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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
SLM Production Group
Not part of a collection.
There's a world on both sides of the rainbow where songs come true and every time it rains, it rains Pennies from Heaven.
During the Great Depression, a sheet music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.
Wuchak
Feb 23, 2019 · via TMDB
***Imagination helps endure the harsh realities of the Depression*** In the 1930s a struggling sheet music salesman (Steve Martin) tries to escape his dreary existence with his prudish wife (Jessica Harper) to pursue his dream and a cute schoolmarm (Bernadette Peters). The imaginations of the characters help them deal with the harsh realities of the Great Depression. Vernel Bagneris plays a homeless accordion player while Christopher Walken is on hand as a pimp. “Pennies from Heaven” (1981) is a drama/musical based on the 1978 British mini-series and written by the same guy. The song & dance routines occur about every 7 minutes and are an amusingly kinetic counterpoint to the sad Depression-era dramatics. Martin is his usual comical self, but the drama is definitely not a comedy and contains some seriously unsavory moments. “Pennies from Heaven” was the precursor to musicals like “Chicago” (2002) and “Nine” (2009), but those films have superior reality-based stories and far better women, especially “Chicago” as far as the women go. But Bernadette is a joy to behold as usual; and Martin is charismatic despite playing a man of dubious character. The movie runs 1 hour, 48 minutes and was shot in Illinois (Chicago & Galena) and Southern Cal (the Los Angeles area & Wasco). GRADE: C
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Steve Martin
Arthur
Bernadette Peters
Eileen
Jessica Harper
Joan
Vernel Bagneris
The Accordion Man
John McMartin
Mr. Warner
John Karlen
The Detective
Jay Garner
The Banker
Tommy Rall
Ed
Christopher Walken
Tom
Francis X. McCarthy
The Bartender
Raleigh Bond
Mr. Barrett
Gloria LeRoy
A Prostitute
Nancy Parsons
The Old Whore
Jack Fletcher
Elevator Operator
George P. Wilbur
Motorcycle Police
M.C. Gainey
Young Policeman
Joseph G. Medalis
Counterman
Will Hare
Father Everson
Paul Valentine
Bar Patron
Linda Montana
Bank Secretary
Twink Caplan
Bank Customer
Gene Ross
Bank Teller
Dave Adams
Bank Teller
Greg Finley
Bank Teller
Tammy O'Rourke
Dancer (uncredited)
Tanya Fenmore
Dancer / Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Ken Adam
Production Design
Gordon Willis
Director of Photography
Bob Mackie
Costume Design
Allen Payne
Hairdresser
Daniel C. Striepeke
Makeup Artist
Conrad E. Palmisano
Stunt Double
Herbert Ross
Director
Richard Marks
Editor
Sidney Wolinsky
First Assistant Editor
Ken Adam
Associate Producer
Rick McCallum
Executive Producer
Herbert Ross
Producer
Mark Mangini
Dialogue Editor
Ralph Burns
Original Music Composer
Richard L. Anderson
Sound Editor
Stephen Hunter Flick
Sound Editor
Dennis Potter
Writer
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Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
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