Drama

Romance

Penny Serenade

Columbia Pictures

United States of America

English

Cary Grant

Irene Dunne

Beulah Bondi

Edgar Buchanan

Ann Doran

Eva Lee Kuney

Leonard Willey

Wallis Clark

Walter Soderling

Jane Biffle

Dorothy Adams

Billy Bevan

Bess Flowers

Dick Gordon

Morris Stoloff

Gene Anderson

Morrie Ryskind

George Stevens

Martha Cheavens

Otto Meyer

Lionel Banks

W. Franke Harling

Fred Guiol

Joseph Walker

This film boasts a wonderful dramatic turn by a young Cary Grant.  If you're of the minority who view Mr. Grant as a boring, overrated comedy actor, give this a watch because the great man can most certainly act!  It's a very enjoyable romance, elevated by a sparkling cast.  The story is very heartwarming, but also quite the tearjerker.  The record player transitions between scenes are quite a lovely touch, and good special effects for its time.  Good family viewing.

CinemaSerf

There is certainly chemistry between Irene Dunne and Cary Grant as the married couple with their lives ahead of them until an earthquake and tragedy strikes them and they must adjust to a life without the prospect of having their own child. That is until - with a little intervention from an avuncular and ever helpful "Applejack" (Edgar Buchanan) - they decide to adopt. They live a pretty subsistence existence by now; he is trying to run a local newspaper with a circulation that hovers around the 901-908 mark and so when it comes to the formalities, it is going to be struggle. Luckily, kindly adoption agent Beulah Bondi ("Miss Oliver") takes to them and soon afterwards they have their own little girl "Trine". Up until this point, both leads are engaging - frequent funny, especially Grant who has a distinct spontaneity in his performance - and though unchallenging, it is an enjoyable watch. However, tragedy strikes again and the film descends into maudlin melodrama with a last fifteen minutes that conclude with events that I found really quite tacky - almost like trading a commodity. What flowed effortlessly until then becomes contrived and for me, anyway, ruined much of the rest of it. It is a good watch, George Stevens does a good job and the writing/dalogue are frequently amusing and pithy - but that ending... sorry!

Favorite Carry Grant scene 🙌 - Penny Serenade (1941)

Alexander Payne and George Stevens, Jr. on ‘Penny Serenade’ and Respecting the Audience | TCMFF 2023

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Penny Serenade

Cast & Crew

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Cast

Cary Grant

Irene Dunne

Beulah Bondi

Edgar Buchanan

Ann Doran

Eva Lee Kuney

Leonard Willey

Wallis Clark

Walter Soderling

Jane Biffle

Box office

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