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Movie Review - Penny Serenade (1941)

An unremarkable (by today's standards) she learns that she will not be able to
childrearing melodrama in which Cary bear children anymore. But why did they
Grant delivers a performance so good that have to go to Japan to arrive at that
he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. point is a moot script question that is
George Stevens directed the script by left unanswered. Couldn't the same fate
Morrie Ryskind.The whole movie unfolds as befall Julie if she had another accident
a series of linear flashbacks, each closer to home? Why did they have to go
triggered by the LP records a all the way to Japan, is not clear. The
disconsolate Julie (Irene Dunne) is whole "Tokyo episode" stands out like a
playing on a gramophone just before she joke without a punch line.The rest of
leaves her house for good. The reason? this drama unfolds as the story of the
There does not seem to be anything left married couple's desperate effort to
in her marriage to keep her there. We are adopt a child, and once adopted, not to
soon to learn the reason why and all the lose her.There is yet another "baby
tragic events that led her to that sequence" in the middle of the movie
wistful moment.The first couple of times which could easily be part of an
the revolving LP record dissolves into a unrelated comedy. Grant again excels in
"memory hole" through which we enter a this sequence, almost paying tribute to
slice of life in Julie's past, we enjoy the early years he spent during his teens
it as a manifestation of a director's as a pantomime and acrobat with Bob
creativity. But the sixth or the seventh Pender's troupe. We see the young couple
time that happens, we wonder how many going through many of the anxieties in
times we have to suffer the same taking care of their adopted 5-week
unrelentingly mechanical idea. It gets daughter. (Is she asleep or did she quit
old pretty quickly proving that breathing?)They are so inexperienced,
consistency is not always a virtue.Cary they don't even know how to hold a baby
Grant plays the young and dashing or bath her and change her diaper.But we
newspaper reporter Roger Adams who can't also help notice the progress of a
marries the love of his life Julie father-daughter bonding between Grant and
(played by Irene Dunne) on the eve of his his infant daughter despite the fact that
departure to Tokyo to take over his originally he asked for a 2-year old boy
newspaper's Japan bureau. It also happens "with blond curly hair and blue eyes."For
to be the Christmas night, complete with the first couple of years Roger's newly
the obligatory snowfall (as in another established weekly newspaper business,
Cary Grant movie, BISHOP'S WIFE helped by the press veteran Applejack,
(1948)).Once established in Tokyo, Roger seems to be making the ends meet. But
has Julie join him at his new opulent then his business takes a sudden downturn
digs complete with a family of Japanese and suddenly he is a man without an
house servants. Julie is both delighted income.Since they are still at a
and astonished that Roger can sustain "probationary period" in their adoption
that level of luxury with only a process, the ever-vigilant adoption
reporter's salary. We remember an earlier agency in the person of Miss Oliver
scene in which her friend Applejack (Beulah Bondi) takes Roger to court. The
(Edgar Buchanan) warned her against judge is supposed to take the girl back
getting involved with a journalist. Is because a family without income is not a
there something shady about Roger or past fit place for any child to grow up
that we would know about yet?Two in.However, Cary grant in yet another
interesting things happen during the excellent scene, delivers this really
"Tokyo sequence" that bring both Roger's emotional monologue about the pain of
character and the script's strength into separation from his daughter, and the
question.In the first scene, Roger absurdity of taking a child back as
announces Julie that he has quit his job though she was a car or a furniture
thanks to his family inheritance. Now repossessed because the owner has been
they can go travel around the world late in payments. His appeal as a
before they settle down and raise a heartbroken father wins the day and the
family, although during their dating judge allows him to take her back
period Roger showed some reluctance to home.After so many spinning gramophone
suffer pranks of children (the beach records dissolving into flashback scenes,
scene) gladly.It turns out what Roger we watch the child grow and take a small
calls "an inheritance" is just about ten part in a Christmas play at school as her
thousand dollars, which shrinks further very proud parents watch her and give all
down to $8,000 after he pays his their support despite a minor mishap on
outstanding bills. It is a let down for the stage that ruins her day.Then
Julie. He accuses Roger by acting disaster strikes, as it should in a
"childishly." We'll see this pattern for tragedy. We read in a letter written to
the rest of the movie: Roger will always Miss Oliver that the child has died
come across as a man with grand ideas and following an illness. Since up to that
much self-confidence who, however, can't point we have not seen a single scene in
deliver the bacon at the end.The second which the child suffered from any
important development in the "Tokyo physical ailments, this also comes across
sequence" is the earthquake that levels as contrived a plot point as the earlier
their home. As we continue to watch to " Tokyo earthquake."After the death of
see the "payoff" of this totally their daughter Roger and Julie's union
unexpected natural disaster, the film starts to unravel quickly. The girl was
abruptly shifts back to San Francisco the bond that kept them together.
where Julie is lying in a hospital and




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