His interest in dramatics began in high school. In the army during WW II, he directed a theater company in Europe and after his discharge he attended Black Mountain College in North Carolina and later taught acting.
In 1951, Penn was hired as a third floor manager for TV's "Colgate Comedy Hour." Fred Coe, a friend from his army days, later hired him to direct a live dramatic series called "Gulf Playhouse: First Person." Penn continued to work in television through the 50s, on such dramatic programs as "Philco Playhouse" and "Playhouse 90," and he branched out to Broadway as well, with Blue Denim (1954) and Two for the Seesaw (1957).
In 1958, as a favor to Coe, Penn directed his first film, THE LEFT-HANDED GUN, based on Gore Vidal's television play, a psychological interpretation of the legend of Billy the Kid. Received with indifference in the US, the film won the Grand Prix at the Brussels Film Festival. Most importantly, it identified several themes which would recur throughout his work: the dichotomy of father-son relationships; the function of myth in reconciling reality; the arbitrary nature of violence; and the outcast as a reflection of society.
Penn's next film was THE MIRACLE WORKER (1962), based on a play he had successfully directed for television and on Broadway. The film relied little on the conventions of the medium to complement the narrative. The acting of Oscar® winners Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, however, was superlative and Penn received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Director.
He started directing THE TRAIN (1964), but was fired and replaced by John Frankenheimer. Penn's next film, MICKEY ONE (1965) is a noteworthy addition to the film noir genre. Its fragmented tale of a nightclub comic on the run from mobsters received decidedly mixed reviews, although the film does retain a strong cult following.
BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967), Penn's next significant film, is a complex, romantic myth based on the real Barrow Gang of the American Depression-era Southwest. When the film was criticized for its graphic brutality, Penn characterized violence as an element of human nature. His startling juxtaposition of comedy and mayhem supports his assertion that violence often erupts arbitrarily. Eliminating violence from film, Penn said, is "like eliminating one of the primary colors from the palette of the painter." The film received ten Oscar nominations, including one for Penn.
His next two films sustained the theme of the outcast's relationship with conventional society. ALICE'S RESTAURANT (1969), for which Penn received his third Oscar nomination, portrays a metaphorical death of 1960s idealism in its story about a commune of hippies. LITTLE BIG MAN (1970) attacks the romantic myths of the American West in a sometimes lyric, often brutal story told in flashback by a 121-year-old man (Dustin Hoffman) who claims he is the only white survivor of Custer's Last Stand. Another Penn western, THE MISSOURI BREAKS (1976), reiterates his themes in its tale of a rustler (Jack Nicholson) caught on the fence between the outlaw life and respectability; the film demonstrates a mature, beautifully composed visual style.
More recently, Penn's films have lacked the energy of his earlier works. Movies like FOUR FRIENDS (1981), TARGET (1985), and DEAD OF WINTER (1987) are not up to the standards Penn set with BONNIE AND CLYDE, but he remains a vital filmmaker, and his filmic contributions have not been fully realized.
Since 1955, he has been married to TV actress Peggy Maurer (b. 1931). They have two children.
Nominated for Directing 1962: THE MIRACLE WORKER
Nominated for Directing 1967: BONNIE AND CLYDE
Nominated for Directing 1969: ALICE'S RESTAURANT
3 nominations