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Penny Serenade ()

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A couple's big dreams give way to a life full of unexpected sadness and unexpected joy.
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Stars:
Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.
  • See more »
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88 photos

Cast verified as complete

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Julie Gardiner
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Roger Adams
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Miss Oliver
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Applejack
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Dotty
Eva Lee Kuney ...
Trina (at the Age of 6 Years)
Leonard Willey ...
Doctor Hartley
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Judge
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Billings
Jane Biffle ...
Trina (at the Age of 1 Year) (as Baby Biffle)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Mother in Stalled Car (uncredited)
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McDougal (uncredited)
Mary Bovard ...
Girl (uncredited)
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Reporter (uncredited)
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Man (uncredited)
Albert Butterfield ...
Boy (uncredited)
Chuck Callahan ...
New Year's Party Drunk (uncredited)
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Miss Morgan (uncredited)
Lew Davis ...
New Year's Party Guest (uncredited)
Henry Dixon ...
Old Printer (uncredited)
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Girl (uncredited)
Edmund Elton ...
Minister (uncredited)
John Ferguson ...
Father (uncredited)
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Pedestrian (uncredited)
Diane Fleetwood ...
Trina as an Infant (uncredited)
Judith Fleetwood ...
Trina as an Infant (uncredited)
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Mother (uncredited)
Charles Flynn ...
Bob (uncredited)
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New Year's Party Guest (uncredited)
Iris Han ...
O-Hanna-San (uncredited)
Otto Han ...
Cook Sam (uncredited)
Doris Herbert ...
Minister's Wife (uncredited)
Arlene Jackson ...
Girl (uncredited)
Payne B. Johnson ...
Boy in Christmas Play (uncredited)
Donald Kerr ...
Man Dancing at Party (uncredited)
Ben Kumagai ...
Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton ...
Cabbie (uncredited)
Lani Lee ...
Chinese Waitress (uncredited)
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Chubby Printer (uncredited)
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Cab Driver at Doorway, New Year's Party (uncredited)
Rollin Moriyama ...
Rickshaw Boy (uncredited)
Adrian Morris ...
Bill collector (uncredited)
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Train conductor (uncredited)
Cy Schindell ...
Elmer - the Bootlegger (uncredited)
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Man (uncredited)
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Policeman (uncredited)
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Porter (uncredited)
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Press Operator (uncredited)
Beryl Vaughan ...
Flower Girl (uncredited)
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Carter (uncredited)
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Joe Connor, Man Dancing with Dotty (uncredited)
Lillian West ...
Nurse (uncredited)
Nee Wong Jr. ...
Sung Chong (uncredited)

Directed by

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George Stevens

Written by

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Morrie Ryskind ... (screen play)
 
Martha Cheavens ... (story)

Produced by

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Fred Guiol ... associate producer
George Stevens ... producer

Music by

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W. Franke Harling

Cinematography by

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Joseph Walker ... director of photography
Franz Planer ... (uncredited)

Editing by

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Otto Meyer ... film editor

Art Direction by

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Lionel Banks

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Gene Anderson ... assistant director

Art Department

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H. Hopkins ... props (uncredited)
Cary Odell ... associate art director (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Jack A. Goodrich ... sound engineer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Roy Babbitt ... camera crew (uncredited)
Fayte M. Browne ... camera operator (uncredited)
Lee Davis ... camera crew (uncredited)
James Goss ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Buddy Harris ... camera crew (uncredited)
Tom Jackson ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Bill Jolley ... assistant camera (uncredited)
George Keller ... camera crew (uncredited)
Irving Lippman ... still photographer (uncredited)
Emil Oster ... head of camera department (uncredited)
John L. Russell ... camera crew (uncredited)
Victor Scheurich ... camera operator (uncredited)
Joseph Walker ... camera crew (uncredited)
Bob Wasserman ... camera crew (uncredited)
Jack Young ... camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Morris Stoloff ... musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Sidney Cutner ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Carmen Dragon ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Mertz ... music advisor (uncredited)
Leonid Raab ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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William Castle ... dialogue director (uncredited)
Martha Cheavens ... screenplay consultant (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

As tears well up in her eyes, once-happy Julie listens to her favourite songs, reminiscing about the ups and downs of her life. Indeed, Julie and her husband, Roger, have always been there for each other through thick and thin. However, it seems that the love is gone. But, before leaving the house, Julie decides to listen to their old, memory-laden records for one last time, eager to relive all the fundamental stages of her love story with Roger. Now, a flurry of mixed emotions overcomes Julie. Is all hope lost? Written by Nick Riganas

