Baby Peggy

Baby Peggy

also known as Peggy-Jean Montgomery,Peggy Montgomery,
Birthday: 29 Oct 1918
Day of death: 24 Feb 2020
Birth place: San Diego, California, USA
Bio:

Silent moppet star Jackie Coogan, immortalized as Charles Chaplin's The Kid (1921), had only one screen rival during the early 1920s, and that was none other than Baby Peggy. She was "discovered" while visiting the Century Studios lot on Sunset Boulevard with her mother when she was a mere 19-months-old and went on to appear in nearly 150 shorts (between 1920 and 1923) and nine feature films during her silent heyday. Often considered a precursor to Shirley Temple, Baby Peggy's most popular film vehicle was the child classic Captain January (1924), which would be made a decade later as a vehicle for Temple. She was born Peggy-Jean Montgomery in 1918 of acting stock. Her father, Jack Montgomery, was a cowboy for years all over the western states. He ended up in the movies as a stuntman and extra driving stagecoaches and buckboards. He supported himself as Tom Mix's double, but never achieved the rugged stardom he yearned for himself. In fact, his daughter was the one who became the celebrity and breadwinner. Many of Baby Peggy's popular comedies were parodies of movies that grown-up stars had made, and she delightfully imitated such legends as Rudolph Valentino, Pola Negri, Mary Pickford and Mae Murray. Her first feature-length film was Penrod (1922). Her first film with Universal, The Darling of New York (1923), shot when she was 3-1/2-years-old, was a solid hit. A few more, including Helen's Babies (1924), were also certifiable winners.

Baby Peggy Known For: