Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

vincentlynch-moonoi It isn't that this is a great film. It's not. In fact, the plot is on the sappy side and totally illogical.But what shines through in this film is Bing Crosby's charisma on screen. He's just so darned smooth that it's difficult not to like and enjoy this film. The story starts out in the "big house", as a convict is going to the electric chair. He asked fellow inmate Crosby to deliver a letter to his family when he gets out. Crosby does, and ends up saving the daughter from adoption. How? By opening a sort of nightclub and falling in love with the social worker...of course! As I said, Crosby is the main attraction here and is smooth as silk. Madge Evans ably plays the beautiful social worker. Edith Fellows plays the girl, but I can't say I was enthralled by her performance. Louis Armstrong is along for the ride, and Donald Meek is delightful as the grandfather of the girl.Nothing special, but you may enjoy it.

TheLittleSongbird There is not much actually that's wrong with Pennies from Heaven, other than that the story is very slight and you have no trouble figuring out how it's all going to end and that Madge Evans would have seemed more comfortable if she had more to do. Pennies from Heaven is not a lavish-looking film, nor was that needed. Besides the production values do look lovely, the Haunted House setting is inspired and it is most competently shot and directed. The score has the right amount of whimsy and energy, and the songs will definitely warm your heart. Pennies from Heaven's Oscar-nomination was more than justified as it is a truly appealing song in all respects and is heavenly sung by Bing Crosby. But my personal favourite goes to Skeleton in the Closet, which managed to be hilarious and spooky. The script is appropriately snappy with a lot of heart that doesn't resort to mawkishness. No matter how slight and predictable the story is, it still moves swiftly, it's coherent and the warmth and heart the film has is most endearing. Admittedly, yes it is sentimental, but it knows that and the sentiment is not overly-so. Bing Crosby is reason enough to see any film, and he certainly doesn't disappoint, giving a charismatic and (incredibly) appealingly heart-warming performance and singing beautifully as always. Especially in Pennies from Heaven, which he also gives a very moving quality to. He shares convincing chemistry with Edith Fellows, who does a great job being cute and sassy, she didn't seem that much of a brat to me. Donald Meek is typically wonderful, and seeing early-career Louis Armstrong in Skeleton in the Closet was surprising in a pleasant way. All in all, very charming and entertaining, great for Bing fans. 8/10 Bethany Cox

yessdanc Mr. Doyle's poor review is questionable at best. This film is a delight from beginning to end. Edith Fellows does NOT play a brat, but a determined and pleasant young girl who can use a little guidance. The songs are fun and Bing and Edith make a great team! If this was a crappy movie, the DVD wouldn't cost $30!! Madge Evans is a bit of a pain, but that's the role she has to play and does it well. Donald Meek is typically good, but Edith steals the show in the first scene at the carnival. Funny when her line 'Thank you, you CROOK! appears near the film's first few minutes. I;m giving this a 9 out of 10. I don't know where some of the rural scenes were filmed, but the interiors were filmed at the old General Service Studios in Hollywood.

MartinHafer "Pennies From Heaven" is not a particularly deep film and the film is filled with lots of music. Because of this, I might easily have predicted I wouldn't like it--as these are the sort of things I usually don't enjoy. However, I can happily say that because the film turned out to be a lot of fun AND the music was light and enjoyable.The film, oddly, starts on death row! An inmate about to be executed asks to see another prisoner and this request is granted. He wants to see Bing Crosby--a man you just can't imagine being in prison! And, it turns out they don't even know each other. Because of this, the condemned man asking Crosby to do him a favor seems pretty odd, but he agrees. He is to locate the family of the murdered man and give them a deed for a home--a small way the condemned man can try to make amends.Eventually, Bing does find the family--which turns out to be a child and her grandfather (Donald Meek). They are is trouble--without money AND a social worker (Madge Evans) breathing down their necks--they want to put the child in an orphanage! Well, Bing takes to the kid and makes it his job to keep this from happening. Because of this, there is a lot of friction between him and Evans--though you know that the cliché is that they'll eventually fall in love.There's a lot more to the story than this. It's all quite predictable but also pretty nice family viewing. Some might balk at it and think it's a bit sappy. I can understand this, but also occasionally like this sort of thing. Well-acted, nice music and a nice directorial touch--it's one musical I actually liked!