Dance With Me, Henry

1956 "It's a crazy, mixed-up comedy carnival!"
5.5| 1h19m| en
Details

Bud and Lou are the owners of the amusement park Kiddieland. Bud, a compulsive gambler, gets in trouble with the mob, and Lou finds himself struggling to keep his adopted children. When Bud is forced to make a shady deal, Lou tries to arrange a deal with the DA, but winds up framed for murder.

Director

Producted By

Robert Goldstein Productions

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Reviews

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
classicsoncall Sad, very sad. I was a big time Abbott and Costello fan as a kid growing up in the Fifties, never missing an opportunity to catch one of their films on TV. The 'Monster' films were the best and they had others that entertained, but "Dance With Me, Henry" was a disappointing swan song. I never saw this one before today, so maybe my judgment would be a little different if I had some wistful memory of it from back in the day. Just about everything that made the comedy team click is missing here. There's no snappy dialog, none of the familiar routines, and the pair are completely out of character from their previous pairings. Lou is cast as a good guy, an adoptive Dad who's trying to raise a couple of kids while running an amusement park called Candyland. Bud on the other hand is an alcoholic and a gambler, so right out of the gate there's no basis for the type of comedy that the boys built their careers on. Occasional forays into slapstick get muddled by the story line involving gangsters and the murder of a district attorney, not exactly the kind of light hearted fare that A&C fans would have been used to. The picture is at it's best near the finale when a boat load of youngsters get involved in frustrating the bad guys at Candyland and saving the day for Lou and his young wards. The young boy Duffer I immediately recognized as Rusty Hamer from the Danny Thomas series 'Make Room For Daddy'. Checking the IMDb profile for Gigi Perreau, daughter Shelley in the story, I was surprised to see that she's still active with a film credit as recently as 2011. If you're an Abbott and Costello fan, I wouldn't try to steer you away from the movie because it's not terrible, it's just not very entertaining. Personally, I'll keep my fond memories of the boys from their earlier pictures where they delighted millions of fans all over the world.
Michael_Elliott Dance with Me, Henry! (1956) ** (out of 4) Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's final picture together isn't quite as bad as its reputation but there's no question that both stars didn't appear to have their heart in it. Bud finds himself in trouble due to a gambling debt while Lou is trying to keep two orphans who he has been taking care of. Soon both sides are coming together as the boys must try and figure out a way to save themselves and the children. DANCE WITH ME, HENRY! has all sorts of problems including the boys wanting to try and do something a tad bit more serious. The problem with that here is that the serious side really isn't all that serious but instead it's more sugar-coated sentimental stuff that just comes off as fake and very forced. These scenes aren't really that funny when they try to be and they're not very dramatic when they try to be so they just really come across as flat. Another problem is that the comedy stuff really isn't up the high levels one would expect from the duo. I think Costello comes off the best as he at least gets a couple good one-liners and manages to come across decent but there's no denying that he has very little chemistry with Abbott. It really does seem like both of them weren't wanting to do this movie as their screen time together is mostly flat and just reminds you that much better times are to be found in earlier films. None of the supporting cast really jumps off the screen so this here doesn't help. If you're familiar with what was going on in both of their lives I think it's safe to say that making a movie wasn't a very high priority. Even though the relationship ends on a rather sour note, the two gave us so many great movies so this one here can be forgiven.
jimddddd Watching "Dance With Me Henry," I felt as if I were trapped in some kind of purgatory. There is nothing funny or entertaining about this film. It simply goes on and on, interminably, with no suspense or narrative drive. The characters are cardboard, the dialogue wooden, the pacing leaden. Because of the film's title, I kept expecting the song "Dance With Me, Henry" to be part of the story, but it was only hinted at in the incidental music and sung, very briefly, by a minor character in one throw-away scene. Otherwise, there was no point to the title. I say this because "Dance With Me Henry" by Georgia Gibbs was a #1 hit in 1955. It was a whitewashed cover of a #1 R&B song by Etta James called "Roll With Me, Henry," which in turn was an answer to Hank Ballard's "Work With Me, Annie," the biggest-selling rhythm & blues record of 1954. I have no idea why Abbott & Costello would finish out their career with a movie that took the title of a popular song and then throw that song away. In any event, I would rather sit through 100 spins of Georgia Gibbs' dreary "Dance With Me, Henry" than have to watch this horrible movie again.
John Langbein (medrjel) This is by far one of their least works, but it did provide 2 major things that make it worth watching. No real spoilers except for who the characters are.First, we see Lou Costello as a strong leader. He is a Widower father raising his kids. He owns/operates a carnival. He helps his drunken friend. He still has a genuine good streak and has that child-like love for life. He is a straight man, and he pulls it off.Then, Bud Abbott is a drunken louse. He is weak, and is easily led by Lou throughout the adventures, though his love for the bottle is evident and causes major problems.This isn't the only movie that they exchange "roles", but it is a good example of the talents these men had. The story is weak, and the ending contrived, but give it a shot. If you are a fan of theirs, you will enjoy it just for the role reversals. If you are not into cinema history or these actors, this is one worth skipping for now.