Father of Matthew Penn and Molly Penn.
He directed 8 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Patty Duke, Anne Bancroft, Estelle Parsons, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard and Chief Dan George. Duke, Bancroft and Parsons won Oscars for their performances in one of Penn's movies.
Hospitalized with pneumonia in a New York hospital [July 14, 2009].
Hospitalized with pneumonia in July 2009.
Interviewed in "The Director's Event: Interviews with Five American Filmmakers," by Eric Sherman and Martin Rubin.
Older brother is renowned photographer Irving Penn.
Was an early contender to direct The Stunt Man (1980) and used elements from that film's source, the Paul Brodeur novel of the same name, in the story of Night Moves (1975).
Won Broadway's 1960 Tony Award as Best Director (Dramatic) for "The Miracle Worker." He was also Tony-nominated two other times: in 1958 as Best Director for "Two for the Seesaw." and in 1961 as Best Director (Dramatic) for "All the Way Home."