shepperton with charles laughton in the lead. It is widely believed that hobsons ch oice derives from the english tudor businessman thomas hobson. Its first english production took place on june 22, 1916, at the apollo theatre, london, with the following cast. Suggested by adrian whittleworth in dubai uae hobsons choice 1954. Hobson s choice is one of my favourite films so i was delighted to find amazon offering a restored version. Winner of the british academy award for best british film in 1954, this is a splendid adaptation of the celebrated harold brighouse play. I have a framed still of the film in my family room as a testament to the esteem in which i hold this film. Soundtrack edit malcolm arnold took the comical main theme for the film from his opera the dancing master. Thanks to wills skill as a bootmaker and maggies business acumen, their shop is very successful and, within a year, they have taken nearly all of hobson s trade. Here, will and maggie are sitting looking at the irwell.

Early in hobsons choice, a drunken middleaged shoestore owner charles laughton staggers home drunk, attempting not to wake his three daughters, but the oldest is waiting for him to usher him to bed. It had been filmed twice before, by percy nash in 1920 and thomas bentley in 1931. If you want to see someone charge up the stairs, watch arsenic and old lace. Like king lear, hobsons choice gives us a battle of the generations. Filmed on location in salford, england, hobson s choice marvelously recreates the late victorian era, and makes a credible stab at the linguistic. Hobsons choice ended up winning the bafta award for best british film. The novel hobson s choice is setting in salford and peel park is a key setting. I can remember standing with my mother watching them film on arlington st about 19523. That with the score trying to underline the hilarity is simply painful to watch.

Hobsons ch oice film clip 50th anniversary restoration. A hobson s choice, as any slang expert will tell you, is no choice at all. I wouldnt quite put it on that pedestal, but it is a wickedly funny and smart picture that boasts somewhat progressive views on the balance of power between women and men. As befits a film that marks this transition, hobsons choice embodies the very best of the intimate lean, while anticipating the startling clarity of vision he would. A hobsons choice refers to a choice thats not really a choice. Hobsons choi ce criterion collection is a fantastic presentation of a toooftenignored gem from the david lean catalogue. Hobsons ch oice 1983 a gruff shoemakers jack warden eldest daughter sharon gless marries his best worker richard thomas and opens a rival shop in 1914 new orleans. Hobsons choice movie tv listings and schedule tv guide. Hobsons choice definition of hobsons choice by merriam. Hobsons choice is a play by harold brighouse, the title coming from the popular expression, hobsons choice meaning no choice at all the play was first produced in america, the first english production being on june 24 1916 in london. This is the full version of chelsea repertory company production of hobson s choice by harold brighouse. He wrote it while serving in the first world war, sending the script to.

Thomas hobson 1631 english liveryman, who required every customer to take the horse nearest the door. Hobsons choice 1953 the novel hobsons choice is setting i. Following the affable and curmudgeonly henry hobson, played with suitable aplomb by charles laughton, this british comedy. In the forties and early fifties, having moved to directing, he made several luminous films, including adaptations of such classic and important contemporary works from the stage and page as harold brighouses hobsons choice, noel cowards blithe spirit and still life brief encounter, in the film version, and charles dickenss great. Hobsons choice 1953 the novel hobsons choice is setting. Filmed on location in salford, england, hobson s choice marvelously recreates the late victorian era, and makes a credible stab at the linguistic flavor of the region. Feb 16, 2009 david lean may not be known primarily for his comedies, but the two he made1945s blithe spirit, based on the noel coward play, and then hobsons choice in 1954were exceptional, combining expertly timed broad humor with his always refined sense of englishness.