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Pennies from Heaven (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
11 December 1981 (USA)
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Tagline:
There's a world on both sides of the rainbow where songs come true and every time it rains, it rains...
Plot:
In Chicago during the depression, sheet music salesman, Arthur Parker, is trying to sell his products...
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| full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Teacher
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Sheet Music
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Bank
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Dancer
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Extramarital Affair
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Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
Another 3 wins
&
2 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
6 Brilliant Films by This Weekend's Honorary Oscar-Winning Dp Gordon Willis
(From Movieline. 13 November 2009, 2:30 PM, PST)
Streep Nom #3, 1981
(From FilmExperience. 20 June 2009, 5:40 AM, PDT)
(From Movieline. 13 November 2009, 2:30 PM, PST)
Streep Nom #3, 1981
(From FilmExperience. 20 June 2009, 5:40 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Loved The Hilarious, Innovative Musical Numbers; Hated The Depressing Story
more (42 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Steve Martin | ... | Arthur |
 | Bernadette Peters | ... | Eileen |
 | Christopher Walken | ... | Tom |
 | Jessica Harper | ... | Joan |
 | Vernel Bagneris | ... | The Accordion Man |
| John McMartin | ... | Mr. Warner |
| John Karlen | ... | The Detective |
| Jay Garner | ... | The Banker |
| Robert Fitch | ... | Al |
| Tommy Rall | ... | Ed |
| Eliska Krupka | ... | The Blind Girl |
 | Francis X. McCarthy | ... | The Bartender (as Frank McCarthy) |
| Raleigh Bond | ... | Mr. Barrett |
| Gloria LeRoy | ... | A Prostitute |
| Nancy Parsons | ... | The Old Whore |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
108 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Black and White |
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:12 |
Australia:M |
Australia:PG (TV rating) |
Argentina:13 |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-16 |
Sweden:11 |
USA:R (#26127) |
Singapore:NC-16
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Christopher Walken's bar-top dance scene took two months of rehearsal and two days of shooting. He claims he got compliments later from fans Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the classroom, a modern Canadian flag can be seen. It wasn't designed until 1964.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Arthur Parker: Joan... Joanie? Sugar? C'mon, Joan... sugar... wake up, baby.
Joan Parker: No, Arthur, don't.
Arthur Parker: Oh, baby... come on, sugar.
Joan Parker: No, it's too early, Arthur.
Arthur Parker: Oh, Joan.
Joan Parker: Arthur, there isn't time.
Arthur Parker: Oh, there's always time for this. Joan, come on.
Joan Parker: Stop it, Arthur! No, don't!
Joan Parker: [getting out of bed] No... I said no!
[...]
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Arthur Parker: Joan... Joanie? Sugar? C'mon, Joan... sugar... wake up, baby.
Joan Parker: No, Arthur, don't.
Arthur Parker: Oh, baby... come on, sugar.
Joan Parker: No, it's too early, Arthur.
Arthur Parker: Oh, Joan.
Joan Parker: Arthur, there isn't time.
Arthur Parker: Oh, there's always time for this. Joan, come on.
Joan Parker: Stop it, Arthur! No, don't!
Joan Parker: [getting out of bed] No... I said no!
[...]
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Soundtrack:
LET'S MISBEHAVE
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (42 total)
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Man, did I love the musical numbers in this film.....but hated the story. I wound up taping just the music segments out of this film and making myself a neat little half-hour video of fantastic song-and-dance numbers.
The dance numbers are 1920s-1930s material except you get 1980s color and special-effects (and loose sexual mores). Actually, these are more like put- ons of those routines, including Busby Berkeley extravaganzas. Added to the routines are humor. I just laughed out loud at the absurdity of them, which included having the actors lip-sync to the old-time singers.
The dance routines are all totally different and very entertaining, from the opening bank skit, to the kids in the classroom to Christopher Walken's striptease to Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters imitating Astaire & Rogers. The dancing is good and the songs are great: catchy and fun.
Story-wise, Martin ("Arthur Parker") plays a boorish, profane, lying and just plain unlikeable character. Are we supposed to root for him? Maybe we are to root for Peters, who plays "Lulu," the school teacher-turned- prostitute (sounds like real-life these days with all the female teacher sex scandals). Hey, I like Martin in a lot of films. He can be a very entertaining guy, but the character he plays in here.....well, you can have him and this very cynical and depressing story. No thanks.
It's no surprise to me it bombed at the box office. Too bad, because with a more appealing story a lot more people would have been treated to the great musical numbers in this movie.