Penny Edwards (actress)

Penny Edwards (August 24, 1928 – August 26, 1998) was an American actress who performed on stage, in films, and on television.

Penny Edwards
Penny Edwards, 1945
Born
Millicent Maxine Edwards

(1928-08-24)August 24, 1928
Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 26, 1998(1998-08-26) (aged 70)
Friendswood, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1947–1961
Spouse(s)Ralph H. Winters (1951–1958) (divorced) (2 children)
Jerry Friedman (1964–?) (divorced) (1 child)[1][2]
ChildrenDeborah Winters
David

Early years

She was born Millicent Maxine Edwards in Jackson Heights, Queens,[3] New York.[4] After moving to Florida, she graduated from Miami Edison High School.[5]

Career

When she was 12 years old, Edwards danced in Let's Face It,[3] and at the age of 14, she appeared on Broadway as a dancer in Zigfeld Follies of 1943. Her other Broadway credits include Laffing Room Only (1944) and The Duchess Misbehaves (1946).[6]

Edwards' film debut came in My Wild Irish Rose (1947).[3] She also appeared in the films Trail of Robin Hood, Spoilers of the Plains, Heart of the Rockies, In Old Amarillo, North of the Great Divide, Sunset in the West, Street Bandits, and Missing Women, among others.

In the late 1940s, Edwards toured the United States for 14 months, performing in vaudeville.[3]

Public response to Edwards' appearance with Roy Rogers in Sunset in the West (1950) led to her receiving a long-term contract with Republic Pictures.[3]

In the 1950s, Edwards appeared on television in Westerns and mystery programs.[7] Edwards appeared as Nan Gable in the 1958 episode, "Two-Gun Nan", on the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days. In the story line, Nan is a woman sharpshooter affiliated with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She sets out on a daring, 180-day Thoroughbred horse ride from San Francisco to New York City to prove that a woman could complete such a task. Robert "Buzz" Henry (1931–1971) played her husband, Frank Gable, and William O'Neal (1898–1961) was cast as Cody. Still living in 1958, Nan Gable appeared with series host Stanley Andrews at the conclusion of the episode.[8]

In 1954, Edwards announced her retirement from acting "to do the Lord's work in whatever way He wills."[9] In 1956, though, she appeared as Molly Crowley in the TV Western series Cheyenne in the episode titled "Johnny Bravo".

Personal life

Edwards was divorced from Ralph H. Winters and Jerry Friedman.[7]

Death

Edwards died of lung cancer on August 26, 1998, in Friendswood, Texas, at the age of 70.[10][3]

Partial filmography

References
  1. "Penny Edwards - Cowboy Heroine". www.b-westerns.com.
  2. "Penny Edwards; Actress Appeared in Numerous Movies, TV Shows". Los Angeles Times. September 2, 1998.
  3. Tom Vallance (September 4, 1998). "Obituary: Penny Edwards". The Independent. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. Willis, John; Monush, Barry (2000). Screen World 1999. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 331. ISBN 9781557834119. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  5. "Johnnie Johnston, Penny Edwards on Radio Show". The Miami News. Florida, Miami. November 11, 1949. p. 27. Retrieved June 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Penny Edwards". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on June 11, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  7. Oliver, Myrna (September 2, 1998). "Penny Edwards; Actress Appeared in Numerous Movies, TV Shows". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. A 20. Retrieved June 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Two-Gun Nan on Death Valley Days". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  9. "Actress Is Quitting To Begin Religious Work, She Reports". Miami Daily News-Record. Oklahoma, Miami. Associated Press. April 2, 1954. p. 2. Retrieved June 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Penny Edwards; Actress Appeared in Numerous Movies, TV Shows". Los Angeles Times. September 2, 1998. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
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