Gwen began seeking acting jobs to make ends meet. She played the part of a heavy, stuffy matron in Pennies From Heaven. Bob Mackie, the clothing designer, had fun dressing Gwen with gobs of padding that he had originally designed for Cher on her TV show. Mackie didn't know that he was dressing the "voice of Barbie", or that he would be designing splendiferous clothing for Barbie dolls later in his career.