Pennies from Heaven (1981 film)

Pennies from Heaven
Theatrical release poster by Bob Peak
Directed byHerbert Ross
Screenplay byDennis Potter
Based onPennies from Heaven
1978 TV series
by Dennis Potter
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGordon Willis
Edited byRichard Marks
Music by
Production
company
Distributed byUnited Artists
Release date
  • December 11, 1981 (1981-12-11)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million[1]
Box office$9.1 million[1]

Pennies from Heaven is a 1981 American musical romantic drama film directed by Herbert Ross, based on the 1978 BBC television drama of the same name. Dennis Potter adapted his 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.

The film stars Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken and Jessica Harper. Choreographed by Danny Daniels,[2] the film includes musical numbers consisting of actors lip-syncing and dancing to popular songs of the 1920s–30s, such as "Let's Misbehave", "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries", "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and the title song.

While positively received by critics, it was a box office bomb, grossing just a fraction of its budget. Potter received a nomination for the 1981 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, but lost to On Golden Pond.[3]

  1. ^ a b Boyer, Peter J; Pollock, Dale (March 28, 1982). "MGM-UA and the Big Debt". Los Angeles Times. p. 11.
  2. ^ McCarthy, Todd (December 9, 1981). "Film Reviews: Pennies From Heaven". Variety. p. 20.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Oscars1982 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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