Classic Hollywood Reviews: Penny Serenade

Penny Serenade is a 1941 movie that stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. It is set as a retrospective beginning with a wife who says she's leaving her husband. Then she begins listening to records. With each record she sees a different aspect of their life together spanning from the time they met, their courting, to adopting a daughter and the crisis that threatens to tear them apart.

This movie starts as a dramatic romance, moves into comedy with the arrival of a baby and then slides back into drama.

The scenes involving adoption and the desire this couple has to adopt are very touching. And Roger's plea to the judge to be able to keep the little girl by finalizing the adoption brought tears to my eyes.

I knew nothing about this movie going into it. A friend had loaned it to me, so Eric and I took a chance on it -- not hard to do when Cary Grant's the lead. I'm glad we watched it. It was tender and touching. A film I won't soon forget.