Penny Marshall Has Cemented Her Place in Women's History in Directing

It always helps to have a family member in the business, no matter what career you pursue. In Hollywood this is especially true. Make no mistake, Penny Marshall is a talented, well-known actress and director in her own right. But it doesn't hurt that her older brother is Garry Marshall (who enjoyed tremendous television success with shows such as "Happy Days") and her (former) husband is the legendary Rob Reiner - ("All in the Family").

Penny Marshall was born Carole Penny Marscharellion in the Bronx, New York in 1943. She actually began in show business officially with a dance background since her mother was a trained tap dancer who taught and ran her own studio. As a young adult after a few good parts on tv, Marshall's biggest television break came when her brother Garry needed two floosie type girls to play dates for Fonzie and Richie on "Happy Days" (1976). Laverne
DaFazio was created and will be forever fondly remembered from "Laverne and Shirley" (1977-1983) along with Cindy Williams as Shirley.

Marshall realized her acting career was fizzling after "Laverne and Shirley" ended and was able to turn her interest to directing, having learned a lot by hanging out on film sets in Hollywood, and having directed a couple of episodes of "Laverne and Shirley". On her first film,"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1986) starring Whoopie Goldberg, she was called in as a replacement director. It was a break for Marshall, although the film tanked. However, she knew it was important to make friends and contacts that would stand her in good stead in the future. And she did have the ingrained family work ethic to keep at it.

With her family behind her, she was given the chance to direct a rising star, Tom Hanks, in "Big" (1988). She cleverly mixed whimsy and nostalgia to make "Big" an enormous success. In fact, it made her the first female director of a film that made over $100 million in the US. That gave her the clout she needed in Hollywood to change genres and choose to direct Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro in the 1990 psychological hospital drama "Awakenings". It garnered an Oscar nomination.

Then going back to a mix of comedy and drama she took on "A League of Their Own" (1992) and then became the first female director to have two over $100 million movies in the US. She formed some very close and long-lasting relationships with the cast of "League of Their Own" which starred Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and Tom Hanks.

After having only mediocre success with producing a few films, Marshall returned to directing in 1994 with Danny DeVito in "Renaissance Man". And then in 1996 directed an all black cast starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston in "The Preacher's Wife" in 2001.

Penny Marshall deserves recognition for Women's History Month because through all of her successes she has underplayed her success - always saying that "it ain't that hard to direct", kept the same friends, directed some of the strongest stars on the silver screen without temper tantrums, and has kept her dignity through a quiet private life. She has clearly shown the way to other women - make connections and work really hard. And she has collaborated with many female screenwriters to assist them in their search for career success.

Marshall even proved she could handle a hard-hitting "man's" film by directing Russell Crowe in the 2005 boxing epic "Cinderella Man". She has attained experience and depth through hard work and maintaining relationships in the business without drawing inordinate attention to herself.