Penny Singleton

Her father was Irish Philadelphian newspaperman, Benny McNulty. He was related to 'Jim Farley' (qv) 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' (qv) and 'Gene Raymond' (qv). Her first speaking part was in a 'Jack Benny' (qv) 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)_ (qv) and acted/sang/danced in _Swing Your Lady (1938)_ (qv), 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.::Ed Stephan <[email protected]>