Cheap Penny Srenade (Video) (George Stevens) Price

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Customer Reviews of Penny Srenade

CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?...
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. <
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>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. <
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>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. <
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>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). <
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> 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. <
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>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. <
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>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. <
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>It is, however, a shame that the film has not been restored. Since other reviewers have decried the DVD transfer, I bought the film on VHS tape, only to have the print fare no better. The print itself is dreadful. Uneven in its quality, it is faded at certain points in the film. The grainy print is also rife with blips, blots, and streaks. It is also noisy with a crackling and humming sound throughout. At first, one believes that the film is unviewable in this state, but the film itself so quickly grabs the interest of the viewer that one finds oneself absorbed, despite the deficiencies of the print. I would only hope, however, that this film will be restored at sometime in the future, before it is too late.

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Music Affects Us All
This is an excellent film about a man and a woman who fall in love and the hardships they face. On the surface, it is a very cliché story but the actors and the music tremendously change this mediocre story into a masterpiece. <
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>The wonderful thing about music is how it affects people. This film is narrated by penny records that illustrate a certain period of time for the characters. Each is significant to the section it belongs to. The songs range from the romantic, "You Were Meant for Me" to the traditional "Happy Birthday." However, each greatly impact the scenes. <
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>Cary Grant is fabulous in this movie as a man who is not the wisest when it comes to finance but genuinely loves the people in his life. Irene Dunne is also well suited for her role; her emotions show indelibly on her face. <
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>Overall, the simple cliché plot is elaborated on by amazing use of music and acting. These elements have turned this film into a true classic.

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An Old Phonograph
George Stevens framed this entire film using flasbacks, an old phonograph playing the songs from various stages in the lives of two people who fall in love and are nearly torn apart by tragedy. The screenplay of Morrie Ryskind based on a story by Martha Cheavens is sentimental and heartwrenching. Cary Grant and Irene Dunne make it all seem real and director Stevens gives the film a romantic glow which makes this one of the most fondly remembered films of the 1940's. <
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>The story opens as Julie (Dunne) is getting ready to leave Roger (Grant) because of the pain caused by a tragedy in their lives he can not talk about so that they can begin to heal. She laments that they simply don't need each other anymore. When she finds an old stack of records she begins to trace the various stages of their love through the memories recalled by each song. <
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>Roger sees Julie through the window of the record store where she works, and though he doesn't have a phonograph player, he ends up buying a big package of songs just so he can spend time with her. He pretends he is going her way after work and it isn't long before she becomes "his funny little redhead." There are some wonderful scenes like Julie and Roger sitting in a cabana by the beach reading fortune cookies which gives the story a very romantic atmosphere. <
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>When Roger, who is a reporter, has a chance to go to Tokyo for a few years, the two get married and have a truncated honeymoon on a train which results in them becoming prospective parents. But an earthquake takes their happiness away and prevents them from having another child. Only when Roger gets an inheritance do they move back to the states and consider adoption while he starts the small town paper he has always dreamed of. What follows is warm, sweet and heartbreaking, and will result in Julie standing at the phonograph as she recalls their lives together before leaving. <
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>Whether their love and marriage can be saved is only resolved in the last few moments of this beautiful film. Edgar Buchanan as Apple Jack is absolutely wonderful as he lends both support and humor to this true screen classic. Beulah Bondi is also memorable as the kind Miss Oliver, going out of her way to create a family for two people who love each other. A warm and sentimental film every film lover needs to own.