This a great pity, for PENNY SERENADE is a fine film that deserves much better. The concept is simple: as wife Julie (Irene Dunne) packs to leave her husband Roger (Cary Grant), she plays the various records the two have collected over the years. Each recording recalls the various phases of their lives: their chance meeting, their rather unexpected marriage, early years spent in the far east. But they are unhappy in their inability to have a child--and so they return to the United States to adopt. But their happiness ends in tragedy, a tragedy which neither seem able to surmount.

The story is sentimental melodrama, of course, but it transcends its own genre. George Stevens was one of the great directors of Hollywood's golden age--director of such diverse classics as A PLACE IN THE SUN, SHANE, and WOMAN OF THE YEAR. In lesser hands the film might have been reduced to pure soap, but he strikes the perfect balance between charm and tearfulness. The leads are equally perfect, with both Irene Dunne and Cary Grant (who were memorably teamed in such frantic screwball comedies MY FAVORITE WIFE and THE AWFUL TRUTH) discarding their broad comedic skills in favor of plausible humor and sincerity. The supporting cast, which sports nice performances by the likes of Beulah Bondi and Edgar Buchanan, is also very fine, the script is quite good, and the cinematography both functional and elegant.

But all this counts for nothing if you cannot actually stand to watch the truly awful DVD versions available. And they really are that bad. Over the years I've picked up several copies of this film released by several companies--Madacy, Laserlight, and most recently Front Row--and although the transfers vary a bit from company to company they are never more than extremely bad and quite often down-right unwatchable. This is a film in desperate need of restoration, and until it receives that you're better off looking for it on the late-late show--for I can almost guarantee that the print you will find there will be superior to virtually any home-market release you can lay hands on.

--GFT (Amazon reviewer)--

Cary Grant is the man. What more does one need to say? Sure Irene Dunn does a good job in this melodramatic tale about a husband and wife who live through an earthquake in Japan, the loss of an unborn child, and the adoption of another. Of course, the actor who plays Applejack steals many scenes, serving as the wise fool in this Shakespearean-type romance as his character balances everything that occurs. Nevertheless, through all of Uncle Applejack's helpful advice and Irene Dunn's moving tears, it's Cary Grant who carries the picture. Grant nailed this performance of Roger and once again illustrated how great of an actor he truly was. A lot of actors would have been tempted to delve into melodramatic play-acting, but not Grant. Even though this is a tear-jerker melodrama and he has some really cheesy lines in some scenes, Grant makes the whole thing seem plausible and feel realistic. I admit that I am a huge fan of Cary Grant, but I keep digging up these old movies he made, hoping to find a film that he totally flops in. So far, I haven't found any. Grant was just a notch above the rest and could make any movie more enjoyable just by being in it. It's worth more than a penny to see his performance in this serenade.