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Penny Serenade

Penny Serenade

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best pictures to come out of the 40s!
Review: One of Cary Grant's and Irene Dunne's best! Edgar Buchanan as Applejack and Beulah Bondi as the social worker are also memorable. This is truly an old-fashioned five hanky tearjerker. But it has its comic moments as well. So many parents can laugh at the part where they first brought home the newborn baby. I know it takes me back to those days! And the part where Irene Dunne is nervous about giving the baby a bath for the first time. I remember feeling just like that! Even though some parts are sad, I always feel glad when things work out in the end. I agree with those who own lousy copies of the DVD. This picture deserves first class treatment so people can still enjoy it. I have a VHS black and white copy that I think I bought at Caldor's years ago. It has a good clear picture, and while you can tell that the soundtrack is old, it's still very much watchable. My copy was put out by Hal Roach studios.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Heartwarming and family friendly
Review: Penny Serenade is a classic Hollywood film starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. It's the story of a young couple who must overcome personal tragedy and heartbreak -- especially the loss of their baby. They adopt a baby only to run into difficulties when the adoption agency seeks to take the child back when the Cary Grant character experiences business reversals. But love and devotion prevail in the end. Penny Serenade is a heartwarming, family friendly, wonderfully presented, entertaining, and highly recommended for personal and community library video collections. 136 minute, B&W.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beautifully Touching
Review: Penny Serenade is one of the most touching films of all time. This happy and sad tale of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne trying to adopt a child is wonderful. It is a must-see for anyone and everyone. I am 13 years old and have watched this movie countless times since I was 7. As a daughter of 2 baby-boomers, I can tell you that the Classics always prove to be the best films of our time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You the man, Cary Grant.
Review: PENNY SERENADE is the story about a young woman who falls in love with a newspaper reporter. They get married. Move to Japan. Survive an Earthquake. Loose a child. Adopt another. Tragedy besets them, but in the end they are able to overcome it. The movie is mostly told through musical flashbacks thanks to rotating RPMs and is one of the first films to ever have used the soundtrack as an intrical part of the film. The movie is a notch above most other melodramatic tearjerkers and there's one big reason for that: Cary Grant.

Cary Grant is the man. What more does one need to say? Sure Irene Dunn does a good job in this melodramatic tale about a husband and wife who live through an earthquake in Japan, the loss of an unborn child, and the adoption of another. Of course, the actor who plays Applejack steals many scenes, serving as the wise fool in this Shakespearean-type romance as his character balances everything that occurs. Nevertheless, through all of Uncle Applejack's helpful advice and Irene Dunn's moving tears, it's Cary Grant who carries the picture. Grant nailed this performance of Roger and once again illustrated how great of an actor he truly was. A lot of actors would have been tempted to delve into melodramatic play-acting, but not Grant. Even though this is a tear-jerker melodrama and he has some really cheesy lines in some scenes, Grant makes the whole thing seem plausible and feel realistic. I admit that I am a huge fan of Cary Grant, but I keep digging up these old movies he made, hoping to find a film that he totally flops in. So far, I haven't found any. Grant was just a notch above the rest and could make any movie more enjoyable just by being in it. It's worth more than a penny to see his performance in this serenade.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: TRAGICOMEDY FROM 1941
Review: The trials and tribulations of a young couple who lose their baby (Dunne miscarries during an earthquake in Japan) then later decide to adopt a little girl. This film is an unusual blend of tragedy/comedy. Irene Dunne was over 40 when she played in this but she can pull it off. Cary Grant was nominated for his first AA. If I remember correctly the film opens with Irene Dunne playing a 78 recording of "To a Wild Rose". Edgar Buchannan is memorable as Applejack and Beulah Bondi does usual amazing acting as the head of the adoption agency. This is a rather strange movie, as it has fine elements of comedy and it definitely has tearjerking moments yet the combination is rather uneasy (in retrospect, it always has been), but it definitely makes the eyes water, so be forewarned!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ultra-Sentimental Classic -- Keep your Kleenex handy!
Review: This DVD version of the classic tear-jerker "Penny Serenade" may only be a standard production (considering recent technological advances in digital entertainment), but all of the delightfully sappy "soap" effect of the 1941 original remains 100% in tact. A few little gimmicks include a cute interactive trivia game that doesn't show you the answer until you guessed correctly.

Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are perfectly matched as the young couple whose years together are chronicled through the countless special songs they shared in a massive record collection. The tragedies and joys are all mirrored in the songs. When the couple's happiness seems doomed after losing their unborn child, adopting a little girl brings an abundance of sparks back. When this child dies at a young age, Grant's despare seems to be too much to weather, and Dunne sees no alternative but to leave.

The miracle (even if somewhat predictable) at the end is nothing short of Hollywood Magic. Though a relatively lackluster production (certainly with Hollywood Golden Era's glamourous image), "Penny Serenade" easily makes most "top 10" tear jerker lists. A rare gem!*****

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A very good film!
Review: This is a film well worth watching and a real classic. They don't make them like this anymore.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A classic tearjerker
Review: This is a wonderful film to watch if you like Cary Grant or Irene Dunne. This film shows a marriage from its romantic beginning to its disintegration and the events that led up to it. This is a great, but bittersweet film that will have you teary eyed. Be sure to see this one at least once.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: pass the kleenex
Review: this movie is a must see for all cary grant and irene dunne fans. this is one of my favorite movies of all time. i never tire of watching it and i always cry. cary grant and irene dunne meet,fall in love, and marry just like every other young couple but then their lives take some very painful turns. from losing a child and going through the heartache of being tolk you will never have children and then adopting and facing more sorrow, this movie will hold you all the way through. it is truly a love story in every sense of the word. this one you will want to own.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WOW
Review: This movie is one of Grant's best. If you love Grant, you will love this movie. This movie is about remenissing about the old days and the good and bad things in life and through marriage.


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