Daily Archives: November 14, 2015

Hobson’s Choice
Directed by David Lean
Written by David Lean, Norman Spencer, and Wynyard Brown from a play by Harold Brighouse
1954/UK
London Film Productions/British Lion Film Corporation
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] 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.[/box]

This is an excellent feel-good film with a fine comic performance from Charles Laughton.

The setting is the North of England in the 19th Century.  Henry Hobson (Laughton) must have been good for something at one time because he has a thriving boot shop.  Now, however, the widower spends his time terrorizing his three daughters and drinking at the local pub.  In fact,he is in the end stages of alcoholism (comic edition).

Maggie (Brenda De Banzie) is the eldest of the girls and takes care of the business end of the shop and most of the housekeeping.  She is around 30.  Her younger sisters both have beaus.  However, Hobson resolutely refuses to pay the traditional marriage settlement.

One day, a wealthy customer comes in to ask who made the boots she is wearing, because she likes them so much.  It turns out to be rabbit-like boot hand William Mossop (John Mills).  Thereafter, Maggie makes it her mission to marry him.

The rest of the story chronicles how Maggie outsmarts everyone to solve all romantic, domestic, and financial crises.  In the process, we get to witness William transform from a mouse to a man.

This is really well-done with typical Lean flourishes in the camera work.  The acting is uniformly excellent.  I generally detest comic drunks but this is the exception.  Laughton is genuinely funny while at the same time being believable.  Highly recommended.

This was the last black-and-white film made by Lean.

No trailer or clip so here’s some music

Devil Girl from Mars
Directed by David MacDonald
Written by James Eastwood from a play by Eastwood and John C. Mather
1954/UK
Danziger Film Productions
First viewing/Amazon Prime

[box] Nyah: Today it is you who learns the power of Mars.[/box]

The two best things about this movie are the title and the poster.

Robert Justin alias Albert Simpson (or is it the other way around) staggers into a remote Scottish inn after escaping from prison.  He was there on a murder charge but it wasn’t really his fault, the woman was “bad”.  The girl he should have been with works as a barmaid at the inn.  Meanwhile, a scientist and a reporter are en route to investigate something or other when the reporter feels a deep desire to drink heavily.  They ask to stay the night.  The only other guest is a reclusive fashion model.  The other inhabitants are the couple who own the inn and the wife’s little nephew Tommy.

After awhile, a spaceship lands and the company receives the first of many visits from Nyah.  She really on her way to London but she drops by here first.  Her mission is to bring back suitable specimens to Mars, which is suffering from a shortage of males.

Nyah keeps going back and forth between her space ship and the inn (there are only two sets), making assorted threats.  She takes most of the males, including Tommy, to the ship for visits.  Can this band of oddballs defeat her evil plan?

It is hard to decide what is worse in this movie, the actors or the dialogue.  I’m guessing that it’s a combo of both because veteran actor John Laurie who plays the inn owner does better with the same hackneyed lines.  This is really a melodrama with various romantic subplots with an alien thrown in to add a little spice.  It is very bad.  It held my attention and gave me a few smiles.

The complete film is available on YouTube but the best parts are in the two minute clip below (spoiler).

Clip

I’m guessing I’m not the only one who needs a smile after the worst Friday the 13th on record.  So far I’ve only seen two of these, so I have a lot to look forward to.