Penny Serenade (1941) User Reviews

Like molasses, slow and sweet with a great pay off

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 1 January 2011]

Irene Dunne and Cary Grant play a couple that have a whirlwind courtship. When they first meet he's a journalist who's irresponsible with his money and doesn't like children. She's more conventional and practical, and here as in life opposites often attract and come to some middle ground. This is nothing more than the story of a marriage with quite a bit of heartbreak along the way. To say much more than that would give the plot away. The movie starts at the end as Irene Dunne's character prepares to leave town and her marriage behind. She is going through a stack of records and reminiscing, thus the title "Penny Serenade" as we get a flashback of the couple's life together and what brought them to the point of separation.

This film moves quite slowly, but every scene, no matter how small, has significance as you grow to really care about this couple and what happens to them and feel sad that they have been so thoroughly mugged by life that they feel they must part. Beulah Bondi and Edgar Buchanan play good friends to and in a way guardian angels of the couple who realize that these two have something special together that is worth saving. Highly recommended and a sentimental favorite of mine.

Parenthood

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 4 October 2006]

Julie Adams is seen going through recordings as the story unfolds; each song she plays brings back memories, and it represents a chapter in her life. Julie who has decided to leave her husband, Roger, remembers aspects of an unfulfilled life. The thing she most wanted in the world is denied to her: being a mother. Not everything in Julie's life has been bad, as we get to know her. Julie was lucky in finding a man like Roger, who did everything possible for her, except give her the child she longed for.

As Roger returns home from Japan, he establishes a small paper. He struggles to keep it going, but unfortunately, his business doesn't make it. It's at this juncture in their life when Roger and Julie decide to adopt. They are lucky in that the kind head of the agency, Miss Oliver, realizes they have all it takes to be good parents, even though their finances don't add up. When Trina, the infant girl, is offered to them, they decide to take the chance. Roger, who wanted a boy, has an emotional encounter with a judge that wants to take the girl away from him and Julie when his paper folds.

As Trina, the infant girl, is brought home, Julie and Roger realize how ill prepared they are to take care of the baby. Applejack, who helps run the paper, saves them from their own awkwardness and shows the couple how babies are taken care of. Trina, who grows to be a sweet little girl, contracts a mysterious illness and dies. Her death, together with all the Adams' financial problems, breaks their marriage. We watch Julie preparing to do, but the providential call from Miss Oliver with the offer of a new orphan boy, serves to bring the Adams' together.

George Stevens directed skilfully this melodrama. By emphasizing the financial problem of the Adams', and not dwelling in Trina's tragic loss, Mr. Stevens got away from the total tear jerker the material could have turned in the hands of another director.

Irene Dunne and Cary Grant had appeared in two other comedies before. Without a doubt, Cary Grant steals the picture with his amazing take on Roger Adams, a man who is a reluctant adoptive father, only to have his heart stolen by Trina. Mr. Grant proved here he could have easily made a serious dramatic actor. Ms. Dunne is also effective as Julie, a woman who can't have children of her own. Edgar Buchanan is seen as the loyal Applejack, and Beulah Bondi appears as the kind Miss Oliver, the woman who brings happiness to the Adams.

The film is worth seeing because of Cary Grant's invaluable contribution to the film.

Grant, Dunne & Stevens Eleveate This Soaper

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 3 July 2006]

Talk about a simple storyline: a couple wants to have kids. That's basically it. Once they (Cary Grant and Irene Dunne) have finally have one, the baby dies before birth. Then, they adopt a baby who makes it to about age six or seven and then dies after a quick illness.

Near the end, when the couple is ready to divorce because they couldn't handle this tragedy, another baby is offered to them, they accept and live happily ever after. Some parts of this are stupid - certainly the divorce angle - but this soap opera works because of the actors. Grant is excellent in the male lead, adding some good, much-needed comedy in spots. Dunne is very believable in her role. Edgar Buchanan ("Applejack") elevates this film with a very likable role. Beulah Bondi's "Miss Oliver" looks like the proverbial "old battle-ax" but proves to be a very caring person.

Another good feature of this film is that it was directed by George Stevens, one of the best of all time.

One thing I have yet to find: a good print of this movie. Whether VHS or DVD, it's always a lousy transfer. When is a decent DVD going to come out? Beware of anything retailing for $7.99 and below.

