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IMDbPro

Pennies from Heaven

  • 19811981
  • RR
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
5.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
11,038
2,093
Pennies from Heaven (1981)
Watch the trailer for Pennies from Heaven, starring Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters.
Play trailer3:06
2 Videos
82 Photos
DramaMusicalRomance
During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
5.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
11,038
2,093
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Herbert Ross
    • Writer
      • Dennis Potter(written for the screen by)
    • Stars
      • Steve Martin
      • Bernadette Peters
      • Jessica Harper
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Herbert Ross
    • Writer
      • Dennis Potter(written for the screen by)
    • Stars
      • Steve Martin
      • Bernadette Peters
      • Jessica Harper
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 75User reviews
    • 46Critic reviews
    • 64Metascore
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 3 wins & 9 nominations total

    Videos2

    Pennies from Heaven: Trailer
    Trailer 3:06
    Pennies from Heaven: Trailer
    Pennies from Heaven
    Trailer 3:06
    Pennies from Heaven

    Photos82

    Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, and Jessica Harper in Pennies from Heaven (1981)
    Steve Martin in Pennies from Heaven (1981)
    Bernadette Peters in Pennies from Heaven (1981)
    "Pennies From Heaven" Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Bernadette Peters 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Bernadette Peters 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From H eaven" Steve Martin 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Bernadette Peters 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Steve Martin 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Steve Martin 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Steve Martin 1982 MGM
    "Pennies From Heaven" Christopher Walken 1982 MGM

    Top cast

    Edit
    Steve Martin
    Steve Martin
    • Arthur
    Bernadette Peters
    Bernadette Peters
    • Eileen
    Jessica Harper
    Jessica Harper
    • Joan
    Vernel Bagneris
    Vernel Bagneris
    • The Accordion Man
    John McMartin
    John McMartin
    • Mr. Warner
    John Karlen
    John Karlen
    • The Detective
    Jay Garner
    • The Banker
    Robert Fitch
    • Al
    Tommy Rall
    Tommy Rall
    • Ed
    Eliska Krupka
    • The Blind Girl
    Christopher Walken
    Christopher Walken
    • Tom
    Francis X. McCarthy
    Francis X. McCarthy
    • The Bartender
    • (as Frank McCarthy)
    Raleigh Bond
    • Mr. Barrett
    Gloria LeRoy
    Gloria LeRoy
    • A Prostitute
    Nancy Parsons
    Nancy Parsons
    • The Old Whore
    Toni Kaye
    • Tart
    Shirley Kirkes Mar
    • Tart
    • (as Shirley Kirkes)
    Jack Fletcher
    Jack Fletcher
    • Elevator Operator
    • Director
      • Herbert Ross
    • Writer
      • Dennis Potter(written for the screen by) (based on original material by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Christopher Walken's bar-top dance scene took two months of rehearsal and two days of shooting. He claims he got compliments later from fans Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.
    • Goofs
      In the classroom, a modern Canadian flag can be seen. It wasn't designed until 1964.
    • Quotes

      Joan Parker: [referring to Arthur's male organ, after discovering he's having an affair] Cut his thing off.

      [the detective shows a look of shock and disgust]

      Joan Parker: I want them to cut his thing off and bury it!

    • Connections
      Featured in 39th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1982)
    • 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

      Later sung by Steve Martin (uncredited)

    User reviews75

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    25 years later the crowd is ready.
    I am glad I don't live in Frostbite Falls because I might shiver at the thought of such a complex and clever film as PENNIES FROM HEAVEN. Made with a massive 1980 budget of $22 million and all of it up there on the screen, this genuine masterwork is one of the great unappreciated and misunderstood films of its day. The biggest hurdle the film could not overcome (then) was the casting of comedy stars in Art Deco darkness. Steve Martin had just scored a bullseye in the wild comedy THE JERK. For mainstream audiences to even then turn around and slightly embrace the sad loneliness of PENNIES' aching melancholy is impossible. PENNIES' failed and was consigned to misfire history. Today in 2005 this film deserves to stand with CHICAGO or even MOULIN ROUGE in its sly dark new century crowd pleaser theatrics. It is a film for this century and if audiences today have the chance to appreciate and applaud it's brilliant creative slant and dramatic spectacle, it will be a success. Possibly in the same ironic fantasy manner of THE PIRATE or YOLANDA AND THE THIEF, or LADY IN THE DARK of the 40s, ITS ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER from 1955, maybe THE BOYFRIEND of the 70s and even the original 1988 HAIRSPRAY by John Waters, PENNIES' belongs to that rare style of musical spectacle: the emotional fantasy with a dark satire core. Truly great.
    helpful•33
    7
    • ptb-8
    • Feb 6, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 1, 1982 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tanz in den Wolken
    • Filming locations
      • 4th Street Bridge, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • SLM Production Group
      • Hera Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $22,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,171,289
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,171,289
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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