Leo Penn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Leo Penn | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1921 Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States |
| Died | September 5, 1998 (aged 77) Los Angeles, California United States |
| Years active | 1963-1995 |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen Ryan (1958-1998) (his death) 3 children Olive Deering (?-1952) (divorced) |
Leo Z. Penn (August 27, 1921 – September 5, 1998) was an American actor and director.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Personal life
Penn was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants Elizabeth (née Melincoff) and Maurice Daniel Penn. Leo Penn had distant Spanish ancestry, as his father's surname was originally "Piñon".[1]
Penn served as an officer and bombardier in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.
His first marriage, to Olive Deering, was dissolved in 1952. He was married in 1957 to actress Eileen Ryan, and became the father of singer Michael Penn and actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn. He died of lung cancer at the age of 77 on September 5, 1998 in Los Angeles, California and was interred at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.
[edit] Politics
Penn was a political supporter of communism and advocated U.S. neutrality in the war in Europe during the period of time where the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact created a Non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. The moment Hitler violated that pact Penn urged that America enter the war.[citation needed]
Penn supported the Hollywood trade unions[2], and refused to accuse others to the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was black-listed, and Paramount refused to renew his contract. As a result Penn was not able to work as a movie actor[3]. He found acting work in television, but CBS ousted him after receiving an anonymous accusation that he had addressed a political meeting[4]. Barred from acting in film or TV, he became a director.[5]
[edit] Career
In 1954, Penn won the Theatre World Award for his performance in the play The Girl on the Via Flaminia. Later, Penn would find work as a television director for shows such as Star Trek, I Spy, St. Elsewhere, Kojak, Trapper John, M.D., and Father Murphy. In 1983, Penn was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for The Mississippi.
[edit] References
- ^ Kelly, Richard T. (2004), Sean Penn: His Life and Times, New York: Canongate Books, pp. 484, ISBN 1841956236
- ^ New York Times obituary of Leo Penn
- ^ Hilden, Julie at FindLaw.com In Defense of Sean Penn's Speaking Out dated Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005
- ^ reminiscence by Leo Penn quoted on p.26 of Kelly, Richard T. (2004), Sean Penn: His Life and Times, New York: Canongate Books, pp. 484, ISBN 1841956236
- ^ Elia Kazan—Genius or Informant?
[edit] External links
- Leo Penn at the Internet Movie Database
- Leo Penn at Find A Grave
 This article about a United States film director is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article about an American television actor born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
