The Laverne & Shirley actress and director of hits like A League of Their Own has died at age 75.
Penny Marshall fans will forever associate her with the monogrammed clothes she wore on the 1970s sitcom Laverne & Shirley. Marshall, who died Monday at age 75 from complications of diabetes, was an actress, filmmaker, and pioneer for women in Hollywood. She directed hits like Big and A League of Their Own when few women had the opportunity to helm films, but it was her breakthrough role of Laverne DeFazio that introduced her to the masses. On the sitcom, a spinoff of Happy Days set in 1950s Milwaukee, Marshall made the monogram her signature style staple.
Although monograms date back to antiquity, they enjoyed enormous popularity in the US in the 1950s and ’60s. By wearing monogrammed shirts and sweaters as Laverne more than 20 years after they peaked, Marshall helped to keep this trend alive, as it was her idea for her character to wear a monogrammed L on all of her clothing.
