Penny (The Rescuers)

Penny is a fictional character from The Rescuers, animated primarily by Ollie Johnston and modeled after Michelle Stacy, who provided her voice in the film.

Role in the film
Little is known about Penny's backstory. However, it is known that she was left at Morningside Orphanage in New York City, when she was still young. Since then, she had desperately sought adoption. One night, Rufus, the orphanage's elderly cat, saw the girl sitting sadly on her bedside at the orphanage, and asked her what was wrong. Penny told him that it was adoption day at the orphanage. A man and woman looked at her, but adopted a little redheaded girl instead, to what Penny concludes was that the redhead was prettier than herself. It is then that Rufus comforts the girl telling her to have faith, through the poem, "Faith is a Bluebird". Penny then feels better, but it is then that things turn for the worse.

The evil treasure huntress, Madame Medusa, needs a child to fetch a certain diamond, hidden within a crack too narrow for adults to fit down, and thus kidnaps Penny to fetch the diamond for her. For weeks afterward, the police search for the girl, but have no success in doing such.

When a message in a bottle from Penny finally arrives in New York Harbor, some hobo mice discover it and send it to the Rescue Aid Society of mice. Miss Bianca and her co-agent, Bernard, read the message and soon find out that Penny is being held in Devil's Bayou. So the two mice set about in search of the girl.

With the help of an albatross, the mice soon arrive at the bayou and confront Penny in person for the first time ever. After rescuing the diamond from the black hole, and successfully defeating Medusa, the three friends soon return to New York City, where the diamond is donated to the Smithsonian Museum, and where Penny is adopted.

Interesting facts

 * Originally, the Disney animators were considering using the story of Bernard and Miss Bianca setting out to rescue an old poet from a prison in Norway, which was taken from Margery Sharp's first novel. This idea was scrapped, however, since the poet lacked personality. It was then that Penny was created, instead.
 * Penny, herself, was inspired by Patience, the orphan girl in Margery Sharp's second novel, Miss Bianca. Patience, too, is centered with the theme of a diamond, in her case, many, which she is forced to polish everyday. Patience is also key to the book's heartwarming atmosphere.
 * Originally, the film Oliver & Company was to have starred Penny, now living with her new adoptive parents and Rufus. However, due to concerns that the story was convincing enough, a similar girl, Jenny was created in her place.