Penny Singleton
Biography
Her father was Irish Philadelphian newspaperman, Benny McNulty. He was related to Jim Farley Roosevelt's campaign managers and later Postmaster General. As a child, she sang songs at a silent movie theater. After the sixth grade she joined a touring vaudeville act called "The Kiddie Kabaret." Billed as Penny McNulty, she sang and danced with Milton Berle and Gene Raymond. Her first speaking part was in a Jack Benny Broadway show "Great Temptations". Moving to Hollywood, she took a new name after marrying dentist Lawrence Singleton. Her first name derived from having saved large amounts of penny coins. She played a tough nightclub dancer in After the Thin Man (1936) and acted/sang/danced in Swing Your Lady (1938), one of the movies Humphrey Bogart regarded as his worst. Though naturally a brunette, she bleached her hair blonde ever since she got the role of Blondie in that long-lived series.
95years old at death
- Born Philadelphia
- Died Sherman Oaks
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty and Mariana Dorothy McNulty
Movie Career
- Films
- 7
- Career span
- 54 years1936 to 1990
Did you know?!
A first
Singleton became the first woman to head an AFL-CIO union, and she led the American Guild of Variety Artists for two terms as its president.
A change of course
Singleton started acting professionally while she was a child. Her formal education ended at the sixth grade, which was as far as she went in school.
A first
In Go West, Young Lady (1941), Singleton received top billing ahead of Glenn Ford, her male co-star. At that time, only Dorothy Page and Jane Frazee were other female stars top-billed as singing cowgirls.
Penny Singleton movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Three actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Mel Blanc's page
Jean Vander Pyl's page
George O'Hanlon's page
Frank Welker's page
Henry Fonda's page
Michael Bell's page
Also two films together4 more actors
- Hamilton CampRockin' with Judy Jetson (1988) and The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)
- Sam LeveneThe Mad Miss Manton (1938) and After the Thin Man (1936)
- Daws ButlerRockin' with Judy Jetson (1988) and The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)
- Janet WaldoRockin' with Judy Jetson (1988) and The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.