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Licensor Information
CEC
Directed by: David Lean
Featuring: Charles Laughton, John Mills, Brenda De Banzie, Daphne Anderson, Prunella Scales, Richard Wattis, Derek Blomfield
An unsung comic triumph from David Lean, Hobson’s Choice stars the legendary Charles Laughton as the harrumphing Henry Hobson, the owner of a boot shop in late Victorian northern England. With his haughty, independent daughter Maggie (Brenda De Banzie) decides to forge her own path, romantically and professionally, with none other than Henry’s prized bootsmith Will (a splendid John Mills), father and daughter find themselves head-to-head in a fiery match of wills. Equally charming and caustic, Hobson’s Choice, adapted from Harold Brighouse’s famous play, is filled to the brim with great performances and elegant, inventive camera work.
Streaming Options
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
DVD
Disc:
DVD-9 (1 Disc)
Total: 1 Disc
Regions:
1 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33:1
Audio Options:
English Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Audio Commentary, Documentary, Theatrical Trailer, Booklet
- Audio commentary featuring film scholars Alain Silver and James Ursini, co-authors of David Lean and His Films
- The Hollywood Greats: Charles Laughton, a 1978 BBC documentary about the actor’s life and career, featuring interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues
- Theatrical trailer
- A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Armond White
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Audio
Supplements
Artwork
Release Credits
Producer: Karen Stetler
Artwork: F. Ron Miller
Release Notes on Restoration
Hobson's Choice
Hobson’s Choice is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. On widescreen televisions, black bars will appear on the left and right of the image to maintain the proper screen format. The picture has been slightly window-boxed to ensure that the maximum image is visible on all monitors. This new high-definition digital transfer was scanned at 2K on a 4K Spirit Datacine from a new 35mm fine-grain master positive made from the original camera negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System.
Presented in its original monaural format, the soundtrack was sourced from a 1953 combined fine-grain master positive. After restoration at the archive, the 24-bit files were laid back to tape. Pops, crackle, hiss, and hum were reduced with an array of audio restoration techniques.
Presented in its original monaural format, the soundtrack was sourced from a 1953 combined fine-grain master positive. After restoration at the archive, the 24-bit files were laid back to tape. Pops, crackle, hiss, and hum were reduced with an array of audio restoration techniques.