Classy Dunne and Grant movie

[SoftKitten80 · 8 December 2004]

Irene Dunne is a class act all the way. A real lady, and it comes out in this film. While she and Grant always look like movie stars in the film, you can't stop noticing that they look like movie stars, they do their job and do it to perfection. Only two A-level actors could carry this tear jerker off well. The adoption lady was also realistic and convincing. The little girl or baby, whichever children played them, were the cutest and sweetest I've ever seen in film. Irene Dunne cannot hit a false note, ever, it seems. She looks marvelous in everything she wears, be it a simple housedress or pajamas. Same with Cary Grant, he wears the clothes. The penny serenade theme and the way the camera plays with the records is really magic. This film is a gift to the audience. Grant and Dunne show their adeptness at establishing and making us believe they are an intimate married couple. Irene Dunne is at the height of sensitivity and softness here, a true lady with beautiful hair and hairstyles. What a movie. And one cannot forget our beloved Apple Jack, such a sweet soul.

a good-natured and polished melodrama

[lasttimeisaw · 7/10 · 28 June 2017]

The film reunites Irene Dunne and Cary Grant for the third and the last time, after their successful pairing in Leo McCarey's THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937) and MY FAVORITE WIFE (1940). Under the tutelage of George Stevens, PENNY SERENADE is a good-natured and polished melodrama where mishaps and glee alternately emerge around an average couple Julie (Dunne) and Roger Adams (Grant).

Opening with Julie assuming her deliberated departure from Roger in medias res, the narrative consists of a nexus of chronological flashback segued by various melodies in an album coined "The Story of a Happy Marriage" playing from the phonograph, as signifiers to Julie's memories, how a tuneful and glitched YOU WERE MEAN FOR ME brings Roger to her life, their sequential romance, a spur-of-the-moment marriage and their spell in Japan due to Roger's work where a seismic shock (both literally and metaphorically) leaves an irremediable missing link in their otherwise content life.

Back to US, Roger starts his print business from the scratch in a small town, that missing link will be mended through adoption, a new life is put into their care and they must get familiar with parental skills (where we get great comedic moments in its slice-of-life simulation) and fight for their baby girl against their unstable financial situation, only to come in for another hammer blow that will (almost) sabotage their marriage, if not for the problematic and expedient ending, the fond memory of a departed can be so quickly and miraculously displaced by the arrival of a new one, is it a blind faith deeply entrenched in the psyche of America at then or that marriage is so unbearable if not for the presence of an offspring? One would gratingly wonder.

Save for that reactionary deus ex machina, the film is a heartfelt blessing from Hollywood-land in a less glamorous and often depreciated genre of melodrama, the two leads give sterling performances here, both shorn of star vanity and completely carry the rather corny story on their own shoulders and shore it up with significant effort to sustain a touching but also realistic vibe that transmogrifies the picture with enduring charisma and yesteryear nostalgia. Cary received his first-ever Oscar nomination for this picture, his Oscar moment is that earnest plead in front of the judge, which rarely emblazons his dramatic showmanship to great extent, but Dunne, admittedly, is the fulcrum of the film here, she is self-deprecating but never shy of inner strength and orthodox femininity, quite a leading lady in her early 40s, why isn't she more worshiped by new generations? She is the convention-bucking heroine of a sexism business and an impressive 5- times Oscar nominee. Also, Edgar Buchanan and Beulah Bondi both need a shout-out for their supporting turns, the former's uncle Applejack is the bee's knees every family needs whereas the latter is so primly respectable by her sheer appearance as the rule-breaking head of the adoption faculty, lastly, to sing a little praise to director George Stevens, what an even-handed actor's director he is, his style is un-showy but after all, it is the torrid human emotion gets our attention and keeps us watching closely to his performers, that is a different kind of cinematic expertise which no one can deny.

Uneasy Mixture of Comedy and Tragedy

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 25 January 2006]

The title "Penny Serenade" refers to a popular song of the period, and it is popular music that provides the framework for this film. Julie Adams, a young married woman on the verge of splitting up with her husband, sits beside a pile of records. Each one has a special meaning for her, and as she plays them she is reminded of episodes from her past. (She originally worked in a record shop and first met her journalist husband Roger there). The film shows in a series of flashbacks Julie and Roger's first meeting, their life together after he was sent to be his paper's correspondent in Japan, how she suffered a miscarriage and how they adopted a baby daughter because she was unable to have children.

Most of the reviews of this film that I have seen, both on this board and elsewhere, express the opinion that it is a romantic drama rather than a comedy like "The Awful Truth" and "My Favorite Wife", two earlier films in which Irene Dunn and Cary Grant also acted together. This is not an opinion with which I would altogether agree. Although I have never seen "The Awful Truth", there are moments in "Penny Serenade" which reminded me strongly of the pure comedy of "My Favorite Wife". Indeed, I felt that the comic scenes in "Penny Serenade" were better done and more amusing than anything in the earlier film. I laughed out loud (something I never did with "My Favorite Wife") at some of the scenes of Roger and Julie's life together with little Trina, particularly the Nativity play and the scene where Cary Grant is trying to change a nappy.

