Penny Serenade (1941)

Grant and Dunne adopt a baby after their unborn baby dies due to a miscarriage during an earthquake in Japan. He becomes an editor for a small town newspaper and suffer another trajedy. Dunne contemplates divorce, recollecting the joys and griefs she has shared with her husband. A wonderful tearjerker, with expert direction. Academy Award nomination for Cary Grant -- Best Actor.

THE BEST MOVIE EVER! I ABSOULUTELY LOVE THIS MOVIE! IT IS THE MOST WONDERFUL MOVIE ON EARTH!

All I know is that it is a wonderful movie. The best movie I have ever seen! One of Cary Grants best(although I haven't seen all of them). But I can just tell these things by instinct! And it was a very safe movie nothing objectable in it! August 1, 2008

Grant and Dunne Reign Supreme in an Unabashedly Sentimental Marital Soap Opera

The assured hand of master filmmaker George Stevens makes the third and final pairing of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne more than an emotionally satisfying experience. Unlike the first two films - Leo McCarey's The Awful Truth (1937) and Garson Kanin's My Favorite Wife (1940) - this wholly sentimental 1941 tearjerker is not remotely a screwball comedy. That's not to say Grant and Dunne do not exude their customary charm and grace in their roles. They do in spades and continue to show the easy rapport that made them so compatible in all their films together. The film is also an early, uncommonly mature look at the challenges that arise with marriage and adoption, a precursor to later accomplished films like 1967's Two for the Road.

Written by Morrie Ryskind (who wrote the classics, My Man Godfrey and Stage Door), the time-spanning story of Julie and Roger Adams is told in flashbacks as Julie plays her collection of 78's on an old Victrola. Just as she is about to leave Roger, the songs spark memories of defining episodes from their courtship and marriage. The early part of their relationship is played out fully with the stars' wit and charm as Roger attempts to pick up Julie by buying a pile of records at the store in which she works (even though he doesn't have a record player). They marry, and when he gets a career break as a reporter in Japan, she joins him and announces her pregnancy. This brief interlude is most amusing in hindsight as it shows a very stereotypical view of pre-WWII Japan right out of Madame Butterfly (the film was released a mere eight months before Pearl Harbor). In an intriguing display of early special effects, the 1923 Tokyo earthquake destroys their home, and she loses her baby and any chance of future conception.

This intractable loss becomes the impetus for the rest of the story, as they come back to California and attempt to adopt while running a local newspaper. They eventually adopt and raise a daughter from infancy, Trina, but further tragedy ensues to a palpable breaking point. As the classic film stars that they truly were, Grant and Dunne show how skillfully they can balance drama and comedy with a heavy emphasis on the humanism of the characters. Grant, in particular, has a heartbreaking scene where Roger begs a judge to allow Julie and him to keep their baby daughter despite their dwindling economic circumstances. Edgar Buchanan (long before his lazy Uncle Joe on TV's Petticoat Junction) and Beulah Bondi provide able support as their devoted friend Applejack and Miss Oliver, the compassionate adoption agency worker, respectively. With no extras, the 2006 DVD has a decent enough print, though the film is still in need of a more thorough restoration. March 18, 2008

Good film; Annoying DVD

The other reviews describe the film quite well. Irene Dunn and Cary Grant are entertaining and excellent actors. Edgar Buchanan is great. However, there are a few annoying things about the DVD. There are several places where it skips and jumps. Also, RE has placed their logo in the lower right hand corner of the entire film. I am sure that this will not bother some people, however, I find it quite annoying. I will probably watch this on an old VHS rather than the DVD in the future. June 30, 2007

THE POWER OF MUSIC...

This is a wonderfully sentimental melodrama, which is deftly directed by the venerable George Stevens. With its stellar cast, the film delivers a heartwarming story.

The film opens onto a scene of a woman, Julie Adams (Irene Dunne), who is in the process of leaving her beloved husband, Roger (Cary Grant). It seems that they are no longer able to communicate with one another, and their marriage has headed south in the wake of tragedy. Before she leaves, Julie puts a record album on the victrola, and suddenly memories of the marriage come flooding back.

The viewer sees vignettes from the marriage in flashback, as Julie plays one old record after another. The memories allow the viewer to see how the formerly happy couple met. Fittingly, they met in a record store where Julie worked. Roger was a newspaper reporter at the time. Their meeting was quite romantic, and, of course, inevitably, they marry.

When Roger is sent on assignment to Japan, Julie follows but so does tragedy. They return to the states and settle in the small town of Rosalia, California, where Roger tries his hand at publishing a small hometown newspaper. As a result of what happened in Japan, however, they are unable to have children. Consequently, a small cloud looms on their marital horizon, only to be righted by their long time friend with the improbable name of Applejack Carney (Edgar Buchanan).

Roger and Julie decide to adopt and do so with the help of a Ms. Oliver (Beulah Bondi), a kindly woman who is able to see the love that Julie and Roger would bring to a child in need of a home. So, five week old Trina comes into their lives and burrows into their hearts. There, she stays until tragedy, once again, strikes the household years later. This tragedy serves to bring the now unhappy couple to this impasse in their lives.

Irene Dunne is simply sensational in the role of Julie, the woman who is the mainstay in the lives of those around her. She imbues the role with such warmth and emotion that the viewer can feel those emotions with her. Trust me when I tell you that you will need a box of tissues handy. It is definitely a five hanky tearjerker. Cary Grant, looking impossibly handsome, is wonderfully cast as the impulsive, easygoing, and impecunious Roger, who is brought down to terra firma by his well grounded wife, Julie, and finds happiness that he never thought possible when he became Trina's father.

Edgar Buchanan is heartwarming as the friend and general factotum who is always around to pick up the pieces and help right what has gone wrong. Beulah Bondi is terrific as the well-meaning Ms. Oliver, who helps the Adams family achieve their dream. There are several children who play Trina at different stages in her life. All are wonderful, but the most adorable one is the one who plays the role of one year old Trina (Baby Jane Biffle). The viewer will understand fully why her adoptive parents are so besotted by her. This is a wonderful melodrama that will tug at one's heartstrings. Beautifully acted and well-directed, this film is a gem. November 29, 2006

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