Hobson's Choice
A widower refuses to let his three daughters marry in order to avoid paying settlements, so they'll just have to outsmart him.
Critics Sentiment
Willie and Maggie marry while Maggie orchestrates legal settlement
Hobson gets drunk and falls through Beenstock's trapdoor
The film swings from its lowest point during Hobson's comedic drunken mishap to its peak with Maggie's brilliant legal maneuvering at the wedding.
Critics consistently praise this as a delightful comedy of manners that balances sharp wit with gentle warmth. The film builds steadily through Maggie's clever schemes and Willie's transformation, reaching its peak with the wedding sequence's masterful plotting. Reviewers celebrate the strong performances, particularly Laughton's nuanced patriarch and the film's progressive themes wrapped in period charm.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 21
Charles Laughton
Henry Horatio Hobson
John Mills
William Mossop
Brenda De Banzie
Maggie Hobson
Daphne Anderson
Alice Hobson
Prunella Scales
Vicky Hobson
Richard Wattis
Albert Prosser
Derek Blomfield
Freddy Beenstock
Helen Haye
Mrs. Hepworth
Joseph Tomelty
Jim Heeler
Julien Mitchell
Sam Minns
Gibb McLaughlin
Tudsbury
Philip Stainton
Denton
Dorothy Gordon
Ada Figgins
Madge Brindley
Mrs. Figgins
John Laurie
Dr. McFarlane
Raymond Huntley
Nathaniel Beenstock
Jack Howarth
Tubby Wadlow
Herbert C. Walton
Printer
Edie Martin
Old Lady Buying Shoelaces (uncredited)
Leonard Sharp
Tailor who rents shop to William Mossop (uncredited)
Crew
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