The trouble with "Penny Serenade" is that it can never decide whether it wants to be a comedy or a serious drama. The early scenes of Roger and Julie's courtship and their days in Japan are all light-hearted. (Interestingly enough for a film which opened only a few months before Pearl Harbor, the Japanese characters are presented in a generally sympathetic way, which suggests that there was little hostility in America towards Japan at this time. The idea of some underlying enmity between the two peoples seems to have been an invention of the Japanese politicians and generals). Tragedy briefly intrudes with Julie's miscarriage, but when the Adamses adopt Trina this leads into the most comic part of the film.

The plot then moves back into serious mode. Roger has given up his job as a foreign correspondent in order to become the editor of the local paper in a small California town. As the circulation of the local paper is less than a thousand this struck me as an unlikely career move, but it is one made necessary by the demands of the plot. The paper folds financially and Roger loses his job, which means that he and Julie are threatened with losing their adopted daughter because the adoption agency will only place children with financially secure families. Roger saves the day with an impassioned speech to the judge, and there is a brief return to comedy with the Nativity scene, before the final tragedy of Trina's death.

The main flaw of the film is not so much that it is excessively sentimental, but rather that the comic and tragic elements do not sit easily together. The switches from one to the other are often abrupt. The scriptwriters seem to have been aware of this problem, as the sentiment is sometimes downplayed. Trina's death, for example, is simply announced in a letter from Julie to the head of the adoption agency without any heart-wrenching deathbed scene. The ending of the film, in which Julie and Roger's marriage is saved when the adoption agency offer them another child to adopt, is a particularly implausible way of providing a "happy ending". That the loss of a child could have brought them so close to divorce within a few days suggests that there was something seriously wrong with their marriage in the first place, and the idea that their grief could be so completely and suddenly overcome by the adoption of another child seems a very unrealistic view of the psychology of loss and bereavement.

Despite my reservations, I have given this film a mark of six, partly because it is in parts very funny and partly because it is very professionally acted, particularly by Cary Grant, Irene Dunn and Beulah Bondi as the lady from the adoption agency. Grant is very good in the comic scenes; he was normally better at comedy than at serious drama, although there are exceptions such as his work with Hitchcock. My overall impression, however, was that it was an uneasy mixture of comedy and tragedy that did not quite hang together as a coherent whole. 6/10

Great movie except for the ending

[Jessica-656 · 7/10 · 27 August 2006]

After 65 years, this film still rings true in many ways. Several people have mentioned the "bathing the baby" scene, but my favourite is the alarm clock scene. One thing I appreciate is that Dunne and Grant's new baby actually looks fairly new, jerky movements and all - maybe not 5 weeks old, as stated, but definitely younger than the usual Hollywood "newborn". I'm sure that at the time, this movie was quite educational for many people like the two main characters, who thought that you adopt a baby by going to the nearest orphanage, picking out the one you like, and walking out with it. I only wish the filmmakers had taken the opportunity to really underline the fact that *everybody* wants a 2-year-old with curly (preferably blond) hair, blue eyes, and dimples, but what about the 99.999% of less "perfect" children very much in need of a good home? The film does slide toward melodrama on occasion - did it take a full-blown earthquake for Irene Dunne's character to have a miscarriage? One thing I noticed is that this film actually shows a married couple sharing the same bed! Mind you, Irene Dunne is lying on top of the cover with her dressing gown on, tensely waiting for the baby's next feeding, while Cary Grant is off to sleep, but I still wonder how it got past the Hays office. The little girl who plays 6-year-old Trina is not *too* saccharine (except for her voice), but at the end of each speech, she is obviously remembering that she's been told to "Smile, dear, smile!".

What ruins it for me is the ending - their little girl has been dead for only a few *days*, and her parents are ready to start with another baby. IMO, at this point, any normal parents would react with revulsion to the thought of "replacing" their dead child. As another reviewer mentioned, in this film it's like replacing a dead goldfish. If only the filmmakers had implied that several *months*, or better yet, a year or more, had passed, and shown the couple finding each other again first, it would have been much more believable and touching. BTW, several reviewers have mentioned the poor quality of the DVD or video they watched, but the one I had from Triton Multimedia was, not outstanding, but quite all right.

