Penny Edwards, a vivacious blue-eyed blonde, was born in the bustling metropolis of New York City in 1928, exhibiting early signs of musical talent as a youth. By the age of six, she began studying dance, and as a teenager, made her Broadway debut in "The Ziegfeld Follies of 1943". After appearing in a few other musicals and performing with the St. Louis Municipal Opera, Edwards was signed by Warner Brothers in 1947.
Her film debut, "My Wild Irish Rose" (1947),showcased her singing and dancing abilities alongside Dennis Morgan and Ben Blue, followed by successful performances in "That Hagen Girl" (1947),"Two Guys from Texas" (1948),"Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'" (1948),and "Tucson" (1949).
After a successful vaudeville tour, Edwards was signed by Republic Pictures and played a series of "prairie flower" ingénue roles, temporarily replacing a pregnant Dale Evans in several Roy Rogers westerns. In 1951, she married agent Ralph Winters and had two daughters, Deborah Winters (born 1954) and Rebecca (born 1956),who would both follow in her footsteps as actresses.
Edwards continued to appear in a succession of "B" movies before leaving Hollywood to focus on religious work. She later reappeared on popular TV shows, including "Tales of Wells Fargo" (1957),"Wagon Train" (1957),and "Bonanza" (1959),as well as light-hearted entertainment programs alongside Robert Cummings and Red Skelton.
Her lovely, ladylike features also made a significant impact in the commercial market, as she appeared as "The Lux Girl", "The Palmolive Girl", and "The Tiparillo Girl". Following her divorce from Winters in 1958, Edwards married Jerry Friedman and had a son, David. However, their 1964 union would also end in divorce.
Edwards retired from show business by the mid-1960s and passed away in 1998 at the age of 70, due to lung cancer, just two days after her birthday.
