Penny Serenade

Rating:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Summary: A Wonderful and Tender Film!!!
Review: To state it simply - they don't make films like this anymore. Released in 1941, this film has the likes of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, as the love-struck couple who marry and then move on to fulfill Irene Grant's "dream," which is to have a baby. Unfortunately, she and Cary end up in Japan, and while they are living there for a brief time, an earthquake takes place, the pregnant wife falls and she loses her child.

Getting back to the States is tough, especially after she remarks that she'll never ever be able to have the dream of her life. Cary's character is a self-styled publisher, and when "Uncle Applejack," played by a sensitive Edgar Buchanan, enters the scene and suggests that Cary told him that he'd love to adopt (actually, Uncle Applejack sets up the whole thing), we're off on a new adventure for our couple.

The adoption process is a tough one, and filled with many challenges, and it's this about the film - the rising above life's setbacks that makes it such a great film.

What is intriguing about the way it is filmed, is that it uses the 78 LP spinning the songs of Miss Dunne's character who is reminiscing about the past, in that the movie opens with the couple all set to call it quits due to the death of their adopted child. But it's well worth viewing, this remarkable movie, and it is a "tear-jerker," there's no doubt about it. So get the hankies ready and hold your sweetie's hand, because for 2 hours, you are transported to another world - a wonderful and tender world that once made Hollywood great!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful and Tender Film!!!
Review: To state it simply - they don't make films like this anymore. Released in 1941, this film has the likes of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, as the love-struck couple who marry and then move on to fulfill Irene Grant's "dream," which is to have a baby. Unfortunately, she and Cary end up in Japan, and while they are living there for a brief time, an earthquake takes place, the pregnant wife falls and she loses her child.

Getting back to the States is tough, especially after she remarks that she'll never ever be able to have the dream of her life. Cary's character is a self-styled publisher, and when "Uncle Applejack," played by a sensitive Edgar Buchanan, enters the scene and suggests that Cary told him that he'd love to adopt (actually, Uncle Applejack sets up the whole thing), we're off on a new adventure for our couple.

The adoption process is a tough one, and filled with many challenges, and it's this about the film - the rising above life's setbacks that makes it such a great film.

What is intriguing about the way it is filmed, is that it uses the 78 LP spinning the songs of Miss Dunne's character who is reminiscing about the past, in that the movie opens with the couple all set to call it quits due to the death of their adopted child. But it's well worth viewing, this remarkable movie, and it is a "tear-jerker," there's no doubt about it. So get the hankies ready and hold your sweetie's hand, because for 2 hours, you are transported to another world - a wonderful and tender world that once made Hollywood great!!!