Penny Singleton (September 15, 1908 – November 12, 2003) was an American film actress. Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (commonly known as Dorothy McNulty) she was the daughter of an Irish-American newspaperman Benny McNulty — from whom she received the nickname "Penny" because she was "as bright as a penny".During her sixty year career Singleton appeared as the comic strip heroine Blondie Bumstead in a series of 28 motion pictures from 1938 until 1950 and the popular Blondie radio program from 1939 until 1950.Singleton also provided the voice of Jane Jetson in the animated series The Jetsons.She died in November 2003 at the age of 95 of respiratory failure.
I was the economical Claire Trevor. I just didn't want to be typed. It goes to show you how you can eat your words. I became probably the most typed actress in the world. But, at least it had some dignity. I'm proud and grateful I was Blondie. She was dumb and shrewish sometimes. But she was real and sympathetic and warm, a real woman, a human being. And that's how I tried to play her.
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"They threw parts at me that Claire Trevor didn't want" - on how she broke into the movies.
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"God bless Chic Young." - on playing Blondie in the series of films based on Young's comic-strip character.
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Women are really leaders. A lot of them don't even know they are leaders. But they are.
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Fact
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In 1958 Penny Singleton was asked to run for member of the national board of American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) She did and scored the highest vote in the union's history. Despite a growing feud with administrative officers, Penny advanced in the AGVA hierarchy and even served one term as president in 1958-59. In 1959, she got sued after going on the Mutual Broadcasting System and calling Actors' Union exec Jackie Bright, a "dime store Hoffa. The charges and counter-charges grew in intensity, and she was suspended from the union, thus depriving her of the ability to work as a variety performer. Her ordeal ended Feb. 27, 1964 when she was reinstated to the AGVA board and given $15,000 in settlement of her claims against the union.
She was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6811 Hollywood Boulevard and for Motion Pictures at 6547 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
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Was the voice of Jane Jetson in The Jetsons (1962) and in later Jetson animated movies & specials.
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Probably most well remembered today for her portrayal of the comic strip character "Blondie." She starred in 28 movies in this series during the years 1938-1950.
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Despite her prolific film career, she was not included in the Dearly Departed video montage of the 2004 Oscar show.
$1.4 Million
