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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Dance with Me Henry" (1956)
is the last time Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
shared billing in the movies. In truth, however,
their tenure as leading comics had been dissolved
some years before. Almost from the moment they set
foot on the Universal backlot and made their debut
film, "One Night in the Tropics" (1941), theirs
was a partnership of strained convenience in which
Abbott always considered himself the superior
comedian, so much so, that profits from all of
their endeavors (radio/film, and later,
television) were divided along a 60/40 split in
Abbott's favor.
On this occasion the two find themselves in yet
another rehash of their earlier films, as Lou
Henry (Costello) attempts to adopt two adorable
children to help him run his Kiddyland amusement
park. The local welfare authority in the form of
Ms. Mayberry (Mary Wickes) will have something to
say about that, and so will Lou's best friend, Bud
(Abbott), who would rather run up a gambling debt
with the mob than share his prosperity with a
couple of kids. Throughout, the farcical elements
are much too strained to be humorous. One can
almost hear from just off camera, Abbott hollering
something to the effect of "hurry up, stupid, I
want to get paid." Charles Barton -- a frequent
participant on these collaborations, directs
again, but with a sense that it's all been done
before.
The transfer from MGM is surprisingly good -- I
say, surprisingly, because in general MGM/DVD
isn't known for offering pristine transfers of
classic movies. And although "Dance with Me Henry"
is not pristine in terms of age-related artifacts,
it's also not very far from it. The grayscale has
been impeccably mastered with nice tonality, solid
blacks and generally clean whites. Occasionally
there's a hint of edge enhancement, but nothing
that will terribly distract. There's also a hint
of film grain, but this never becomes bothersome.
The audio is mono but presented with great clarity
and at an adequate listening level. There are NO
extras. |
