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Penny "Laverne" Marshall Died -- Actress and groundbreaking Director


Patrick Bateman

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8 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Lenny and Squiggy will be heartbroken.

I never knew at the time that Lenny was the best actor in that cast. 

Coincidentally, I happened to catch an old rerun of Murphy Brown last night that had Michael McKean as a guest star. He killed. I was in tears. He played an aging lounge singer that Murphy had a crush on in high school. A highlight was him singing "Me and Murphy Brown" to the tune of Me and Mrs. Jones. 

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15 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I never knew at the time that Lenny was the best actor in that cast. 

Coincidentally, I happened to catch an old rerun of Murphy Brown last night that had Michael McKean as a guest star. He killed. I was in tears. He played an aging lounge singer that Murphy had a crush on in high school. A highlight was him singing "Me and Murphy Brown" to the tune of Me and Mrs. Jones. 

He'll always be David St. Hubbins to me.

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Sister of Garry Marshall, another giant... developed Happy Days and all those spinoffs (Mork, Laverne/Shirley, etc.).  Terrific actor, producer, writer (writing credits among some of the best shows on TV ever).  They were close and a helluva team.  Garry died 2 years ago.  RIP both...

feature_garry_penny.jpg

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Love me some A League of Their Own.  It's hilarious and is there a more famous baseball move line the, "There's not crying in baseball!"?

Not sure it beats The Natural, Field of Dreams (which is as much a family movie), or Bull Durham, but aren't those the big 5 in Modern Times right there, along with Major League?  There are some other good baseball movies like Eight Men Out or Moneyball or The Sandlot, but League is definitely right there in the discussion as a top tier baseball movie of all-time.

Awakenings is a underrated Penny movie as well.  I never understood why she wasn't more prolific in her directing career.  Maybe it was the institutional sexism in the industry at the time but she obviously had the chops for it.  She pretty much quits after a Preacher's Wife.... doing only one more film.  Never made much sense.  I 

 

 

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