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!
You the man, Cary Grant.
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.
One of the best tear jerkers on film
I have watched this movie countless times, and to this day never tire of it! Cary Grant is the husband that dreams are made of! He positively shines in this role. He was one of a kind, and truely shows it here. His pairing with Irene Dunn is perfect as they play well of each other. She is a perfect blend of wholesome & sexy as was the way of things in that era. The interesting way the story told in flashbacks by playing old records and remembering the time they represent covers love, hope, courage, heartache and triumph.
There are better Cary Grant movies out there to watch. This one is just about ok. The movie DVD is released by various companies. I had the BFC edition, and was not very thrilled by the print. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Alfred Zeisler DVD Release Date: Released the 18 February 2002 Usually ships within 24 hours
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After winning consecutive best director Oscars (for A Letter to Three Wives and All About Eve), Joseph Mankiewicz turned his attention to this extremely curious social comedy. Cary Grant plays a famous, idealistic gynecologist whose mysterious past is questioned by a vindictive colleague (Hume Cronyn). Meanwhile, the doctor falls for a pregnant patient (Jeanne Crain), whose unmarried status is daring for a movie of 1951 vintage. The title is an all-too-apt description of Mankiewicz's chatty style, but it also carries sinister echoes of the McCarthy era--specifically, an attempted right-wing purge of the Director's Guild, I which Mankiewicz was the main target. This subtext lends interest beyond the movie's rather tame romance. The Grant character, named Doctor Praetorius (no... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Cary Grant - Jeanne Crain Director(s): Joseph L. Mankiewicz DVD Release Date: Released the 06 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A classic screwball comedy with a supernatural twist, Topper stars the incomparable Cary Grant and sparkling Constance Bennett as George and Marion Kirby, a fun-loving couple who cap an evening of jazz and champagne by running their car into a tree. They return as ghosts with a mandate to liven up the straight-laced hen-pecked life of bank president Cosmo Topper (Roland Young), who's hungry for just such a shake-up. Before long he's boozing, dancing, and getting into fights, all of which gives him a rakish reputation--much to the consternation of his wife (Billie Burke, best known as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz). The sequel replaces Grant and Bennett with Joan Blondell, who can't quite compare, but she's charming in her own way. Topper Returns... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Constance Bennett - Cary Grant - Roland Young Director(s): Norman Z. McLeod DVD Release Date: Released the 17 June 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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The Front Page, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's classic 1928 newspaper play, has had three official film versions and contributed structural DNA to half the movies ever made about professional camaraderie and fierce love-hate friendships. Lewis Milestone's 1931 movie is well respected (Billy Wilder's 1974 version isn't), but this is one case where the remake towers brilliantined head and blocked shoulders above the original.
Howard Hawks had the inspired notion of making Hildy Johnson--the ace newsman whom demonic editor Walter Burns is trying to keep from quitting and getting married--a she instead of a he. What's more, she's not only Walter's star reporter but also his ex-wife. When Hildy (Rosalind Russell) comes to tell Walter (Cary Grant) she's leaving the newspaper... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Cary Grant - Rosalind Russell Director(s): Howard Hawks DVD Release Date: Released the 01 October 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Get out your handkerchiefs for this four-star weepie, a 1957 remake of the 1939 Love Affair, directed by Leo McCarey, who also made the original. Grant and Kerr are strangers on an ocean liner, involved with other people, but who can't resist each other for a shipboard romance. They decide to test whether this is the real thing by agreeing to split up, then meet in six months atop the Empire State Building. Is there anyone who can resist that setup or the tragic romantic mishap that nearly splits them up? Can you keep dry eyes during the famous finale? Some prefer the original (with Charles Boyer); practically no one liked the underrated 1994 remake with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. While occasionally a shade slow, this one soars on Grant's charm and Kerr's noble suffering.... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Leo McCarey DVD Release Date: Released the 04 February 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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