Pennies from Heaven

1981
R
1h 48m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

6.4K

YOUR RATING

Watch the trailer for Pennies from Heaven, starring Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters.

Play trailer3:06

2 Videos

83 Photos

Jukebox Musical Drama Musical Romance

During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

6.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 3 wins & 9 nominations total

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.

Goofs
In the classroom, a modern Canadian flag can be seen. It wasn't designed until 1964.

Quotes
Joan Parker: [referring to Arthur's male organ, after discovering he's having an affair] Cut his thing off.
[the detective shows a look of shock and disgust]
Joan Parker: I want them to cut his thing off and bury it!

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: Neighbors, Sharky's Machine, Ghost Story, Pennies from Heaven (1981)

Soundtracks
Pennies from Heaven
(1936)
Written by Johnny Burke and Arthur Johnston
Published by Intersong Music
Performed by Arthur Tracy
Courtesy of Decca Co. Ltd
Later sung by Steve Martin (uncredited)

User reviews81

Review

Featured review

Ahead of its time

When Herb Ross opened "Pennies From Heaven" during Christmas of 1981 it met with harsh press and public indifference. Many concluded the musical was dead.

But "Pennies," like Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz" released two years before, is a key transitional work that juxtaposed the cynicism of the '70s to the exhilaration and escapist fantasy of its buoyant Depression era score.

Steve Martin ran the risk of alienating his fan base by trading in the "Wild and Crazy" guy for the brooding, unfaithful Arthur Parker. But he's a revelation. And what a dancer!

It was no surprise when audiences stayed away.

By all means watch it today, particularly on the new widescreen DVD release. You'll walk away with a greater appreciation of Christopher Walken, Bernadette Peters and especially Steve Martin.

It makes it so much harder to watch this major talent wasting himself in such tripe as "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Bringing Down the House."