Hobson’s Choice

In the 1880s, the daughter (Brenda de Banzie) of a bootmaker decides the time has come to defy her father (Charles Laughton) and find a husband before it’s too late.…

Night of the Hunter: John, Pearl and the Big Bad Wolf

Robert Mitchum. Photo: United Artists Charles Laughton had never directed a movie before. Sure, he was an acclaimed actor and had won an Oscar; he had also directed plays on…

Mutiny on the Bounty: Battling Bligh

Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. Photo: MGM 1935 was a great year in Hollywood, so perhaps there’s no wonder that Mutiny on the Bounty only ended up winning one of…

Spartacus: Looking for Freedom

Kirk Douglas. Photo: Universal This is a story about freedom. Our hero was born without it and died without it. It is easy to see what Dalton Trumbo saw in…