| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Steve Martin | ... | ||
| Bernadette Peters | ... | ||
| Jessica Harper | ... | ||
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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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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
When Herb Ross opened "Pennies From Heaven" during Christmas of 1981 it met with harsh press and public indifference. Many concluded the musical was dead.
But "Pennies," like Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz" released two years before, is a key transitional work that juxtaposed the cynicism of the '70s to the exhilaration and escapist fantasy of its buoyant Depression era score.
Steve Martin ran the risk of alienating his fan base by trading in the "Wild and Crazy" guy for the brooding, unfaithful Arthur Parker. But he's a revelation. And what a dancer!
It was no surprise when audiences stayed away.
By all means watch it today, particularly on the new widescreen DVD release. You'll walk away with a greater appreciation of Christopher Walken, Bernadette Peters and especially Steve Martin.
It makes it so much harder to watch this major talent wasting himself in such tripe as "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Bringing Down the House."