Penny Serenade

A film about the years of a marriage. Julie opens her record collection and each disc recalls a period. The film moves back through those records. Julie and Roger meet, marry and move to Japan. She is injured in an earthquake there and learns she cannot have children. They return to America and apply to adopt. There is a long wait; eventually a baby is given to them. The best sections are here: two adults with no idea how to handle a baby, in scenes that play like silent comedy. But the narrative does not stop there. Roger's business goes badly and the adoption is reconsidered; a family's economic position bears directly on their right to a child. Cary Grant plays Roger and Irene Dunne plays Julie. Grant received his first Oscar nomination for it and became known as a dramatic actor through this film. George Stevens directed. A strong example for anyone who likes classical Hollywood melodrama and the less-known side of Cary Grant. Before you watch, know this: the film is built on the loss of a child and its last section is heavy.