During the Great Depression, a sheet music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent school teacher.
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Title: Pennies from Heaven (1981)
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Certificate: Passed
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Steve Martin | ... | ||
| Bernadette Peters | ... | ||
| Jessica Harper | ... | ||
 |
Vernel Bagneris | ... | |
| John McMartin | ... | ||
| John Karlen | ... |
The Detective
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Jay Garner | ... | |
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Robert Fitch | ... |
Al
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| Tommy Rall | ... |
Ed
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Eliska Krupka | ... |
The Blind Girl
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| Christopher Walken | ... | ||
| Francis X. McCarthy | ... |
The Bartender
(as Frank McCarthy)
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Raleigh Bond | ... | |
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Gloria LeRoy | ... |
A Prostitute
(as Gloria Leroy)
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Nancy Parsons | ... |
The Old Whore
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Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
In Chicago during the 1930s depression, sheet music salesman Arthur Parker is trying to sell his products, but it's not easy to convince unwilling music store owners to buy them. Although he's already married to the somewhat drab Joan, when he meets school teacher Eileen in a music store, he falls in love with her. Written by Mattias Thuresson
Taglines:
There's a world on both sides of the rainbow where songs come true and every time it rains, it rains...Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1 January 1982 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Dinheiro do Céu See more »Box Office
Budget:
$22,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$3,600,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Arthur Parker: Joan... Joanie? Sugar? C'mon, Joan... sugar... wake up, baby.
Joan Parker: No, Arthur, don't.
Arthur Parker: Oh, baby... come on, sugar.
Joan Parker: No, it's too early, Arthur.
Arthur Parker: Oh, Joan.
Joan Parker: Arthur, there isn't time.
Arthur Parker: Oh, there's always time for this. Joan, come on.
Joan Parker: Stop it, Arthur! No, don't!
Joan Parker: [getting out of bed] No... I said no!
[...]
See more »
(1936)
Written by Billy Mayhew (uncredited)
Performed by Dolly Dawn with George Hall and His Orchestra
Courtesy of RCA Records
Mimed onscreen by Jessica Harper (uncredited)
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The MGM studio forced writer Dennis Potter to buy back his copyright from the BBC, something which had cost him over US $100,000. See more »Goofs
In the classroom, a modern Canadian flag can be seen. It wasn't designed until 1964. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Arthur Parker: Joan... Joanie? Sugar? C'mon, Joan... sugar... wake up, baby.
Joan Parker: No, Arthur, don't.
Arthur Parker: Oh, baby... come on, sugar.
Joan Parker: No, it's too early, Arthur.
Arthur Parker: Oh, Joan.
Joan Parker: Arthur, there isn't time.
Arthur Parker: Oh, there's always time for this. Joan, come on.
Joan Parker: Stop it, Arthur! No, don't!
Joan Parker: [getting out of bed] No... I said no!
[...]
See more »
Soundtracks
It's a Sin to Tell a Lie(1936)
Written by Billy Mayhew (uncredited)
Performed by Dolly Dawn with George Hall and His Orchestra
Courtesy of RCA Records
Mimed onscreen by Jessica Harper (uncredited)
See more »
If you are truly interested in seeing this film, please read the review written by Pauline Kael, who with her unique voice, says everything I am about to try to say, perfectly. This may not be a movie for everybody. First, you may have to have some patience for musicals. And secondly, you may have to have patience for complex people and their problems. I have watched this movie with two friends, and the first yawned everytime the actors opened their mouths to lip sync the beautiful and strange Depression era songs. The second found the role played by Steve Martin heartbreaking, and could not watch the entire film. But I think this movie can be extremely rewarding, and have found myself watching it a least once a year for the past few years. I think the Depression makes an excellent back round in this bittersweet story of blind optimism, and this movie greatly inspires my imagination. I imagine the whole U.S. as it was in the early part of the century, filled with millions of dreamers, greedy for sex and love and money, just like people are now, only now most people have a shot at a least one of those things, and during the depression, beautiful and hopelessly empty dreams were everywhere, as poverty crushed lives right and left. Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters are as connected and magical together as they are in the Jerk. In fact, everything I love about The Jerk is what I love about Pennies From Heaven. Some of the musical sequences are breathtaking, particularly a dance number performed by Christopher Walken ! And the subtle beauty of the last song sung by Steve Martin, I don't know how to describe it. In closing, this movie is not for everybody. But I know I am not the only person out there who will see this movie as the unique gift that it is. Please give it a shot.