'Penny Serenade' is a sentimental offering that never fails to reduce me to tears with every viewing.<br /><br />The great Grant-Dunne team pull off another triumph in their roles as the married couple. After a series of joyous highs and heart-wrenching lows, Julie Adams (Dunne) is contemplating divorce from her husband Roger (Grant). She plays back the musical records that all signify a certain important event for her and her husband, and the emotions and memories flood back to her. Very reminiscent and nostalgic.<br /><br />Cary Grant's gives one of his best performances ever as Roger Adams. He plays dramatic as well as comedic here, including a desperate plea for his child that reduces Grant to tears and will probably reduce you to tears too. I never thought that Grant would be an effective crier on screen, but he was great. He runs through the whole gamut of emotions in this film. The lovely Irenne Dunne is always wonderful, but she's particularly good here as Julie. Grant and Dunne look Hollywood, but we can believe them as genuine married couple because of the affection and genuine warmth to be found in their performances.<br /><br />'Penny Serenade' also touchingly deals with the subject of adoption in an honest yet sympathetic manner. Who can forget Grant and Dunne's desperate search for a child, and their nervousness when they do find a little girl? Dunne is terrified of bathing the child for fear of drowning her, and we really feel for her and understand her fear. In one of the most beautiful moments to be found in the cinema, gruff old Applejack tenderly shows the couple how to bathe the child.<br /><br />I think this is a more of a woman's picture than a man's, indeed it is a 'weepie'. It is slow-paced at times and has a tendency to drag endlessly in places, but the overall product is more than satisfying.<br /><br />8/10.