Pennies From Heaven

"I want to live in a world where the songs come true," Arthur Parker says. In that world, bank tellers would eagerly hand out sacks of Depression-era dough to him, every cloud would have a silver lining and Arthur's loveless marriage to Joan would give way to boop-boop-a-doop bliss with passionate Eileen.

Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters and Jessica Harper form the triangle of this razzle-dazzler in which lip-synched 1930s songs contrast with characters' lives. Herbert Ross directs Dennis Potter's movie adaptation of his landmark TV miniseries, filming on sets that recreate Depression-era artwork and bringing a savvy touch to vibrant musical numbers. See Christopher Walken strip to Let's Misbehave. Fall under the spell of a Martin/Peters homage to Astaire and Rogers. Every penny is on the screen. And each looks like a million.