Great watch on a rainy day

[Paculliton · 10/10 · 13 July 2003]

I just love this sweet old movie. Cary Grant is gorgeous, Irene Dunne beautiful, Edgar Buchanan a lovable old codger. A story about falling in love and the deep inner desire to build a family with the one you love -- and the challenges and sadness that can be as great, but never really greater, than the happiness and fulfillment it brings.

Falling in love, best friends, career challenges, pregnancy, miscarriage, infertility, adoption, death, divorce... it's all covered in this one sweet little movie. And it's all told in a way that reminds us all how important music is as it sets the soundtrack to our lives.

This is a wonderful movie. It may not be Citizen Kane -- but it is definitely worthy of your time.

Interesting and thought-provoking drama with some touches of humor about newlyweds adopt a child

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 26 March 2014]

This weeper movie turns out to be a simplistic tale , however provides an enjoyable time . Nostalgic and sensitive picture with brooding drama , adequate cinematography and evocative musical score . Well thought movie in which the couple's big dreams give way to a life full of unexpected sadness and unexpected joy .

Sensitive film which deals with interesting issues such as family life , couple relationship , sons , death and many other things . The story is plain and simple , nonetheless results to be a moving experience . It is a tearjerker about an agreeable couple who looks rather stiff and maudlin nowadays . This over-expended weepie flick relies heavily on the relationship between Gary Grant and Irene Dunne but this does not get bored or spoils the tale . Slightly overrated but excellent all the same time , the picture is enjoyable and entertaining , but overlong . The story is narrated with great sense and sensibility , the intelligent screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind and based on a story by Martha Cheavens .

Sensational protagonist duo , Gary Grant is extraordinary , as usual , and Irene Dunne is magnificent . They don't make'em like this anymore and no one plays Grant better tan Grant . Only these big stars like Grant and Dunne could play material like this . Irene Dunne often said that this was her favorite film because it reminded her of her own adopted daughter . This is third of three movies that paired Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Support cast is frankly excellent such as Beulah Bondi as Miss Oliver , Ann Doran as Dotty 'Dot' and special mention to Edgar Buchanan as uncle Applejack Carney

Pleasant musical score by Frankie Herling , including some songs as leitmotif . One of them is the song that was playing when she and Roger first met in a music store. Other songs remind her of their courtship, their marriage, their desire for a child, and the joys and sorrows that they have shared. Atmospheric cinematography in black and White , though also available colorized . Cinematographer Franz Planer started the film but became seriously ill and had to withdraw , he was replaced by Joseph Walker. There are many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely and usually badly edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation or more copies of the film.

This stunning film with great sense and sensibility was compellingly directed by George Stevens ,considered to be one of the best American directors . He filmed all kind genres such as , drama : The diary of Anne Frank , A place in the sun , Giant , Alice Adams ; Comedy : Vivacious lady , Talk of the town ; Adventure : Gunga Din ; Western : Shane , Annie Oakley , and Historical : The greatest story ever told .

Unusual, but sad story

[misslv80 · 9/10 · 21 January 2004]

Cary Grant plays a newspaper reporter who falls in love and marries Irene Dunne, whom he meets at a record store. While abroad in Japan, tragedy strikes for the couple, which sets the course for the story. It really is a simple story about how a married couple long for having a home and a family of their own. Grant surprised me with his family man role, quite different from the sophisticated characters he played later on in his career. His monologue during the adoption hearing was one of the best scenes in the whole movie and very well done. Irene Dunne was great in her role as his wife. The little girl who plays their daughter was too cute for words. It was also an interesting insight into how a couple struggles to raise their first child, which is something many people can relate to, no matter what the time period. It was also interesting the way Dunne went through all the flashback scenes in the movie by playing records that reminded her of their life together. Beulah Bondi (who played George Bailey's mother from It's A Wonderful Life) has a great supporting role as the head of the adoption agency who has doubts about the couple at first, but then grows to care a great deal for them. The ending was a complete surprise. If you like Cary Grant or old Hollywood movies, this is something different. Sad, but sentimental. Recommended.

Thank heaven for George Stevens!

[Pat-54 · 7/10 · 19 April 1999]

This film would have been a pile of mush if it hadn't been for the master story-teller, director George Stevens. He never goes for the obvious, but tells the story in such a manner that you are immediately pulled into it. Cary Grant was nominated for an Oscar and he is wonderful in this.

A truly sweet and sentimental film.

