Dance Hall Racket
{{short description|1953 film by Phil Tucker}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Dance Hall Racket
| image = Lenny Bruce in Dance Hall Racket.png
| caption = Lenny Bruce as Vincent in a still from the film
| director = Phil Tucker
| producer = George Weiss
| screenplay = Lenny Bruce
| starring = Timothy Farrell
Lenny Bruce
Honey Harlow
| music = Charles Ruddy
| cinematography = W. Merle Connell
| editing = Adrian Weiss
| studio = Film Classics
| distributor = Screen Classics (United States, 1953, theatrical)
Screen Classics (United States, 1956, re-release, theatrical)
Something Weird Video (United States, 1994, David Friedman's Roadshow Rarities, Vol. 25, VHS)
| released = {{Film date|1953}}
| runtime = 63 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Dance Hall Racket is a 1953 American low-budget noir crime drama film directed by Phil Tucker and starring Timothy Farrell. It was written by Lenny Bruce, who also stars in the film with his wife Honey Harlow.{{cite news|title=Honey Bruce Friedman, 78, Entertainer and 'Lenny's Shady Lady'|author=Fox, Margalit|work=New York Times|date=Sep 20, 2005|page=A27}}
Plot summary
{{More plot|date=August 2011}}
A gangster who operates a sleazy dance hall uses a sadistic bodyguard to keep his girls afraid and his customers in line. A merchant marine seaman is found murdered at the place and suspicion quickly falls upon the operator of a dime-a-dance honky tonk joint. A federal undercover agent is planted in the place to gather evidence, and he soon learns that the dive is only a cover-up for diamond-smuggling activities, and that one of the operation's henchmen, who is handy with a switch-blade knife, is the actual killer. Before they can be arrested, the henchman kills his boss and is shot while trying to escape.
Cast
File:Honey Harlow in Dance Hall Racket 2.png
- Timothy Farrell as Umberto Scalli
- Lenny Bruce as Vincent
- Bernie Jones as Punky, the Swedish Sailor
- Honey Bruce Friedman Rose (as Honey Harlow)
- Sally Marr as Hostess
- Bunny Parker as Dancehall Girl
- Joie Abrams as Dancehall Girl
- Ronald Lee
- Bill King
- Mary Holiday as Dancehall Girl
- Harry Keaton
- Joe Piro as Henchman
Soundtrack
Music Department
Sanford H. Dickinson ... music consultant (as Sandford H. Dickinson)
Charles Ruddy ... musical director (uncredited)
{{Expand section|date=August 2011}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0045668|title=Dance Hall Racket}}
- {{Internet Archive film|id=DanceHallRacket|name=Dance Hall Racket}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20160327004356/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7080a09d Dance Hall Racket] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
{{Phil Tucker}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dance Hall Racket}}
Category:American crime thriller films
Category:American action films
Category:American adventure films
Category:Films directed by Phil Tucker
Category:1950s crime thriller films
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:1950s English-language films
Category:English-language crime thriller films
Category:English-language adventure films
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