Penny Marshall passed away at 75 and with her go memories of
TV shows like The Odd Couple and a glorious run in Laverne and Shirley with its
Lucy and Ethel hijinks. But greater glory came when she became a bona fide
director who was perhaps the first female to guide a film to blockbuster status
and a catalogue of films especially the trifecta of Big, Awakenings, and A
League of Their Own which were unqualified successes critically and
financially. Gone much too soon, her legacy has helped inspire female directors
to this day (Ava DuVernay with Selma and Patty Jenkins with Wonder Woman).
