Dance with Me, Henry

Last updated
Dance with Me, Henry
Dancewithmehenry.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Charles Barton
Written by Devery Freeman
Story by William Kozlenko
László Kardos
(as Leslie Kardos)
Produced byBob Goldstein
Starring Bud Abbott
Lou Costello
Gigi Perreau
Rusty Hamer
Mary Wickes
Cinematography George Robinson
Edited byRobert Golden
Music by Paul Dunlap
Production
company
Robert Goldstein Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • December 14, 1956 (1956-12-14)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$450,000 [1]

Dance with Me, Henry is a 1956 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello and Gigi Perreau. It is the final film that they starred in together, although Costello starred in one more film before his death, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock .

Contents

Plot

Lou Henry is the owner of Kiddyland, an amusement park, and Bud Flick is his friend and partner. Together they share a home with two orphan children, Duffer and Shelly. Welfare worker Miss Mayberry does not think that their home is a suitable environment for the children and attempts to remove them. One of the reasons is that Bud is a gambler and owes $10,000 to Big Frank, who offers to forget the debt if Bud agrees to help launder $200,000 that Big Frank took from a Chicago bank. Bud agrees to meet Big Frank's man, Mushie, at Kiddyland to pick up the money and a plane ticket. Lou, however, informs District Attorney Proctor of the plan and he arrives at Kiddyland during Bud and Mushie's meeting. Mushie sees the DA and hides the money just before he murders Proctor and frames Lou for it. Miss Mayberry uses Lou's arrest as a reason to take the children from his home.

Bud informs Mushie that he knows that he really killed Proctor, and Mushie threatens to kill him. However, Big Frank and Dutch kill Mushie. They kidnap Bud and demand that he tell them where the money is hidden. Meanwhile, Lou is released by the police, who believe that he will lead them to Bud. Dutch then kidnaps Lou and takes him to their hideout, where Bud is also being held. Bud lies and tells Big Frank that he knows where the money is and they all head to Kiddyland, with the police following them every step of the way. Bud then tricks Big Frank into confessing to everything while they are inside the park's recording booth, after which Lou grabs the recording and escapes into the park. Shelly and Duffer have also escaped from Miss Mayberry and are now inside the park playing when they see Lou being chased. They return to the orphanage to get help from the other children, and they all head back to Kiddyland. The children then wreak havoc in the park, foiling the gangsters at every turn. The police capture them, and the reward money that Bud and Lou receive is donated to the orphanage. Miss Mayberry, seeing what a good role model Lou really is, returns custody of the orphans to him. [2]

Cast

Main

Supporting

Uncredited

Production

Dance with Me, Henry was filmed from May 23 through June 22, 1956. It was Abbott and Costello's 36th feature film and their first after being dropped by Universal Pictures in 1955 following the completion of Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy . Independent film producer Bob Goldstein hired the duo for this film, which was released through United Artists. It turned out to be the last film that Abbott and Costello made together as a team, as they ended their partnership in July 1957. [3] The film's title was taken from the 1955 Etta James song "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)", although the film's plot has nothing to do with the song. [2]

During filming, Abbott and Costello's routine Who's on First? was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, where a clip still runs continuously. [4]

A bit part in the film went to the "just released from contract" Mouseketeer Sherry Allen, who was advised by Lou Costello to return to the use (professionally) of her true surname, "Alberoni". She took his advice, and has been known professionally since that time by her birth name.

Release

Dance with Me, Henry received mixed reviews when it was released theatrically in December 1956. A.H. Weiler, reviewing the film for The New York Times , complained: "it is perfectly clear that any attempt to lend dramatic dimension to the simple and egregious fantasy expected of an Abbott and Costello venture can be fraught with the makings of a loud backfire." [5] The New York Herald Tribune was more conciliatory, noting "this time, the team is more sedate" while praising Costello for eschewing slapstick comedy and "developing along the lines of a Chaplinesque character." [2]

In 1956, during Ralph Edwards' This Is Your Life show on NBC which featured a retrospective of Lou Costello's life, the comedy team mentioned the recent release of this film. [6] [7]

Home media

Dance with Me, Henry was released on DVD in June 2005 by MGM Entertainment. [8] It was released a second time on DVD, as well as on Blu-ray, on June 21, 2015.

Related Research Articles

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein</i> 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton. The film features Count Dracula who has become partners with Dr Sandra Mornay, in order to find a brain to reactivate Frankenstein's monster ; the ideal brain they find belonging to Wilbur Grey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bud Abbott</span> American comedian and actor (1897–1974)

William Alexander "Bud" Abbott was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known as the straight man half of the comedy duo Abbott and Costello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Costello</span> American comedian and actor (1906–1959)

Louis Francis Cristillo, better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with Bud Abbott and their routine "Who's on First?".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbott and Costello</span> American comedy duo

Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in the world during the Second World War. Their patter routine "Who's on First?" is considered one of the greatest comedy routines of all time, a version of which appears in their 1945 film The Naughty Nineties.

