Pennies from Heaven (1981 film)
| Pennies from Heaven | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Herbert Ross |
| Produced by |
Rick McCallum Herbert Ross Nora Kaye |
| Written by | Dennis Potter |
| Starring |
Steve Martin Bernadette Peters Christopher Walken Jessica Harper Vernel Bagneris |
| Music by |
Ralph Burns Con Conrad Marvin Hamlisch Billy May |
| Cinematography | Gordon Willis |
| Edited by | Richard Marks |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $22 million |
Pennies from Heaven is a 1981 American musical film adapted from a 1978 BBC television drama. Dennis Potter adapted his own screenplay from the BBC series for American audiences, changing its setting from London and the Forest of Dean to Depression era Chicago and rural Illinois. Potter was nominated for the 1981 Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, but lost to On Golden Pond. The film starred Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken and Jessica Harper. The director was Herbert Ross and the choreographer was Danny Daniels.
The film includes musical numbers consisting of actors lip-syncing and dancing to popular songs of the 1920s and 1930s, such as "Let's Misbehave", "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries", "Let's Face the Music and Dance", and the title song.
In 1934, Chicago sheet-music salesman Arthur Parker (Martin) is having a hard time, both in his business and at home with his wife Joan (Harper). His business and marriage are failing, and Joan refuses to give him the money she inherited from her father to start his own business.
Arthur's dream is to live in a world that is like the songs he tries to sell. He is refused a bank loan, although he fantasizes that he gets it. In his travels, Arthur meets a school teacher, Eileen (Peters), and falls in love with her instantly. They embark on a short affair, but Arthur leaves her and returns to Joan, who, desperate to keep him, agrees to give him the money he wanted. Arthur denies having an affair, though Joan is sure he is lying.
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