A traveling salesman during the depression escapes his personal failings through elaborate fantasies.
Pennies From Heaven originates from a British television miniseries by acclaimed writer Dennis Potter (also the creator of THe Singing Detective). Potter adapted his own work for the Hollywood film version, transplanting the setting to Chicago.
The film's main conceit is to contrast the bleak atmosphere of the Depression with the sunny, optimistic songs of the period, utilized in fantasy sequences where the characters lip-sync to old recordings against the backdrop of highly-stylized musical numbers.
Steve Martin, a fan of Potter's original series and looking to move away from his comic image, sought out this project and went through six months of dance training for the role. Co-star Bernadette Peters already had a background in musical theatre, and then-recent Oscar-winner Christopher Walken surprised audiences with his dancing skills.
Director Herbert Ross was a Broadway veteran who went on to make a variety of successful films including several adaptations of playwright Neil Simon's works, as well as Woody Allen's Play It Again Sam, Steel Magnolias, Footloose, and My Blue Heaven (reuniting him with Martin). Ross is joined behind the camera by editor Richard Marks (Apocalypse Now, Broadcast News), and cinematographer Gordon Willis (the Godfather films, Manhattan, Annie Hall).
While Pennies From Heaven was not a success at the box office, it had various champions in the critical community, and earned Peters a Golden Globe for her performance. Potter's script received an Academy Award nomination.
Film runs approx 1 hr, 45 min.
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