Penny Marshall Biography

Penny Marshall began her career in show business as an actress, a job handed to her by her brother. Marshall had talent and worked hard to prove herself. From there she went into directing and even though the first movie was not a success she went back at it and had huge success. Although Penny Marshall had no schooling or prior experience, her success as a director opened a door for other females by creating powerful, nostalgic films that focused on sentimental material. Born in Bronx, New York in October of 1942, Penny Marshall was from the start a “problem child”. Her father made industrial videos and her mother was a dance instructor. Penny’s brother and sister were more successful. Garry Marshall worked as an actor, comedian, producer

It was her friend, Whoopi Goldberg, who convinced her to pursue her career in directing films. She began directing her first film Jumpin’ Jack Flash in 1985 a comedy starring Goldberg. She plays Terry who works at a bank transferring funds and isn’t much liked by her no-nonsense boss. __ This film launched Marshall’s career (Chatelin). Though the movie was not her biggest success it allowed her to get a feel for the job. Her second film, Big (1988) starring Tom Hanks, which was turned down by countless males (O’Hara), made her the first female director to gross over $100 million (Bio.com). This film was “box office gold” according to the Tribune even if, as Marshall put it, “it was by accident…Jim Brooks said here and gave [it to me]” (Talking to Penny Marshall). There are numerous reasons for the film’s success. Her experience as an actress gave her a new perspective most directors did not have; she knew how to communicate with her crew. Big is about a young boy (Hanks) who makes a wish to grow big and once his wish is granted we see all the triumphs and struggles he faces. Big deals with familiar themes such as the simpler days of childhood and the struggle of growing up that pull at the heart strings of viewers. This kind of nostalgic longing for a supposedly better past is Marshall’s key to success (Foster). She knows how to work with the plot of a movie and really

During World War II (1943) there were no young men around to participate in America’s past-time – baseball – which leads to the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association. The film tells the heartfelt story of the girls who kept the game going in the with a good old sibling rivalry mixed in. A League of Their Own was added to the US National Film Registry which represents “important cultural, artistic and historic achievements in filmmaking” that establish the film industry as a successful business. The films selected are not the ‘best’ films of all time but “works of enduring importance to American culture…that reflect who we are as a people and as a nation” (BBC