Penny Singleton


Penny Singleton was an American actress and labor leader. During her 60-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 from 1962–1963.
Behind the scenes, Singleton served two terms as president of the American Guild of Variety Artists, and testified before a Senate subcommittee in 1962 on the union's treatment of women variety workers.

Early life

Singleton was born in Philadelphia to Bernard J. "Benny" McNulty and Mary Dorothy McNulty, She began performing professionally as a child, and only completed sixth grade in her schooling.

Career

Singleton sang 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 knew since childhood, and actor Gene Raymond, and appeared on Broadway in Jack Benny's The Great Temptations. She also toured in nightclubs and roadshows of plays and musicals.
Singleton appeared as a nightclub singer in After the Thin Man, credited as Dorothy McNulty. She was cast opposite Arthur Lake 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 was made from 1938 until 1950, with the radio show ending the same year. Singleton's husband Robert Sparks produced 12 of these sequels. Also in 1950, she had her own program, The Penny Singleton Show, on NBC radio.
Singleton held top billing in Go West, Young Lady, over her male co-star, Glenn Ford. Only two other female stars were top-billed singing cowgirls at the time. She provided the voice of Jane Jetson in the 1962–63 animated series, The Jetsons.

Labor activism

Singleton was active in union affairs, as a vocal member of the American Guild of Variety Artists. She was elected president of the AGVA in 1958–1959, and again in 1969–1970. Her union membership was suspended in 1962, when she was accused of slandering some of the union's officers, and she countersued. She testified on the exploitation of women in variety work, and the union's shortcomings in representing those workers, before a United States Senate subcommittee in 1962. "I charge here and now that the exotic and strip artists have been abandoned and made outcasts by the very union to which they pay dues for representation and protection," she announced to the subcommittee.
Singleton was reinstated as a union member in 1963, after the dispute reached a legal settlement. In 1967, she led a successful month-long strike by the Radio City Rockettes for better working conditions. During her presidency, she led negotiations with the Disney on Parade show during a variety artists' strike in the Disney on Parade show 1970. The joint venture show of Walt Disney and NBC.
Disney on Parade was one of the most successful ever of touring Arena shows with tours all over the world. Original Producers such as famed child actor Jackie Cooper and Robert S.Finkel. Followed by Peabody award winner Michael M.Grilikes.
With over 100 cast members she led a slowdown in the performance in Hershey Pa. followed by a walkout in Ft. Wayne Indiana and a settlement the next week in Houston Texas.
The issue was that the 16” support stage used by the dancers was cut from the show to reduce cost with trucking. The stage which was laid down on the arena floor without the support caused the dancers to have “Shinsplints”.
The strike was settled and the show went on in Houston.

Personal life and legacy

Singleton married Laurence Scroggs Singleton, a dentist, in 1937; they divorced in 1939, with her keeping the "Singleton" surname as part of her stage name the rest of her life. She was married to Robert C. Sparks, a Marine Corps officer and film producer, from 1941 until his death in 1963. Singleton had two daughters, Dorothy and Susan. She was a Roman Catholic and a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson in the 1952 presidential election.
For her contributions to both radio and the motion-picture industry, in 1960, Singleton was honored with two stars as she was inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star for radio is located at 6811 Hollywood Boulevard, and her film star is at 6547 Hollywood Boulevard.

Death

On November 12, 2003, Singleton died at the age of 95 of respiratory failure, in Sherman Oaks, California.

Filmography

Features

Sourced from TV Guide