Unlikely as it may seem, a broken leg is the fulcrum on which this tale turns. Until last year, Ann Pennington--the younger sister of Janice Pennington, our May 1971 Playmate--hadn't been putting much effort into her work. She had done a few TV shows (The Price Is Right, Truth or Consequences), played a bit part in a movie (Funny Lady) and done a lot of what models call print work (magazine ads and such). "But I never really wanted to work," she admits. "I married young"--to her high school sweetheart, right after graduation; it lasted five years--"and I never had the drive or the desire to really do anything." Then, after her accident--on a slope at Bear Valley, where her current boyfriend runs the ski school ("I missed a lesson but went out anyway, and I wasn't careful enough")--she had plenty of time to discover herself "and get things in perspective." Now, says the 25-year-old blonde, who was born in Seattle, grew up in San Diego and currently occupies an apartment of her own in Sherman Oaks, "I realize how lucky you are to be able to do anything and, for the first time, I've been getting my head into working." Fully recovered from her spill, Ann is currently appearing in the Western The Winds of Autumn. And at press-time, she was updating her portfolio; she'd just signed with a new agent and was looking forward to a tougher work schedule. Which won't leave her much time for antique hunting, her favorite hobby--or for socializing. As it happens, though, Ann doesn't play the field: "I just like a good one-on-one relationship." Neither is she looking for another husband: "I might try marriage again, but not for a while. The one I had was supposed to be perfect, but we just didn't grow at the same pace. Marriage is a lot of work, and I've learned that life has no guarantees." Maybe not--but we can assure Ann that her life is never going to be dull.