<i>Africa Screams</i> 1949 film by Charles Barton

Africa Screams is a 1949 American adventure comedy film starring Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Barton that parodies the safari genre. The title is a play on the title of the 1930 documentary Africa Speaks! The supporting cast features Clyde Beatty, Frank Buck, Hillary Brooke, Max Baer, Buddy Baer, Shemp Howard and Joe Besser. The film entered the public domain in 1977.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy</i> 1955 film by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy is a 1955 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the 28th and final Abbott and Costello film produced by Universal-International.

<i>Buck Privates</i> 1941 film by Arthur Lubin

Buck Privates is a 1941 American musical military comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin that turned Bud Abbott and Lou Costello into bona fide movie stars. It was the first service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team made two more service comedies before the United States entered the war. A sequel to this movie, Buck Privates Come Home, was released in 1947. Buck Privates is one of three Abbott and Costello films featuring The Andrews Sisters, who were also under contract to Universal Pictures at the time.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd</i> 1952 film by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, along with Charles Laughton, who reprised his role as the infamous pirate from the 1945 film Captain Kidd. It was the second film in SuperCineColor, a three-color version of the two-color Cinecolor process, and which utilized an Eastmancolor negative as Cinecolor did not offer three-color origination, only two-color origination via bipack.

<i>In the Navy</i> (film) 1941 American film directed by Arthur Lubin

In the Navy is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring the team of Abbott and Costello alongside Dick Powell, Claire Dodd and The Andrews Sisters. Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, it was the second service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team appeared in two other service comedies in 1941, before the United States entered the war: Buck Privates released in January and Keep 'Em Flying released in November.

<i>Abbott and Costello Go to Mars</i> 1953 American science fiction comedy film directed by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars is a 1953 American science fiction comedy film starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and directed by Charles Lamont. It was produced by Howard Christie and made by Universal-International. Despite the film's title, no character in the film actually travels to the planet Mars The film marks the debut of Harry Shearer.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> 1953 American film directed by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1953 American horror comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, co-starring Boris Karloff, and directed by Charles Lamont.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff</i> 1949 horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton

Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff is a 1949 horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello and Boris Karloff.

<i>Pardon My Sarong</i> 1942 film by Erle C. Kenton

Pardon My Sarong is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Abbott and Costello. The cast also featured Virginia Bruce, Robert Paige and Lionel Atwill. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures as part of a long-running series featuring the comic duo.

<i>Who Done It?</i> (1942 film) 1942 film by Erle C. Kenton

Who Done It? is a 1942 American comedy-mystery film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It is noteworthy as their first feature that contains no musical numbers.

<i>It Aint Hay</i> 1943 film by Erle C. Kenton

It Ain't Hay is a 1943 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

<i>Here Come the Co-Eds</i> 1945 film by Jean Yarbrough

Here Come The Co-Eds is a 1945 American comedy film starring the comedy team Abbott and Costello.

<i>The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap</i> 1947 film by Charles Barton

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap is a 1947 American comedy western film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Marjorie Main and Audrey Young. It was released on October 8 and distributed by Universal-International.

<i>The Noose Hangs High</i> 1948 film by Charles Barton

The Noose Hangs High is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is a remake of the Universal Pictures film For Love or Money (1939).

<i>Mexican Hayride</i> 1948 film by Charles Barton

Mexican Hayride is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is based on Cole Porter's Broadway musical Mexican Hayride starring Bobby Clark. No songs from the stage musical were used in the film.

<i>Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion</i> 1950 film by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion is a black and white 1950 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

References

  1. ↑ Furmanek p 236
  2. 1 2 3 Jim Mulholland (1977). The Abbott and Costello Book. Popular Library. pp. 216–219.
  3. ↑ Leonard Maltin (1974). Movie Comedy Teams. New American Library. pp. 289–290.
  4. ↑ Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. New York: Perigee Books. ISBN   0-399-51605-0
  5. ↑ A.H. Weiler (December 24, 1956). "Screen: New Format for Hitchcock; Suspense Is Dropped in 'The Wrong Man' Fonda Plays Title Role of Paramount Film Martin and Lewis Abbott and Costello". The New York Times . Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  6. ↑ This is Your Life Lou Costello, NBC TV, presented by Ralph Edwards, 1956, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWpEOXvnOmA, accessed January 22, 2022
  7. ↑ This is Your Life: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1. Dir. Axel Gruenberg & Richard Gottlieb. Perf. Bob Warren, Lou Costello. DVD R2 Entertainment, 2005.
  8. ↑ David Nusair (June 28, 2005). "Two Abbott and Costello Comedies from MGM". ReelTalk Reviews. Archived from the original on 2009-03-08. Retrieved 2009-04-15.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.