Singleton, Penny (1908–2003)

views updated

Singleton, Penny (1908–2003)

American actress. Name variations: Dorothy McNulty. Born Mariana Dorothy McNulty, Sept 15, 1908, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died Nov 12, 2003, in Sherman Oaks, CA; niece of former Postmaster General James Farley; attended Columbia University; m. Lawrence Singleton (dentist), in 1937 (div. 1939); m. Bob Sparks (film producer), 1941; children: 2 daughters.

Best remembered for her portrayal of Blondie, the long-suffering wife of Dagwood Bumstead, launched her show-business career as a singer and dancer, appearing in several Broadway musicals before making her way to Hollywood; under name Dorothy McNulty, made movie debut in Good News (1930); made first appearance in Blondie (1938), which spawned 28 sequels, a long-running radio show, and 2 short-lived tv sitcoms (1957, 1968); became a union activist for American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA); other films include After the Thin Man (1936), The Mad Miss Manton (1938), Go West Young Lady (1941) and The Best Man (1964); was also the voice of Jane Jetson for Hanna-Barbera cartoons and feature film Jetsons: The Movie (1990).

See also Women in World History.