During the Great Depression, a sheet music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent school teacher.
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
Robert Fitch
Al
Tommy Rall
Ed
Eliska Krupka
The Blind Girl
Christopher Walken
Tom
Francis X. McCarthy
The Bartender
Raleigh Bond
Mr. Barrett
Gloria LeRoy
A Prostitute
Nancy Parsons
The Old Whore
Toni Kaye
Tart
Shirley Kirkes Mar
Tart
Jack Fletcher
Elevator Operator
Hunter Watkins
Boy
Arell Blanton
Motorcycle Police
George P. Wilbur
Motorcycle Police
M.C. Gainey
Young Policeman
Mark Campbell
Newsboy
Mark Martinez
Schoolboy
Duke Stroud
Counterman
Joseph G. Medalis
Counterman
Richard Blum
Pool Player
William Frankfather
Pool Player
James Mendenhall
Warden
Jim Boeke
Hangman
Robert Lee Jarvis
Policeman
Luke Andreas
Customer
Will Hare
Father Everson
Joshua Cadman
Jumbo
Paul Valentine
Bar Patron
Bill Richards
Bar Patron
John Craig
Bar Patron
Alton Ruff
Bar Patron / Dancer
Karla J. Franko
Bank Secretary
Robin Hoff
Bank Secretary
Linda Montana
Bank Secretary
Bunney Brooke
Bank Secretary
Twink Caplan
Bank Customer
Lillian D'Honau
Bank Customer
Barbara Nordella
Bank Customer
Dean Taliaferro
Bank Customer
Wayne Storm
Bank Guard
Gene Ross
Bank Teller
Edward J. Heim
Bank Teller
Dave Adams
Bank Teller
Greg Finley
Bank Teller
Paul Michael
Bank Teller
Joe Ross
Bank Teller
Tammy O'Rourke
Dancer (uncredited)
Director
Herbert Ross
Writer
Dennis Potter
February 23, 2019
5
***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
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$22,000,000.00
Revenue:
$9,171,289.00