| Pennies from Heaven | |
|---|---|
&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Pennies_from_Heaven.jpg) Theatrical release poster by Bob Peak | |
| Directed by | Herbert Ross |
| Screenplay by | Dennis Potter |
| Based on | Pennies from Heaven 1978 TV series by Dennis Potter |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gordon Willis |
| Edited by | Richard Marks |
| Music by | |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| 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. 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]