[makain · 10/10 · 24 November 2004]

I wasn't much of a Cary Grant fan until I saw this film for the first time about 10 years ago, and I also discovered the embodiment of grace and charm that is Irene Dunne as well. Cary Grant is at his most charming and gives a very amusing and, at times, very very touching performance as a new dad. When he gives his heart-rending speech to the child custody judge and begs to keep his adopted baby girl, it brings a lump to my throat every time I see it. Irene Dunne was a classy lady in anything she did, and can be as quietly funny as she can be dramatic, as she demonstrated in this film. She was a great "straight-man," too, to Cary Grant's more animated role. I truly love this film.

Hmmm

[adriangr · 6/10 · 29 June 2019]

I'll agree with all the other people who don't like the ending...it strikes real odd note, in a movie that doesn't really tug on the emotions enough.

The story is slight and the presentation is also rather dated. Irene Dunn is leaving her husband and while she looks back, she listens to records. Each record she plays reminds her of a past event and the film flashes back to another part of her life ever time she puts on another disc. She meets Cary Grant, they get married, go to Japan, live well, lose money, live frugally, have a child etc, etc. It's really mild soap opera stuff, and once the baby joins the movie, things actually get really BORING, and the movie is probably too long.

The acting is oddly stilted. I don't know Irene Dunne, but she plays her character almost too subtly, to the point that I couldn't tell what she was supposed to be thinking. Some big scenes are fluffed because of this. Others are fluffed due to the odd directorial choices. Case in point 1: When Grant leaves on a train and Dunne gets on just to say goodbye but accidentally departs with him instead of getting off. This is really poorly presented and the impact is totally spoiled. Case 2: When the couple have to have to visit a judge to see if they get to keep their adopted child, the pivotal moment of Grant leaving Dunne behind to go to the hearing is played out with the camera pointing a just the couple's feet. A very odd choice.

The movies highpoint is an impassioned speech that Grant delivers to the judge who is refusing his adoption. This is genuinely touching. But oddly Irene Dunne's role in this is dramatic part of the story is extremely limited.

And now, onto the ending...oh dear. SPOILER ALERT! The couple are experiencing family bliss with the adopted daughter when she abruptly dies. This extremely important moment is handled dreadfully - by a minor support character reading about it in a letter and doing all of the reacting instead of the star couple. What a waste! And then, as the marriage falls apart due to the couple turning their grief inward (which is actually a good dramatic idea), they get another call from the adoption agency asking if they'd like another baby. They immediately brighten up and fall back in love, in the space of a few minutes. Worse still, the adoption agency says something along the lines of: "This time we've got a baby for you that matches the description of the child you really wanted from the beginning". Subtext: "This baby is better than the first one we gave you and will completely improve on the first (dead) child, who was only a runner-up prize, anyway". An appalling message to end on.

Mostly flat and too long, "Penny Serenade" has not dated well.

Cute at first, but the end cost the movie all its appeal for me

[mem2001 · 1/10 · 11 March 2005]

The first 3/4 of the movie is cute, but nothing to rave about: boy meets girl, they eventually falling love, marry, she becomes pregnant and everyone is happy. Then disaster strikes in the form of an earthquake causes her to miscarry and her injuries are such that she will never be able to have a child. They are sad but stick together through it, and they eventually put their lives back together again. They decide they still want a child so they adopt. When they get to the adoption agency, a kind adoption lady presents them with a baby girl and they fall in love with the child and decide to adopt her. You see the adoption process and how happy they are. It is cute to see them learn how to take care of a baby. Their financial situation changes when the child is about 2, and before the adoption is final, the adoption head honchos threaten to take her away, because now they are poor. A stirring speech by Grant (and the faith of the kind adoption lady) convinces said honchos that Grant and Dunne are still good parents and that their child will never starve. They are allowed to keep the child, who we next see as sweet a little girl as anyone could wish for. Now as I said, up to this point, everything has been fine, some downs, but they've worked out their problems and are a happy, functioning family unit. As a whole the movie up to this point has been as cute and sweet as their little girl.

Then BAM, the next minute the kid is dead (no warning to the audience that the kid is sick, just BAM dead of something or other). They are too grief stricken to help each other, and instead tear themselves and each other a part. It's only been THREE DAYS since the little darling's death, and they are splitting up because they just can't handle the grief (this explains why Dunne is packing to leave Grant throughout the current time scenes in the film). Dunne wrote to the kind adoption lady telling her their tragedy as soon as the girl died, and before Dunne has a chance to leave Grant for good, the adoption lady informs the couple (who have yet to make up and are just as miserable as ever - remember it has only been three days since their little girl died) that the agency just got in a sweet little boy (two years old, golden curls, the sort of kid they thought they wanted to adopt before they saw their baby girl), and would they be interested in seeing him? Now suddenly, everything is a-okay, and they have plans to turn their daughter's room in to the perfect room for a little boy. Nothing, has been resolved in their marriage. Before they found out about the boy they were in the middle of deeply grieving for their daughter, in fact they were so grief stricken I thought for sure they were going to turn the little girl's room in to a shrine or something. Then they hear about this little boy, and it's like their little girl never existed.