Plot Keywords
Taglines Excitingly Re-united! Your favorites of "THE AWFUL TRUTH" in the kind of love story you have been waiting to see! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • La chanson du passé (France)
  • Akkorde der Liebe (Germany)
  • Ein Baby zu Weihnachten (Germany)
  • Serenade für das Christkind (Germany)
  • Serenata nostálgica (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 119 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Cary Grant, one of the cinema's greatest comedic actors, was only ever nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Actor, in both instances for lesser-known dramatic roles. This was one of them, followed three years later by None But the Lonely Heart (1944). See more »
Goofs When Roger asks the other music store clerk to play some sheet music, she walks off camera, but does not stop the record being played, so she can play the sheet music he selected. The record player keeps on playing and the other clerk just disappears. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into Know Your Enemy - Japan (1945). See more »
Soundtracks You Were Meant for Me See more »
Quotes Judge: [Judge firmly addressing two unseen attorneys] I'll give you an opportunity to better prepare your facts.
Man: [Hands Judge some papers] Adoption proceedings, the Adams case.
Judge: What?
Man: The Adams case.
Judge: [Looks disturbed] Oh yes, yes. Uh...
[turns back to attorneys]
Judge: if either one or both of you gentlemen conduct yourselves like you've been doing today I'll hold you in contempt, the both of ya!
Judge: [Walks into chambers, sees Roger, Miss Oliver, and the baby all seated. Sits at desk] Uh, oh this is the child in question. Ahem, let me see. Yes, I recall looking over these adoption papers. I see you have no income at present.
[Looks at Roger]
Judge: Is that correct?
Roger Adams: Yes your Honor.
Judge: Now what is this Miss Oliver? You know this case should never have come before me.
Miss Oliver: Well your Honor I feel that this is a special case. I kept hoping until the last minute Mr. Adams might be able to resume the operation of his paper or get a job. But unfortunately he hasn't been able to do either, so i thought...
Judge: Under these conditions I can't grant the adoption. This child will have to revert to the orphanage.
[Gestures to Roger]
Judge: Will you draw up a chair please while I prepare these release papers for you to sign? Just a matter of routine.
Roger Adams: If you please your Honor, it can't just be a matter of routine for people to have their baby taken away from them. This child is ours Judge...
Judge: [Interrupting] Those are the requirements of the law.
Roger Adams: Yes but you see we've had her since she was six weeks old. It just doesn't seem reasonable to give her back to-to-to strangers.
Judge: Mr. Adams, you're not here to plead your case. You've had the regular opportunity to prove your fitness to provide.
Roger Adams: We are *fit* Judge if you just look at the record.
Judge: Without any income I have no alternative. Didn't you make that clear Miss Oliver?
Miss Oliver: Yes your Honor I did, but I thought...
Judge: [Firmly] I'm sorry but that is the law.
Roger Adams: Look your Honor, she's not like an automobile or an icebox or a piece of furniture or something you buy on time and when you can't give up the payments they take it away from you!
[Baby starts to cry]
Roger Adams: Now sit still and be a good girl. Anyone could give up those kinds of things, but I ask you Judge how can you give up your own child? And she is our child just as much as if she'd been born to us!
[Baby continues crying]
Roger Adams: Now, now, Daddy's not going to go away.
[Baby stops crying and smiles]
Roger Adams: Look Judge, we've had her over a year now. Why we-we walked the floor with her when she had the colic. We've lost nights of sleep worrying every time she cut a tooth. We've gone through everything, everything real parents have with one of their own. Ask Miss Oliver here about the inspections we've had to have. Her-her weight charts, her vaccination certificates, h-her toys, her toothbrush! How many parents could keep one of their own and
[voice cracks]
Roger Adams: go through that? And you sit here and say it's a matter of routine for you to take her away from us.
Miss Oliver: Please! Mr. Adams...
Roger Adams: I'm sorry Judge, but we weren't as fortunate as most people. We would've had one of our own only-only... well you don't know how badly my wife wanted a child. It wasn't so important to me. I-I don't know, I suppose most men are like this but children never meant a great deal to me. Oh I liked them alright I suppose, but well what I'm trying to say is your Honor the first time I saw her... she looked so little and helpless. I didn't know babies were so-so little. And then she took a-hold of my finger and I held onto it. She-she just sort of walked into my heart Judge
[begins to cry]
Roger Adams: and-and she was there to stay. I didn't know I could feel like that! I'd always been well, kind of careless and irresponsible. I wanted to be a big shot. And I couldn't work for anybody, I had to be my own boss, that sort of thing. Now here I am standing in front of a judge pleading for just a little longer so that I can prove to you I can support a little child that doesn't weigh quite twenty pounds. It's not only for my wife and me I'm asking you to let us keep her Judge, it's for her sake too. She doesn't know any parents but us.
[starts sobbing]
Roger Adams: She wouldn't know what'd happened to her. You see there's so many little things about her that nobody would understand her the way Judy and I do. We love her Judge, please don't take her away from us. Look, I'm not a big shot now, I-I'll do anything, I'll work for anybody.
[Starts to break down]
Roger Adams: I-I'll beg, I'll borrow, I-I'll... please Judge I'll sell anything I've got until I get going again. And she'll never go hungry, she'll never be without clothes not so long as I've got two good hands so help me!
[Camera fades out as Judge, Roger, and Miss Oliver all ponder what has just been said]
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