Wow, I don't know where to begin - don't read this if you like this film

Mostly agree with your assessment but it one of the few films I have seen where it starts off badly and builds to a more interesting story. Most modern films I see capture me in the beginning and then lose steam before the end. I think Mrs. Oliver was saying every child is unique when saying "like no other." The infant was quite cute but Irene Dunne's fear of dealing with her was silly. Anyone wanting a baby that badly would have taken to it with a lot more grace. The film overall is not very good and typical of many Columbia films of that era.

I liked this film but I have to say that most of your criticisms are pretty valid, I pointed out most of the ones you mentioned to my wife when she showed it to me (her being a Grant fan) and she agreed but loves the film anyway.

Was it just me or did the little girl playing their daughter have the CREEPIEST smile ever?

[insert very clever movie quote here]

I liked the film for its insight into the existential issues of gender in those days. You'll surely have noticed, in these old films, that women were 'incomplete' unless they were married. What they thought of themselves if they couldn't have children, I don't know but 'inconsolable' wouldn't be too strong a word I'd suppose.

In the early part of the 20th century a lot of fiction aimed at young men glorified the notion of 'making your own way' in the world. "Go west, young man!" was an often-repeated catch-phrase of those days. As there was no 'social safety net' then and the audience for this film was still in the last days of the depression Roger's problems in 'proving his worth' as a male in a male-dominated society must have been felt by that audience in a very personal way.

So, I felt sorry for these two trapped in roles that they willingly embraced but were struggling to bear what those roles demanded. Thankfully, adoption in those days was more personal, more local, and less bureaucratic than it is now. Babies were commonly sent to orphanages, or relatives by married couples for purely economic reasons. There is very little contrivance in this film about adoption.

I'm an old man now but some of the issues faced by Roger and Julie impacted some of my grandparents, aunts and uncles. Early childhood deaths were several and not uncommon. Death in childbirth ditto. While so many films of those days were glorifications of people with too much money Penny Serenade was about people like you or me and our problems. It's worthwhile and will continue to be so. I hope you'll give it another chance one day.

I suppose I'm not an "imaginative thinker" when it comes to TV and films in a way. For instance, my husband loves "Cops", but I hate it because there's no plot & little explanation of what's going on.
However, I have no problem with imagining scenes in books & radio programs. In fact, I imagine them so well that TV shows and films of books often fall far short of my imagination!
As to the adoption lady saying that to everyone, I missed that part of the movie! I don't recall her saying that to anyone else. I didn't realize they were stalling the adoption - in fact, I thought they were quite desperate to adopt.
But you can't say you weren't warned that my post was a rather severe critique of the film, lol!

Oy! Where do I start? "like no other" was a device used by the playwrite to be echoed later at the conclusion of the film. Every child is "like no other." Cary Grant has never looked as handsome or in love as he does in the beginning of the film in the music store. Unrealistic? I have no family and neither does my husband. The very few family members we had lived far away or didn't care. And not everyone belongs to a church or have a pastor,nor does a belief in G-d require a pastor. Wise people? You judgemental -so and so. I had a miscarriage and there was no one to counsel or comfort. My husband worked 14 hours a day,seven days a week,building a business. Aren't you lucky you come from a family that had the opportunity to breed freely. As for their ages,this was 1941. It wasn't uncommon for people to delay marriage and childbearing. It was war time. In fact,it seems strange that they would have a child during that period. My mother married in 1940 or 1941. It was a clandestine marriage. He was drafted in the German army and she was-Jewish. So ,my father's release from the army stated he was single. My brother was born 9 months later in 1946,my sister was born in 1947,and I followed in 1951,when my mother was 43. Oh yes-she had no relatives and neither did my father since everyone was dead or had fled Hungary and Germany. So for this time frame,this really isn't uncommon. I'm sure they were completely at a loss -what to do with a baby. She was an only child and he was a spoiled son with 7 sisters. No experience at all. They had enough trouble finding clothes and food for children. My only complain is this makes 1941 look too easy. But then,it is the U.S, not where my mother gave birth.

I love this movie.

I did not like the message of the movie as shown by the ending. I don't think there is anything wrong with having or adopting a child after one has died, no matter what the genders.
However in the case of this movie it seemed as if it didn't matter that their little girl had died because now they can get a boy which is what they really wanted in the first place. If I remember correctly the adoption agency lady said as much when she called them about the boy.

[deleted]

Life in Rosalia wouldn't have been much different than in Erie. Note the last para about private placement of children by doctors and others.

DEPENDENT AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN ERIE COUNTY,PA 1940


Four hundred and twenty-nine dependent or neglected children received care from social agencies and institutions in Erie County, PA in 1940. The break-down is as follows:

184 children lived in institutions (Sarah A. Reed Home and St. Joseph's Home for Children)
164 children lived in foster homes
81 children lived in relatives' homes

Additionally, 69 children with legal residence in Erie County received foster care outside of the county:

35 children lived at Bethesda Home in Meadville, PA
2 children lived at Carson College in Flourtown, Montgomery Co., PA
4 children lived at Girard College in Philadelphia, PA
2 children lived at the Odd Fellows' Home of NW PA in Meadville, PA
1 child lived at the Orphans' Home & Farm School in Zelienople, Butler Co., PA
9 children lived at Pennsylvania Soldiers' Orphans' Home in Scotland, Franklin Co., PA
4 children lived at Ruth M. Smith Children's Home in Sheffield, Warren Co., PA
3 children lived at St. Paul's Orphanage in Greenville, Mercer Co., PA
1 child was under the care of Children's Aid Society in Oil City, Venango Co., PA
7 children were under the care of Conference of Catholic Charities in Pittsburgh, PA
1 child was under the care of Children's Aid Society in Meadville, PA

"During 1939, 38 children were adopted through the Erie County Court. Of this number five were adopted by their own parents, probably after the second marriage of one natural parent of the children. Of the remaining 33 children, 18 had legal residence in the City of Erie and two in Corry, six children came from other Pennsylvania counties, two from Ohio, one from New York State, one from Mississippi and three from unknown localities.

Fifteen of the children were recorded as born out of marriage. In five instances the original placements in the adoption homes were made by social agencies or institutions. The adopting parents were married couple, with one single woman as an exception.

Many instances were cited of placements of children for adoption by doctors and private individuals." -Care of Dependent, Neglected and Delinquent Children in Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Enjoy more historical facts and photos of Erie PA at: OldTimeErie.Blogspotdotcom
Posted by Debbi Lyon at 11:56 PM