This week’s mystery movie was the 1936 Columbia film Pennies From Heaven, with Bing Crosby, Madge Evans, Edith Fellows, Louis Armstrong, Donald Meek, John Gallaudet, William Stack, Nana Bryant, Tommy Dugan and Nydia Westman.
Screenplay by Jo Swerling.
Based on The Peacock Feather by Katharine Leslie Moore and the story by William Rankin.
Photography by Robert Pittack.
Music by Arthur Johnston.
Lyrics by John Burke.
Song arrangements by John Scott Trotter.
Musical director George Stoll.
Technical advisor Norman Blackburn.
Edited by John Rawlins.
Art direction by Stephen Goosson.
Directed by Norman Z. McLeod.
An Emanuel Cohen production.
Further information on Pennies From Heaven is available from the AFI Catalog.
Pennies From Heaven is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked Pennies From Heaven by going through the trades. It’s a pleasant picture despite its dark opening (a death row convict on his way to the electric chair gives Bing Crosby a letter to deliver). Even better, there are lots of tricky mystery images, very few photos on IMDB and I had a good print.
I’ll roll the dice again with Mordaunt Hall, figuring he liked it as a pleasant diversion.
Aha. It’s Frank S. Nugent and boy does he hate Mae West (the film in question was Go West Young Man). The New York Times, December 10, 1936:
After a sultry and inexplicably prolonged session of Mae West, the Paramount opened its ventilators yesterday, admitted the fresh air and completed the cleansing process by presenting the new Bing Crosby film Pennies From Heaven. A wholesome, lightly sentimental and genial comedy, it is all the more ingratiating by contrast to its predecessor. Although the Bing’s voice is not unanimously acclaimed by the nation’s music lovers — we even noted a faint cheer in the balcony when he admitted he was the last of the troubadours — still he does not swing his hips when he walks and he does not read his lines as though they had been selected from an underlined copy of Uncle Billy’s Whiz Bang.
For Monday, we have a mysterious eyeball.
Update: This is Edith Fellows, or at least her eye.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Louis Armstrong.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Bing Crosby.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (mystery movie and both mysterious guests), Roget-L.A. (Tuesday’s mystery fellow), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Bob Hansen (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and both mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie and both mystery guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious girl.
Update: This is Edith Fellows.
We also have an enigmatic fellow.
Update: This is Donald Meek.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia (Wednesday’s mysterious troubadour), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mysterious troubadour) and Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and mystery leading lady.
Update: This is Bing Crosby and Madge Evans.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Funky PhD (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (Thursday’s mystery fellow), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and enigmatic cast), Sarah (Thursday’s mystery fellow) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Virginia Weidler.
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An excellent guess. But alas….
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Shirley Temple in….”Fort Apache”?
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An interesting guess! But alas….
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Juanita Quigley?
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Another great guess. But alas….
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Hmm, Tuesday really looks like Louis Armstrong in PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1936) so I guess that’s Edith Fellows in the first photo.
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Louis Armstrong?
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Edith Fellowes and Louis Armstrong in PENNIES FROM HEAVEN.
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Louis Armstrong on Tuesday, so I’m thinking that Monday’s girl is Edith Fellows and the movie is Pennies from Heaven (1936), starring Bing Crosby.
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Looks like it’s Louis Armstrong on Tuesday, which made me recognize Edith Fellows on Monday. The movie is Pennies from Heaven (1936) starring Bing Crosby.
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Edith Fellows, Louis Armstrong in PENNIES FROM HEAVEN.
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Pennies From Heaven 1936
Mon – Edith Fellows
Tues – Louis Armstrong
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Wed – Bing Crosby
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Bing Crosby.
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Allan Jones clowning around?
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Edith Fellows (Monday), Louis Armstrong (Tuesday), Bing Crosby (Wednesday) with various children in Pennies From Heaven (1936)
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PENNIES FROM HEAVEN. Edith Fellows Monday and today, Louis Armstrong Tuesday, Bing Crosby Wednesday, and Donald Meek today.
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Thursday’s mysterious man is Donald Meek. I think it’s “Pennies from Heaven,” which would make Tuesday’’s clown Bing Crosby and Thursday’s girl Edith Fellows.
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Edith Fellowes and Donald Meek.
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looking meek, donald
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Thu – Edith Fellows and Donald Meek
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Pennies from Heaven (1936) w/Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Edith Fellows, Donald Meek, Madge Evans…
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Thursday it’s Donald Meek.
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Oh gosh, Edith Fellows, Donald Meek, that must be Bing Crosby wearing a mask in “Pennies from Heaven”
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Bing Crosby and Madge Evans.
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It’s Pennies from Heaven, 1936. With Bing Crosby, Madge Evans, Edith Fellows, and Louie Armstrong.
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Bing Crosby and Madge Evans.
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Fri – Bing Crosby and Madge Evans
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Oh, MAN! I was in the hospital this past week and missed this entirely! One of my favorite Bing Crosby pictures, and on top of that, I’ll watch anything Madge Evans is in. Will have to get this out again!
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In the hospital? No!! I hope everything is OK now. Take care and here’s to Bing and Madge!
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