In short, the ending is unnecessarily tragic in the little girls death alone, more so when her death splits Dunne and Grant apart, and ruined both by the fact that the couples problems are not fixed at the end of the movie, just papered over, and the treatment of a loss of a child as something a kin to the loss of a goldfish. Oh you lost your child? that's sad, but not a real problem. Just never you mind that and buck-up mom and dad, here's another. It is as though the movie is almost a warning to parents, enjoy them now because the little ones you love maybe taken from you at any moment, except, just kidding, that does not really matter because you can always have another and poof your grief will be gone.

Basically, if you stop the movie at the Christmas when the girl is six, it is not bad, it's a cute film, though not worth its rave reviews. The last twenty minutes or so ruin it, turning a tolerable film in to something that I just can't take.

A Generally Effective Bittersweet Story

[Snow Leopard · 12 August 2004]

With sympathetic main characters and an approach that is usually understated enough to avoid over-sentimentality, this bittersweet story works reasonably well most of the time. Irene Dunne plays this kind of role well, handling a wide range of material while keeping her emotions and reactions restrained enough to be believable. Cary Grant is better than one might expect him to be in this kind of role. It's possible that Edgar Buchanan's performance might be the most important of all in holding it together, since he is ideal in providing some down-to-earth balance, whether his character is repairing printing presses or giving the young couple some tips on taking care of their baby.

Director George Stevens does a good job with the pacing, and the story-framing technique with the various songs works pretty well. While there may be a few moments when the sentimentality gets dangerously high, most of the time it remains balanced, and certainly more so than is the case with present-day movies of this kind. It's far from flawless, but it is generally effective in telling the kind of story that takes a combination of sensitivity and restraint to tell believably.

Good, but not great

[Calysta · 7/10 · 1 January 2000]

I found this movie to be of good light entertainment value, but it is a little below the standards I had come to expect of both Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. However, their characters are portrayed with natural ease and charm.

The movie is told with Dunne's character, a woman contemplating divorce, reminiscing on happier times with the record she first listened to with her husband spinning. I found this puzzling at the start, but I was merely irritated by the end.

There were a few bright moments of comedy, notably the first night of parenting their adopted child. But with elements of drama combined, I was confused when the movie continually lapsed into comedy, then back to tragedy.

Comedy was something, described in the words of Dunne herself as "Too easy". This is the first comedy performance of hers I have watched. However, I still prefer her dramatic performances in "I Remember Mama" and "Anna and the King of Siam". As for Grant, "Bringing Up Baby", "The Philadelphia Story", "Holiday" and "His Girl Friday" are much better value for your time.

I'd recommend this movie to audiences who appreciate good old fashioned romance. Just start with "An Affair to Remember" first. Rating: 7/10

George Stevens Fare A Bit Unusual

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 29 September 2019]

The main cast here is marvelous. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne are great. Bullah Bondi is excellent. So is Edgar Bucannan as "Apple Jack". The story is wrapped around records and being just before America enters the war, there is no mention of the military in this one.

Instead we have an iconic couple Grant & Dunne who want to have kids but can't. Then they adopt a daughter and that girl is the center of their lives. Story is told through records playing flashbacks. There is happiness, sadness, and more in this plot.

To me, one major hole is Apple Jack. The movie script makes him Grants sidekick, but his character is not filled out properly. There is no mention of a reason Apple Jack keeps haning around either other than he has no family. So he adopts our Iconic Couple.

There is some music some viewers might recognize. That includes "When Baby Makes Three " which was used on the TV Version of MASH. Overall because of my confusion with Apple Jacks character I rate this one at 7 but that because of acting and direction. Still it's a good film.

Kleenex anyone?

[cordaro9418 · 7/10 · 11 September 2008]

You had better bring some... though not the standard light-hearted fare Dunne and Grant had performed in before, this film is a classic example of an American tear jerker.

The film winds you though these flashbacks while you wait to fall deeper into their despair, knowing it will happen. It's like hitting some cute furry animal and then standing there.. watching it... you'd know whats coming.

