Penny Serenade (dir. George Stevens, 1941)
Bristol Megascreen at Bristol Aquarium, Anchor Road, Bristol UK, BS1 5TT
Saturday 29 November 2025, doors 6pm GMT, event starts 6.30pm
Running Time: 2hrs
Rating: U, suitable for children
A woman on the brink of divorce revisits the soundtrack of her life in this heartfelt melodrama about love, loss, and the fragility of happiness. Come and enjoy 78rpm records playing in the foyer, be serenaded by choirs singing songs from the film and take part in an expert panel and Q&A discussing the power of music and melodrama.
Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in Penny Serenade
Julie Gardiner Adams (Irene Dunne) is on the cusp of leaving her husband, Roger Adams (Cary Grant). As she listens to a cherished record of “Penny Serenade,” the film dissolves into the poignant memories of their life together: an impulsive, whirlwind marriage and the devastating tragedies that tested their dreams of a family.
Told through the haunting melodies of their record collection, Penny Serenade is a quintessential Hollywood tear-soaked “weepie” that uses music as emotional architecture to trace the highs and lows of a marriage fought for and nearly lost.
“What more would you want from a movie, but that it make you feel? I’m not a crier by nature, but if I cry I want it to be worth it and this one’s worth it.” (Aurora Bugallo)
We’ve been wanting to screen Penny Serenade at the festival for quite some time, since we screened this as a watch-along during lockdown, we’ve been desperate to see it on the big screen with an audience! Not only does it feature an Oscar-nominated performance from Bristol’s own Cary Grant (one of only two Best Actor nominations), but it also features a cameo appearance from Nipper, another Bristol-boy whose global reach might even exceed our Archie’s!
Irene Dunne and Nipper in Penny Serenade
MUSIC
|
|
Anya Szreter, a multi-talented musician, brings years of experience as a choir director, opera singer, pianist, and music teacher. Having sung operatic leads and taught music at all levels, she now directs choirs in Bristol. Since 2018, she has established and leads three choirs – Nightingale Valley Community Choir, The Redcliffe Singers, and the auditioned Arnos Vocale – collectively known as KEEP IT VOCAL – all performing regularly. Her passion for vocal technique ensures a joyful and enriching experience for singers, fostering a vibrant musical community. To join and for more information visit: www.keepitvocal.com. |
 |
The Arnos Sisters, are made up of Joe Bedford Sarjeant, Becky Murray and Lynette Taberner, members of Arnos Vocale who came together in 2023 to share a love of singing. They focus on arranging their own close harmony versions of favourite contemporary songs. They are joined this evening by bass Eric Bateson for three specially arranged songs, including ‘You Were Meant For Me’, the film’s main theme song. Contact them via Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
|
| Keep it Vocal | Arnos Vocal | Arnos Sisters | Nightingale Valley | Redcliffe Singers |
CONTRIBUTORS
| Jade Evans | |
| Kathrina Glitre | |
|
Estella Tincknell |
|
| Sean Wilson
|
TICKETS
Please note we’re operating a Sliding Scale – “Pay What You Can Afford” Ticket, as we want to offer as many people as possible the opportunity to see this wonderful film on the largest screen in Bristol!
Free – Can’t Afford to Pay
- refugees, asylum seekers and those who can’t afford to meet their basic needs* and have no expendable income**
£5 – Young People / Concession***
- under 30s, students, aged 63+, unemployed, NHS, Emergency Services and Military
£8.50 – Adult / Recommended Full price***
- People with expendable income** who are comfortably able to meet all of their basic* needs
£15 – Pay it forward***
- People who fit the criteria of the Full Price ticket who want to use some of their disposable income to support Cary Comes Home so that people less fortunate can have subsidised tickets.
*BASIC NEEDS include food, housing, clothing and transportation.
**EXPENDABLE INCOME might mean you are able to buy coffee or tea at a shop, go to the cinema or a concert, buy new clothes, books and similar items each month, etc.
***Plus 10% Booking Fee.
You might also be interested in….
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS AND SPONSORS
Screening as part of Too Much: Melodrama on Film – a UK-wide season supported by BFI National Lottery funding, celebrating the vivid visual language, heightened dramatics and emotional pathos at the heart of film melodrama.
