Penny Singleton

Infobox actor
name = Penny Singleton


image_size = 200
caption = Penny Singleton as "Blondie"
birthname = Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty
birthdate = birth date|1908|9|15|mf=y
birthplace = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|2003|11|12|1908|9|15
deathplace = Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
yearsactive =
spouse =

Penny Singleton (September 15, 1908 – November 12, 2003) was a Hollywood actress best known for her role in the series of motion pictures based on the comic strip "Blondie", followed by the popular "Blondie" radio program. She is also well known as the voice of Jane Jetson from the cartoon show the Jetsons.

Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 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"). She began her show business career as a child by singing at a silent movie theater, and toured in vaudeville as part of an act called "The Kiddie Kabaret". She sang and danced with Milton Berle (whom she had known since childhood) and actor Gene Raymond, and appeared on Broadway in Jack Benny's "Great Temptations".

Singleton appeared as a nightclub singer in "After the Thin Man" (at the time, still credited as Dorothy McNulty). She was cast opposite Arthur Lake (as Dagwood) in the feature film "Blondie" in 1938, based on the comic strip by Chic Young. They repeated their roles on a radio comedy beginning in 1939, and in guest appearances on other radio shows. As Dagwood and Blondie Bumstead, they proved so popular that a succession of 27 sequels were made from 1938 until 1950 (the radio show ended the same year). Husband Robert Sparks produced 12 of these sequels. Singleton dyed her brunette hair blonde for the rest of her life. She also toured in nightclubs and roadshows of plays and musicals.

She was active in union affairs and was the first woman president of an AFL-CIO union. She led a strike by the Radio City Rockettes.

She became familiar to television audiences as the voice of Jane Jetson in the animated series "The Jetsons", which originally aired from 1962 until 1963, reprising the role for a syndicated revival from 1985 through 1988 and for assorted specials, records, and "" (1990).

Singleton died in Sherman Oaks, California following a stroke, and was interred in San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Personal life

She was married to
*Robert Sparks (1941 - 22 July 1963) till his his death and had a daughter
*Dr. Laurence Scogga Singleton, a dentist (1937 - December 1939), divorced him and had a daughter

Filmography

Features

*"Good News" (1930)
*"Love in the Rough" (1930)
*"After the Thin Man" (1936)
*"Vogues of 1938" (1937)
*"Sea Racketeers" (1937)
*"Swing Your Lady" (1938)
*"Outside of Paradise" (1938)
*"Men Are Such Fools" (1938)
*"Racket Busters" (1938)
*"Mr. Chump" (1938)
*"Boy Meets Girl" (1938)
*"Secrets of an Actress" (1938)
*"Garden of the Moon" (1938)
*"The Mad Miss Manton" (1938)
*"Hard to Get" (1938)
*"Blondie" (1938)
*"Blondie Meets the Boss" (1939)
*"Blondie Takes a Vacation" (1939)
*"Blondie Brings Up Baby" (1939)
*"Blondie on a Budget" (1940)
*"Blondie Has Servant Trouble" (1940)
*"Blondie Plays Cupid" (1940)
*"Blondie Goes Latin" (1941)
*"Blondie in Society" (1941)
*"Go West, Young Lady" (1941)
*"Blondie Goes to College" (1942)
*"Blondie's Blessed Event" (1942)
*"Blondie for Victory" (1942)
*"It's a Great Life" (1943)
*"Footlight Glamour" (1943)
*"Leave It to Blondie" (1945)
*"Life with Blondie" (1945)
*"Young Widow" (1946)
*"Blondie's Lucky Day" (1946)
*"Blondie Knows Best" (1946)
*"Blondie's Big Moment" (1947)
*"Blondie's Holiday" (1947)
*"Blondie in the Dough" (1947)
*"Blondie's Anniversary" (1947)
*"Blondie's Reward" (1948)
*"Blondie's Secret" (1948)
*"Blondie's Big Deal" (1949)
*"Blondie Hits the Jackpot" (1949)
*"Blondie's Hero" (1950)
*"Beware of Blondie" (1950)
*"The Best Man" (1964) (scenes deleted)
*"" (1990) (voice)

hort subjects

*"Belle of the Night" (1930)
*"Campus Cinderella" (1938)
*"Screen Snapshots Series 19, No. 1" (1939)

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/blondieseries Blondie: The Movie Series]
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