A great story and dramatic comedy its very well acted... films such as 'Terms of Endearment' and 'Beaches' learned their lessons here.

If you enjoy this film, I definitely recommend the Grant / Dunne 'screwball' comedy "My Favorite Wife".

Pulls Out All The Sentimental Stops

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 20 November 2005]

Far from the comedy of The Awful Truth and My Favorite Wife, this pairing of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne pulls out all the sentimental stops to get you sad and keep you sad.

A Penny Serenade is the chronicle of a marriage between the two World Wars of the last century. Cary is an aspiring newspaperman who meets Irene while she's working in a record shop. They marry and Cary takes an assignment in the Far East.

The Japanese earthquake of the Twenties causes Irene to have a miscarriage and she can't have any other kids. They come home and this time adopt a little girl. A few years later, she falls ill suddenly and dies. The strain is too much for both of them.

I think you get the idea where this is going, but under George Stevens's skillful direction Penny Serenade remains sentimental without descending into the maudlin. It's also due to the skill of the leads.

Cary Grant got his first of two trips to the Oscar sweepstakes with this film. This was due to a great scene he has with a family court judge as he pleads for him and Irene to keep their child. There couldn't have been a dry eye in any theater this was playing in back in 1941. Grant lost the award to Gary Cooper as Sergeant York.

In the supporting players mention must be made of Edgar Buchanan and Beulah Bondi. Buchanan is Grant's good friend who comes to work as a pressman when Grant starts a small town newspaper after coming home from the Orient. He has a wonderful scene showing the new parents how to change a baby's diaper. Beulah Bondi plays the wise and sympathetic head of an orphanage who's a very shrewd judge of people and the qualities they need for parenting.

A lot of similarities between this and the 1970s film Pete and Tillie with Carol Burnett and Walter Matthau.

Grant And Dunne Are So Watchable As A Couple With History

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 20 August 2017]

"Penny Serenade" reviews the history of a relationship as told in flashbacks remembered by the wife (Irene Dunne). She is weighing the good and bad times, prompted by music that was part of their history, deciding if she can remain with her husband (Cary Grant).

The repeated references to phonograph records might sound tiresome, and some of the scenes can be overly sentimental, but the final product is still a film worth seeing. Dunne displays every emotion possible and Cary Grant turns in what may be the best acing of his career. If you ever doubted his abilities as an actor, watch the scene where he pleads for custody of the child they wish to adopt. No wonder his performance received an Oscar nomination.

Edgar Buchanan is terrific as the gruff family friend who is reliable and caring. Beulah Bondi plays Miss Oliver, the adoption agency worker who finds herself emotionally involved with their case.

If this film is a weeper, it nevertheless deserves consideration as a fine film.

Cary Grant's best performance

[renelle · 10/10 · 17 July 2004]

One well written movie of the 40's. To this day, this movie will hold your attention even though you will find no vulgarity, nudity or violence.

Tragedy turns to comedy with tale of a writer and his newlywed desperate to settle down in a traditional American lifestyle, start a new business and have a family. Their innocence is refreshing, and the writer has such timing in the course of events that you find yourself wanting to help this couple diaper a baby!!!

Cary Grant "nails" this performance with his "heart-felt" speech in front of a judge. (Get a box of tissue for this one.) The body/language between Grant's and Dunn's character make this movie charming and realistic.

You find yourself laughing out-loud with the "every-day-problems-of-life" this couple gets themselves involved with......good for the whole family. A must see and a true classic.

Classy Tearjerker

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 24 December 2014]

At the start of the film, Julie (Irene Dunne) is preparing to leave her husband Roger (Cary Grant). She begins listening to records, each of which reminds her of her past with Roger that has led them to this point. This is the tearjerker to end all tearjerkers. It's a pretty depressing movie, I have to admit. What saves it is the beautiful acting of the stars and solid direction from George Stevens. The use of music to mark different points in their life was pretty inspired for the time. As I said, the stars turn in beautiful performances. Grant is especially good in one of his better soap operatic roles. It's not the sort of film he was best known for but, as with most genres he tackled, he knocks it out of the park. Dunne is also terrific. Nice support from Edgar Buchanan and Beulah Bondi. It seems a little more like a mid-'30s picture instead of one from 1941. These sorts of soapers were very big in the '30s. Grant and Dunne fans might be disappointed that this is nothing like their two prior screwball comedies. But it's a very good movie of its type. The question is whether you like the type.

