Through the rest of the 1950s, Kenney played bit parts and supporting roles on television in Fireside Theater, TV's Reader's Digest, Whirlybirds and The Millionaire.

An interview with Roger Corman got Kenney her above-title billing when he gave her the lead role of Barbara Bonney, a good girl accused of murdering a jealous rival, in his 1957 film noir Teenage Doll.

She originally had not been considered for the part, but was brought in after production began when Abby Dalton's sister suffered a concussion from falling off a horse and Corman needed a blonde to replace her.

[9][10] In 1958, Kenney starred opposite Dick Bakalyan in the teen exploitation feature Hot Car Girl, produced by Roger's brother Gene Corman and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski.

Promotion included Kenney touring the state with Texas-born James Fillmore, a supporting actor in Cry Baby Killer.

[11][12] That year Bert I. Gordon cast Kenney as female lead in two horror films: Attack of the Puppet People and Earth vs. the Spider.

"[14] Kenney longed to expand her acting range, but a lack of opportunities made her take the role of Betty Scott in Bloodlust!

She recalled that she and her co-stars (Robert Reed, Gene Persson and Joan Lora) felt out of place in the film, and the experience led her to question the direction her career had taken.

[15] A casting call landed Kenney an uncredited role in Jerry Lewis's 1961 film The Ladies Man, her only appearance in an "A" movie.

I learned the inner workings from Roger like camera shots and the on the set production process and so on...but when you're typecast into 'B' pictures, it's hard to grow out of it.

Feeling discouraged from the lack of call backs and interviews and unhappy with the roles she was being offered at the time, she later said she "thought it would be best to bow out gracefully.

"[18] In films Kenney typically plays the good girl who falls in with the wrong crowd or finds herself in situations beyond her control.