Hobson's Choice Page #6
- NOT RATED
- Year:
- 1954
- 108 min
- 688 Views
and stay there until you're called.
I'll manage the rest.
Oh, get busy
with the washing-up, Will.
- Yes, Maggie.
And you and Freddy
can just lend him a hand.
- Eh?
- Maggie, they're guests!
I know,
and washing up'll maybe
make him think it's not allowed.
- It's Father.
No, not you, Will.
Come and sit down.
And remember,
you're the master here.
Well, Maggie.
Well, Father.
I'll come in.
Well, I don't know about that.
- I shall have to ask the master first.
- The master?
Will? It's me father.
Is he to come in?
Aye. Let him come in.
I'm right glad to see you,
Mr Hobson.
It makes the wedding day complete like,
That'll do, Willie,
you don't need to overdo it.
Give me your hat, Father.
You can sit down.
You're a bit late for the wedding do,
but we're very glad to see you.
- Piece of, er... pork pie, Mr Hobson?
- Pork pie!
Well, you're going to be sociable
now you're here, I hope.
It wasn't sociability
that brought me here, Maggie.
- I'm in trouble.
- Well...
Happen a piece of wedding cake'll
do you good.
- That's sweet.
- That's natural in cake.
I'll allow it's foolishness, but I've a mind
to see my father sitting at my table
eating my wedding cake
on my wedding day.
Now, Maggie, I'm none proud
of the choice you made
but I've shaken your husband's hand,
that's a sign for you.
Here's your cake,
and you can eat it.
I've given you me word,
there's no ill feeling.
Well, now we'll have the deed.
You're a hard woman.
Pass me that tea.
That's easier.
Maggie.
It's a very serious thing
I've come about.
Then I'll leave you alone
with my husband to talk it over.
Maggie.
You can discuss it man to man
- Give me a call when you're finished.
- Maggie!
- Hm?
- It's private.
Private from Will?
Nay, it isn't.
Will's in the family now.
- I'm to tell you this with him there?
- Will and me's one.
- Sit down, Mr Hobson.
- You call him Father now.
- Do I?
- Does he?
He does. Sit down, Will.
Now, then, Father,
if you're ready, we are.
Hm! It's an action
for trespass and damages, I see.
It's a stab in the back!
It's an unfair, un-English way of taking
a mean advantage of a casual accident.
- Did you trespass?
- Maggie, I... I had an accident.
I... I don't deny it. I'd been at Moonraker's.
I'd stayed too long.
I... fell in that cellar,
I slept in that cellar,
and I awoke to this catastrophe.
Lawyers, law costs, publicity,
ruin and bankruptcy.
I've hated lawyers all me life
and they've got me in the end.
I'm in their grip at last
and they'll squeeze me dry for it.
My word, and that's
summat like a squeeze and all.
Aye, I can see it's serious.
I shouldn't wonder if you didn't lose
Wonder?
It's as certain as Christmas.
My good-class customers
from a man who's stood up
in open court
and had to acknowledge he was...
overcome in a public street.
D'you think it'll get
in t'paper, Maggie?
Aye, you'll see your name
in Salford Reporter, Father.
Salford Reporter?
When ruin and disaster
overwhelm a man of my importance
it's reported in t'Manchester Guardian
for the whole country to read.
Eh, by gum! Think of that.
Why, it's very near worthwhile
to be ruined
for t'pleasure of reading about yourself
in t'printed paper.
beside myself, lad.
Aye, you're right.
This'll give a lot of satisfaction
to many as I could name.
Other people's troubles
is mostly what folks read paper for.
And I reckon
it's twice the pleasure to 'em
when it's t'trouble
of a man they know themselves.
To hear you talk,
it sounds like a pleasure to you.
Nay, it's not.
to look on the worse side of things first.
There's St Philip's now.
I don't suppose you'll go on being
vicar's warden after this to-do.
And it brought you a powerful lot
of customers from the church, did that.
I'm getting a lot of comfort
from your husband, Maggie.
Happen it's what you deserve.
Have you, er...
got any more consolation for me, Will?
I only spoke what came into me mind.
Have you spoken it all?
I... I can keep me mouth shut
if you'd rather.
Now, don't strain yourself,
Will Mossop.
When a man's mind is full of thoughts,
they're better out than in.
I'm sorry, but I thought
you came here for advice.
Not from you,
you jumped-up cock-a-hooping...
That'll do, Father!
My husband's trying to help you.
Yes, Maggie.
Now, about this accident of yours.
It's the publicity you're afraid of most.
It's being brought
into a court of law at all.
- Then we must keep it out of court.
- That won't be so easy.
It's a lawyer's job to squeeze a man
and squeeze him
where his squirming's seen most, in court.
Now I'll tell you something, Father.
I expected you tonight.
- You expected me?
- Yes.
I knew about this action this morning
and I knew it'd bring you to me.
So I arranged for the interested parties
to be present.
- Parties?
- Aye.
You can settle it here.
Mr Prosser? Mr Beenstock?
Father, this is Mr Prosser
of Prosser, Pilkington, and Prosser.
Good evening, Mr Hobson.
Are you a lawyer?
Yes, I'm a lawyer.
At your age.
This is Mr Frederick Beenstock,
representing the plaintiffs.
- How d'you do, sir?
- Do?
Sit down, Father, there.
Mr Prosser.
- Mr Beenstock.
- Thanks very much.
There.
Shall we get to business, sir?
Young man,
that he's quite prepared
to settle this matter out of court.
Personally, I don't advise him to,
cos we shall probably
Yes, you blood-sucking,
money-grabbing...
One moment, Mr Hobson.
You can call me what you like...
And I shall, you little...
But I wish to inform you,
for your own interests,
that abuse of a lawyer
is remembered in costs.
Now, my client
has no desire to be vindictive.
He remembers your position,
your reputation for respectability and...
- How much?
- I beg your pardon?
I'm not so fond
of the sound of your voice as you are.
What's the figure?
The sum we propose,
which includes my ordinary costs,
but not any additional costs incurred
by your use of defamatory language to me,
is 1,000.
- What?
- By gum!
Albert Prosser, I can see
you're going to get on in the world,
but you needn't be greedy here.
- 1,000's too much.
- We thought...
- You can think again.
- But...
If there are any more signs
of greediness from you two,
there'll be a counter-action
for personal damages
due to your criminal carelessness
in leaving the cellar flap open.
Maggie, you've saved me!
I'll bring that action.
I'll show them up.
Well, you're not damaged,
and you'd have to go into court to prove it.
I know what my father can afford
and it isn't anything like 1,000.
Not so much of your "can't afford".
You'll make me out a pauper.
You can afford 500
and you're going to pay 500.
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"Hobson's Choice" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/hobson's_choice_10035>.
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