Pennies from Heaven (song)

"Pennies from Heaven" is a 1936 American popular song with music by Arthur Johnston and words by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1936 film of the same name. It was recorded in the same year by Billie Holiday and afterwards performed by Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Dinah Washington, Clark Terry, Frances Langford, Arthur Tracy, Big Joe Turner, Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz, Dean Martin, Gene Ammons, The Skyliners (a major hit in 1960), Louis Prima, Legion of Mary, Guy Mitchell, Rose Murphy and many other jazz and popular singers.

The 1936 recording by Bing Crosby on Decca Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.

Legacy

 * Frank Sinatra recorded the song twice: the first with Nelson Riddle for 1956's Songs for Swingin' Lovers! and again in 1962 with Count Basie for Sinatra–Basie: An Historic Musical First.
 * Polly Bergen and Gordon MacRae sang a medley, which included "Pennies from Heaven" on her 1958 NBC variety show, The Polly Bergen Show.
 * The episode of Roseanne where the Conners win the state lottery jackpot of $108 million is entitled "Millions from Heaven."
 * The Louis Prima version was used in the 2003 film Elf and in the film Igor.
 * Regis Philbin sang this song for the soundtrack to the game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
 * Hugh Brannum, as "Smilin' Green Jeans", sang this song as an insert on Captain Kangaroo, anachronistically dating the insert "Smilin' Green Jeans, 1932"; the song was not composed until 1936.
 * Lena Zavaroni recorded the song for her 1974 album, Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me).
 * Rosemary Clooney recorded the song for her 1978 Bing Crosby tribute album, Rosie Sings Bing.
 * Shirley Bassey sang this song on episode 504 of The Muppet Show.
 * "Pennies from Heaven" provided the title for the celebrated 1978 BBC television series and the 1981 film adaptation of it — as well as being featured in both.
 * This song was used in the film Corrina, Corrina in 1994, and appears on the soundtrack.
 * Anita O'Day recorded the song for what would be her final album, Indestructible!, released in 2006.
 * The original, as well as the Louis Prima version, appears in the 2010 game Mafia 2.
 * Sung by Rose Murphy on the soundtrack of the otherwise-silent 2011 film The Artist
 * A live two-piano performance by Bert van den Brink and Clare Fischer was recorded and released in 2001 on Bert van den Brink Invites Clare Fischer.