DramaMusicRomance

Pennies from Heaven

- 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 school teacher.

Release Date : 1981-12-11

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Hera ProductionsSLM Production GroupMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Arthur

Original Name : Steve Martin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eileen

Original Name : Bernadette Peters

Gender : Female

Character Name : Joan

Original Name : Jessica Harper

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Accordion Man

Original Name : Vernel Bagneris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Warner

Original Name : John McMartin

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Detective

Original Name : John Karlen

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Banker

Original Name : Jay Garner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Al

Original Name : Robert Fitch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ed

Original Name : Tommy Rall

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Blind Girl

Original Name : Eliska Krupka

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tom

Original Name : Christopher Walken

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Bartender

Original Name : Francis X. McCarthy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Barrett

Original Name : Raleigh Bond

Gender : Male

Character Name : A Prostitute

Original Name : Gloria LeRoy

Gender : Female

Character Name : The Old Whore

Original Name : Nancy Parsons

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tart

Original Name : Toni Kaye

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tart

Original Name : Shirley Kirkes Mar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elevator Operator

Original Name : Jack Fletcher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy

Original Name : Hunter Watkins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Motorcycle Police

Original Name : Arell Blanton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Motorcycle Police

Original Name : George P. Wilbur

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Policeman

Original Name : M.C. Gainey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Newsboy

Original Name : Mark Campbell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Schoolboy

Original Name : Mark Martinez

Gender : Male

Character Name : Counterman

Original Name : Duke Stroud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Counterman

Original Name : Joseph G. Medalis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pool Player

Original Name : Richard Blum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pool Player

Original Name : William Frankfather

Gender : Male

Character Name : Warden

Original Name : James Mendenhall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hangman

Original Name : Jim Boeke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman

Original Name : Robert Lee Jarvis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Customer

Original Name : Luke Andreas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Everson

Original Name : Will Hare

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jumbo

Original Name : Joshua Cadman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bar Patron

Original Name : Paul Valentine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bar Patron

Original Name : Bill Richards

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bar Patron

Original Name : John Craig

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bar Patron / Dancer

Original Name : Alton Ruff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Secretary

Original Name : Karla J. Franko

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Secretary

Original Name : Robin Hoff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Secretary

Original Name : Linda Montana

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bank Secretary

Original Name : Bunney Brooke

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bank Customer

Original Name : Twink Caplan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bank Customer

Original Name : Lillian D'Honau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Customer

Original Name : Barbara Nordella

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Customer

Original Name : Dean Taliaferro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Guard

Original Name : Wayne Storm

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Gene Ross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Edward J. Heim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Dave Adams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Greg Finley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Paul Michael

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Teller

Original Name : Joe Ross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Tammy O'Rourke

Gender : Female

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

***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