Penny Serenade
Penny Serenade
NR | 24 April 1941 (USA)
Penny Serenade Trailers

Julie and Roger are a love-struck married couple who desperately want to have a child. Tragedy after tragedy gets in their way, as the two attempt to rise above their troubles and fulfill their dreams of parenthood.

Reviews
Harockerce What a beautiful movie!
Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant
Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
jc-osms I'm a fan of Grant and Dunne's two previous "screwball comedy" features, "The Awful Truth" and "My Favourite Wife". This movie is however a million miles away from those comedy classics being an old-fashioned weepie about a couple who come together later in life and who despite the initial resistance of Grant's character to fatherhood, suffer the loss of their first child in pregnancy (due to a surprise earthquake in Japan, yep, go figure it!) and who later adopt a baby girl who unsurprisingly becomes the centre point of their lives.As a childless husband, I found I couldn't relate to the tribulations of this couple who in the end can only co-exist if there's a child to act between them as the family glue, the happy ending emanating unsurprisingly from another phone call from the orphanage just as they're about to separate for good.It's all very sincere and earnest, but it's also very slow and undramatic, "high-points" of the film being Dunne's excruciating attempt to put a nappy on the baby and the couple's adoring attendance at the now infant girl's first Christmas nativity.Edgar Buchanan as the silly-named Applejack gets a sympathetic part as their best friend and Beulah Bondai likewise as the orphanage matron who they win over to their side despite their struggling poverty.Grant and Dunne try hard to put across this sentimental tosh with conviction but they seem too old for their parts and occasionally come over as gauche and unconvincing. Grant gets a big scene where he tries to convince the "by-the-book" orphanage governor to let them keep their child, but like so many other scenes, it goes on too long, lessening its dramatic input. Director Stevens uses as the, I hesitate to call it narrative drive, dissolves of Dunne playing "their tunes" on record discs, this gimmick palling quickly as the dull story kicks in.While I was pleased to finally see a rarely screened Grant movie, it probably isn't one I'll want to see again. It's not a terrible movie, but it is, alas, quite a boring one.
ma-cortes This weeper movie turns out to be a simplistic tale , however provides an enjoyable time . Nostalgic and sensitive picture with brooding drama , adequate cinematography and evocative musical score . Well thought movie in which the couple's big dreams give way to a life full of unexpected sadness and unexpected joy . Sensitive film which deals with interesting issues such as family life , couple relationship , sons , death and many other things . The story is plain and simple , nonetheless results to be a moving experience . It is a tearjerker about an agreeable couple who looks rather stiff and maudlin nowadays . This over-expended weepie flick relies heavily on the relationship between Gary Grant and Irene Dunne but this does not get bored or spoils the tale . Slightly overrated but excellent all the same time , the picture is enjoyable and entertaining , but overlong . The story is narrated with great sense and sensibility , the intelligent screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind and based on a story by Martha Cheavens . Sensational protagonist duo , Gary Grant is extraordinary , as usual , and Irene Dunne is magnificent . They don't make'em like this anymore and no one plays Grant better tan Grant . Only these big stars like Grant and Dunne could play material like this . Irene Dunne often said that this was her favorite film because it reminded her of her own adopted daughter . This is third of three movies that paired Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Support cast is frankly excellent such as Beulah Bondi as Miss Oliver , Ann Doran as Dotty 'Dot' and special mention to Edgar Buchanan as uncle Applejack Carney Pleasant musical score by Frankie Herling , including some songs as leitmotif . One of them is the song that was playing when she and Roger first met in a music store. Other songs remind her of their courtship, their marriage, their desire for a child, and the joys and sorrows that they have shared. Atmospheric cinematography in black and White , though also available colorized . Cinematographer Franz Planer started the film but became seriously ill and had to withdraw , he was replaced by Joseph Walker. There are many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely and usually badly edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation or more copies of the film. This stunning film with great sense and sensibility was compellingly directed by George Stevens ,considered to be one of the best American directors . He filmed all kind genres such as , drama : The diary of Anne Frank , A place in the sun , Giant , Alice Adams ; Comedy : Vivacious lady , Talk of the town ; Adventure : Gunga Din ; Western : Shane , Annie Oakley , and Historical : The greatest story ever told .
wolfmagena this movie was very cute but also very sad, this poor couple is very much in love and want nothing more then to have children to love as well. but there's nothing but disater for them when they loss there unborn child in a earthquake, then finally able to adopt a little girl and go through so much just to keep her only for her to fall ill and die. this tears them apart and they almost split up when they get a call that there is a two year old boy that they can adopt and they are so over joyed that all the pain they felt moments before almost vanish. some of my favorite scene's where when they first bring there baby girl home they are trying to be quite but the stairs creek and just the angle of the camera and the look on there faces as they run up the stairs so not to wake the baby is just precious.
JoelGrennon With a well organized story line and a decent amount of sympathy this film comes across to me as the ever so common love story. Most of this is due to the fact that a movie like this one comes to theaters about 5 times a year now a days, but put in perspective of the early 1940's and you got yourself a film with quite uniqueness. The amount of over dramatic scenes was found a bit to often but again compared to movies today it was a nothing out of the ordinary. I'd have to say the actors sold their roles and were very believable. Now what made this film different from many of the films out there was the way Dunne went through all the flashback scenes in the movie by playing records that reminded her of their life together. It was a very strong idea that got the concept across fairly easily.