Life with Henry

This is by far one of the stupidest, most ridiculous renditions of "Henry Aldrich." I have watched it quite a few times, trying to find something redeeming about it, but to no avail.

Henry could go on a trip with some other boys to Alaska, if he earned $100. Henry decides to market soap with Basil, his best buddy. It was a venture they messed up, and turned the town against them. Needless to say, Henry goes to the big city, to explain to the philanthropist backing the trip, why he wants to go to Alaska, and turn in the money (he did not get the full $100).

Cooper was a horrible actor in here, as was Bracken. They were unbelievable, and plain stupid. While Cooper was fun in Our Gang, he lacks comedic talent in here. Bracken's best moment, but then it got tedious was after dinner, when he started doing impressions, and it went on, and on, and on, and on. Very boring. This was a terrible casting of young people - perhaps the actors reversed could have been better, but this was one of the worst movies I have seen from the 1940's.

Henry( Jackie Cooper) sees an advertisement for an educational summer trip to Alaska. However, he's required to earn $100.00 and obtain 3 recommendations. The man sponsoring the trip is Mr. Sattherwaite ( Moroni Olsen). Henry fails to get a job, but he does get an idea to make & sell soap. He enlists the help of his best friend Dizzy ( Eddie Bracken). The soap project fails-but Henry does win the winning ticket at the local movie theater. Henry always seems to be doing the wrong thing,despite his best intentions. This was Jackie Cooper's second & last Henry Aldrich film. He stated that he felt that he had outgrown the role. Jimmy Lydon played Henry in the next 9 films. It was also great to see Rod Cameron in an early role. He played; Bill van Dusen-one of the 3 persons to write a recommendation for Henry. Hedda Hopper played Henry's mother & Fred Niblo was his father.

Jackie Cooper wants to go to Alaska. It seems that Moroni Olson is sponsoring trips for fifty boys who have earned $100 and can get testimonials as to their character. His father thinks it's a confidence fraud, but Cooper doesn't. Unfortunately for him, no one will give him a job, and his every scheme turns out badly.

Jackie Cooper is back as Henry Aldrich, and Hedda Hopper is his mother. Fred Niblo plays his father, and Eddie Bracken plays Dizzy. Paramount seems to have realized that Clifford Goldsmith's creation was just the thing to compete with MGM's Andy Hardy series, even if they didn't have Wilder & Brackett write the screenplay. The casting would change with the next entry in the series, almost certainly to reduce the costs, but it would be a profitable series for the studio, With Pierre Watkin, Lucien Littlefield, Etta McDaniel, and an uncredited appearance by Broncho Billy Anderson.