1941 | NR | 1h 59m | Drama, Romance
I’m normally not a big fan of melodramas. By their very definition, they typically feature overly sensationalized elements in their narratives that are designed to elicit intense emotional responses. While this might appeal to some, I feel as though they can be rather manipulative in arousing viewers’ sympathies.
When done well, a melodrama strikes the perfect balance between heartfelt emotion and realistic situations. Under the deft guidance of famed director George Stevens (“Shane,” “A Place in the Sun”), the 1941 film, “Penny Serenade,” is an enthralling mixture of suspense, glee, tragedy, and a surprisingly amount of humor.
The movie begins with one of the most effective uses of flashback I’ve seen. We see a morose woman named Julie Gardiner (Irene Dunne) pacing around in an apartment and telling her good friend Applejack (Edgar Buchanan) that she wants to leave her husband Roger Adams (Cary Grant) since she feels they “don’t need each other anymore.”
As Applejack gets his car to drive her to the local train station, Julie plays “Penny Serenade,” on a gramophone. The record begins skipping, and her mind drifts back in time when she and Roger first met.
We see Roger walking by the record store she used to work at and, when he hears the same record skipping, he stops and peers through the window. Their eyes lock and, from there, a gentle courtship ensues.
The two lovebirds become inseparable. Roger is a young and eager reporter and accepts a last-minute job in Japan to replace another journalist. He surprises Julie by proposing to her, since he has to leave for Japan at 3 a.m. the next morning.
There is a delightfully romantic set of scenes where the young lovers get married and rush to the train station. Due to some last-minute canoodling, Julie accidentally is on the train as it departs, and she gets off at a later stop.
The two newlyweds aren’t separated for long; Roger soon brings Julie to Japan, where he’s already purchased a fancy home for them with an advance he secured from his new job. Julie also has a surprise—she’s pregnant.
It becomes evident that Julie is more responsible when it comes to handling money. For instance, while showering her with extravagant gifts, Adams soon announces that he’s quit his job and plans to take Julie on a globe-spanning trip, citing a modest $8,000 that he recently inherited.
A massive earthquake suddenly rocks the area, which causes their house to collapse, and Julie to lose their unborn child. The couple returns to California and settles in the small town of Rosalia. Although a sense of gloom seems to follow them like a dark cloud overhead, Roger eventually realizes his dream of opening his own newspaper press, with an office that is conveniently downstairs from their apartment.
Things improve further when Roger invites their old friend Applejack to work for him. Applejack persuades Julie to adopt a baby (since he was adopted and had a great childhood). The couple struggles to find a baby through an adoption agency headed by a kind older woman, Miss Oliver (Beulah Bondi); they finally succeed in adopting a 5-week-old girl.
Emotional Highs and Lows
This is one of those films that swings like a weighty pendulum, back and forth between sadness and high spirits. Although the movie drags in places, it mostly avoids tedium because of some well-placed (and frankly unexpected) comedic bits.For example, the first night that Julie and Roger take home their new baby, they don’t know how to keep it from crying once it wakes up at night. The physical comedy that ensues is hilarious, such as when Roger and Julie try to run into the baby’s room at the same time and almost get lodged together in the doorway.
Another laugh-out-loud moment sees Julie struggling to bathe their baby for the very first time. She becomes so stressed about the whole affair that she defers to Applejack for the task. Applejack’s meticulous bathing process is one of the funnier scenes I’ve seen in filmmaking.
While Cary Grant rises to his usual greatness in his role, Irene Dunne was an unexpected treat since I haven’t seen many of her in other films. Not only is she absolutely gorgeous, but she also has a certain magnetism that I can’t quite put my finger on. And, as a talented supporting actor, Edgar Buchanan is delightfully entertaining to watch as the couple’s loyal family friend, who helps them through their various struggles.
“Penny Serenade” is a heartfelt film that doesn’t go overboard in the melodrama department. Instead, it delivers a powerful love story that seems more grounded than other genre pieces. It’s an even better watch for those who have fallen in love before and know the risks that come with it.
