Pennies from Heaven (1981)

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.

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Dennis Potter (written for the screen by), Dennis Potter (based on original material by)

Stars:

Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Jessica Harper

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Martin	...	Arthur
Bernadette Peters	...	Eileen
Jessica Harper	...	Joan
Vernel Bagneris	...	The Accordion Man
John McMartin	...	Mr. Warner
John Karlen	...	The Detective
Jay Garner	...	The Banker
Robert Fitch	...	Al
Tommy Rall	...	Ed
Eliska Krupka	...	The Blind Girl
Christopher Walken	...	Tom
Francis X. McCarthy	...	The Bartender (as Frank McCarthy)
Raleigh Bond	...	Mr. Barrett
Gloria LeRoy	...	A Prostitute
Nancy Parsons	...	The Old Whore

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.

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Plot Keywords:

police | vengeful wife | blinking light | movie theater | finger snap | 

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Taglines:

There's a world on both sides of the rainbow where songs come true and every time it rains, it rains...

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 January 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dinheiro do Céu

Filming Locations:

4th Street Bridge, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$9,179,289

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), SLM Production Group, Hera Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White ("Follow the Fleet" dream sequence) Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After The Jerk (1979), this was Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters' second and final film together.

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Goofs

Bar codes on railroad box cars.

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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!
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Suspiria (2015)

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Soundtracks

Pennies from Heaven
(1936)
Written by Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston
Published by Intersong Music
Performed by Arthur Tracy
Courtesy of Decca Co. Ltd
Mimed onscreen and Danced by Vernel Bagneris (uncredited)
Later sung by Steve Martin (uncredited)

User Reviews

Diamond in the rough

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.