Heartfelt serenade

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 6 February 2019]

It is hard not to want to see, well in my case it was actually re-watch (liked it a lot on first watch, but wanted to see it again after years), 'Penny Serenade' with a cast this good, having in particular loved many of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant's performances. Also have liked to loved some of George Stevens' other films, particularly 'Shane', 'Swing Time' and 'A Place in the Sun'. With all that in mind, it was also hard to not have high expectations before and while watching, and was really hoping it would be good considering what it had going for it having seen a fair share of frustrating potential wastes.

'Penny Serenade' was luckily not one of those potential wastes, and the reasons as to why it was seen (cast, director, premise) weren't squandered either. Found it to be a great film that was even better than remembered, with genuine emotional impact and immense likeability. Also thought that mostly it avoided the traps that it easily could have fallen into, considering the type of film (essentially a melodrama, not an easy type of film to nail) it was. A type of film that can be done well, and has been done well numerous times, but has a good deal of dangers evidenced by just as many films falling into those traps.

Maybe 'Penny Serenade' moves too slowly at first, it doesn't find its momentum straight away.

The ending also felt a bit too pat and tacked on.

However, 'Penny Serenade' is very nicely shot and looks like it was made with care and love. Stevens directs with expert control, mostly keeping the story engaging, getting the best out of his cast and stopping the story from going over-the-top on the sentimentality, doing all of this with ease. The music is lovely to listen to and didn't ever find the placement questionable, a good thing seeing as music is a very important thing to talk about when reviewing for me and can find how the music is placed as important as the music itself.

Script is thought-provoking and warm-hearted, with the highlight being Grant's big speech that really brought a lump to my throat. Once it gets going, the story is charming and engaging more often than not, with also a relatability factor that's inspiring yet wrenching the gut worthy, but it's the emotional impact that makes 'Penny Serenade' memorable. This is genuinely poignant stuff without being sentimental-heavy, and it is very difficult to not clutch at your heart or reach for the tissues watching the film.

Furthermore, the characters are ones investing in and relating to and brought to life by the note-perfect cast. Dunne radiates class and Beulah Bondi and especially Edgar Buchannan provide sympathetic and knowing support, but it's a superb Grant at his most heartfelt who sticks out the most. He and Dunne's chemistry is beautifully tender.

All in all, slow start but well worth sticking with, because up until the ending it is a beautiful film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

You won't find a better utterly shameless tear-jerker.

[abadger · 6/10 · 10 January 1999]

Shameless, utterly shameless. After an on-cue earthquake renders Irene Dunne barren, she and spendthrift hubby Cary Grant try to adopt, which just begins the mawkish tear-grabbing. Granted, if you must sit through a weepie, there's no better company than Grant and the radiant, under-appreciated Dunne, with Edgar Buchanan fine as comic relief. Expertly done, but reprehensible nonetheless. The biggest shame of all -- Grant was Oscar-nominated for this, and for the even weepier "None but the Lonely Heart", but never for any of his immortal comedy performances.

Sentimental and underwritten.

[ellen74 · 3/10 · 2 April 2019]

The film stars off well showing Irene Dunne on the brink of divorce with Cary Grant, going through her record collection and being reminded of the ups and downs of their marriage with each tune. First their courtship through to marriage, -loved the train scene-then to an earthquake in Japan causing a miscarriage and infertility, to the couple deciding to adopt.

This is where the film began to lose me. They go to 'choose' a child with a list of their requirements, blond hair, bue eyes, must be a boy and so on. Despite this first red flag they are somehow the perfect parents for a baby girl and are allowed to jump the queue to get her even though Roger does not seem keen at all to begin with. I would never give a baby to this couple! Also the adoption lady keeps banging on that it's a very special baby but doesn't say why. It looked like a pretty normal baby to me. I actually though that maybe it was deaf and that's why it couldn't hear the alarm on their first night at home together and that's why it was special but no.

Moving on, the child is now six and is played in a rather sickeningly cute manner. She does a very odd forced smile at the end of her lines which is quite unnerving and down to poor direction. Suddenly she dies of a tragic illness. Thankfully we don't have to watch this but in literally days the couple are splitting up as they can't bear each other as are so grief-stricken. But in the last act they have a phone call from the adoption lady to say 'Don't worry, we now have that perfect, blond, blue eyed boy you wanted all along' and everyone is happy again. The end.

This ending is just so wrong to suggest that their beloved daughter can be replaced so easily and quickly. It would have made a lot more sense to have shown the couple grieving and growing apart over a few years and then coming together over the prospect of a new adoption in the future, after they had mourned their daughter fully.

I give the film 3 stars because it looks good and the leads are great but it was a frustrating and ultimately unfulfilling film that I would not recommend.