Miscellaneous Reviews Festivals Lists Etc
#
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Here


Site Meter

 

George Stevens: The '40s

Vigil in the Night

Penny Serenade (January 12/07)

The final pairing of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, Penny Serenade casts the charismatic stars as Roger and Julie Adams - a married couple whose relationship undergoes a series of tests over a period of several years. The movie, which transpires primarily in flashback, starts with their initial meeting at a record shop and eventually focuses on their labored efforts to adopt a child (this is after Julie is rendered barren following an earthquake-related mishap). Directed by George Stevens and written by Morrie Ryskind, Penny Serenade boasts an almost distractingly overlong running time; there's certainly no ignoring the inclusion of several needless sequences, including an interminable interlude in which Dunne's Julie attempts to bathe and change a baby in real time. And yet the film generally remains entertaining enough to warrant a mild recommendation, with Grant and Dunne easily transforming their admittedly thinly-drawn characters into figures worth rooting for (Grant's delivery of an impassioned speech in the movie's third act practically validates Penny Serenade's entire existence).

out of

Woman of the Year

The Talk of the Town

The More the Merrier

I Remember Mama

© David Nusair