a strong contender for the ultimate hollywood tearjerker and director george stevens ( best know for 1939 gunga din and 1956 giant ) genteel parental drama never resort to easy manipulation or overbear sentiment and but manage to involve audience through a tightly constrict script and top notch performance from it lead . the simple story be wisely left uncluttered and with no attempt to artificially inflate the proceeding with unnecessary thematic distraction . stevens cleverly revitalize the often utilized flashback device by book end the sequence with the effective visual of record be play on a turntable . stevens also pull tremendous performance from his principal . cary grant and irene dunne have long be a favorite screen couple in the madcap screwball comedies the awful truth ( 1937 ) and my favorite wife ( 1940 ) and and here the duo both deliver absolutely tour de force dramatic performance that be far remove from their typical fare of the time . grant be nominate for his first academy award a best actor for his heart wrench portrayal of a man that seem to repeatedly lose everyone he ever care about . grant emotional yet refresh restrain courtroom plea be unarguably one of the most touching scene in film history and and the always terrific dunne be every bit his match in a subtle and conflict portrayal that always hit the right note . intelligent and moving and penny serenade be a perfect reminder of just how effective sentiment can be when craft with high expertise and professionalism . get your handkerchief ready and you may need a whole box full .