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. Join us for an unforgettable evening of cinema and conversation, featuring an introduction by Jade Evans and a post-screening panel with Kathrina Glitre, Sean Wilson and Estella Tincknell as they explore the power of music and melodrama in Penny Serenade.
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, with a wonderful introduction by Aurora Bugallo. Since then, 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.
|
CONTRIBUTORS
 |
Jade Evans recently completed an AHRC-funded PhD at Queen Mary University of London and the BFI National Archive. Her research explored the creation and promotion of film stardom through archival collections, highlighting the invisible labour and agency of women stars often overshadowed by male-dominated narratives. Outside academia, Jade is a long-standing volunteer and board member for Portsmouth’s independent, not-for-profit No.6 Cinema. |
|
|
Dr Kathrina Glitre is a senior Lecturer in Film Studies at UWE Bristol, and is an expert on classical Hollywood cinema, film genre, and screen performance. She has published widely on romantic comedy, Cary Grant, and acting style, including her monograph Hollywood Romantic Comedy (2006). Her research explores the interplay of aesthetics, industry, and gender representation, and she has served as Academic Adviser for the Cary Grant Festival. |
 |
Sean Wilson is a Bristol-based film and soundtrack journalist, Sean writes for outlets including Film Score Monthly, Den of Geek, and Little White Lies. He is the author of The Sound of Cinema: Hollywood Film Music from the Silents to the Present Day (2022), a comprehensive study of film music history. Sean has interviewed leading Hollywood composers and co-hosts the podcasts Scoreheads and Frame to Frame |
 |
Dr Estella Tincknell is a Visiting Fellow and former Associate Professor in Film and Culture at UWE Bristol. Her research spans British film and television, music on screen, and gender representation. She co-edited Film’s Musical Moments (Edinburgh University Press, 2006), a landmark collection exploring music’s role in cinema across genres and national contexts. She also co-edited The Soundtrack journal and has published extensively on film musicals, popular music in cinema, and feminist media studies. |
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.
Panel supported by Screen Research at UWE
