Penny Marshall Ought To Have Received a Best Director Oscar Nomination

As you probably know by now actress/director Penny Marshall passed away last night of complications of diabetes at the age of 75.


Marshall remains best known for her portrayal of Laverne DeFazio on Laverne & Shirley alongside Cindy Williams. A spin off of Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley aired on ABC for eight seasons from 1976 to 1983. I remember Laverne best for her penchant for mixing Pepsi with milk.


Previous to Laverne & Shirley, Marshall was in the cast of the short-lived Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers and had a recurring role on The Odd Couple. Her final acting credit was on the short-lived revival of The Odd Couple in 2016.
But perhaps Marshall's finest work was behind the camera as a movie director. Although she only directed seven films several of them became box office smashes and seminal movies of their generation - Big, Awakenings and A League of Their Own the latter of which was preserved by the United States National Film Registry. Alas Marshall never received a Best Director nomination for any of these films much less a Golden Globe or SAG nomination. She was among the first female film directors. It can be reasonably asked if her gender held her back in receiving accolades or more opportunities behind the camera as she did not direct any motion pictures after 2001. However, she did direct a documentary about former NBA player Dennis Rodman which is due to be released next year. Evidently Rodman specifically wanted Marshall to tell his story. Occasionally it takes a madman to appreciate genius. R.I.P.