Baby Peggy

Baby Peggy was an American actress who is best known for her roles in films like Captain January, Helen’s Babies, and The Darling of New York.

Personal and Family Life

Born Peggy-Jean Montgomery on October 29, 1918, in San Diego, California, she came from a family with an acting background. Her father, Jack Montgomery, was a cowboy and stuntman, while her mother, Marian, was from Wisconsin. Baby Peggy had a son named Mark, born in 1961, despite being told she could not have children. She also had a granddaughter who looked a lot like her.

Career

Baby Peggy became a popular child star in the silent film era, appearing in nearly 150 shorts and nine feature films between 1920 and 1923. She was famous for imitating big stars like Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino. Despite her early success, her career faded by the age of eight, and she faced financial difficulties as an adult. Later, she reinvented herself as a writer and publisher using the name Diana Serra Cary, publishing several books about Hollywood and her life.

Death and Legacy

Baby Peggy passed away on February 24, 2020, in Gustine, California, at the age of 101. She was celebrated as one of the final surviving stars from the silent film era and had a lengthy career that spanned almost a century. In 2016, she was inducted into the Classic Film Hall of Fame, a testament to her impact on film history.

Filmography

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Title Release Date Character
Having Wonderful Time 1938-07-01 (uncredited)
Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room 2012-09-05 Herself
Captain January 1924-07-06 Captain January
Carmen, Jr. 1923-08-29
Helen’s Babies 1924-10-11 Toddie
The Family Secret 1924-09-28 Peggy Holmes
April Fool 1926-11-15 Irma Goodman – a Child
Souls at Sea 1937-09-03 Bit Role (uncredited)
Hollywood on Parade 1932-06-05 Self
Fragments: Surviving Pieces of Lost Films 2011-04-03 Herself
Get-Rich-Quick Peggy 1921-12-07
Brownie’s Little Venus 1921-09-13
Sweetie 1923-04-04 The Little Newspaper Vendor
Her Circus Man 1921-03-09
Ah, Wilderness! 1935-12-25 Girl at Graduation (uncredited)
Eight Girls in a Boat 1934-01-05 Hortense
The Darling of New York 1923-12-03 Santussa
Peggy, Behave! 1922-01-01 Baby Peggy
The Little Rascal 1922-05-24 Baby Peggy
Such Is Life 1924-01-30 The Little Match Girl
Playmates 1921-05-18 Baby Peggy
Peg o’ the Mounted 1924-02-27 Peg
The Law Forbids 1924-04-07
Showbiz Kids 2020-07-14 Self (as Diana Serra Cary)
Hollywood’s Children 1982-02-24 Self
Circus Clowns 1922-01-25
The Kid Reporter 1923-05-30 Peggy
Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl 1999-06-14 Self – Clara’s Co-Star in ‘Helen’s Babies’
Clara Bow: Hollywood’s Lost Screen Goddess 2012-12-30 Herself
Miles of Smiles 1923-11-28 The Twins (dual role)
The Flower Girl 1924-05-25
Hansel and Gretel 1923-12-26 Gretel
Hollywood 1923-08-19 Baby Peggy Montgomery
Fools First 1922-05-27 Little girl
Life in Hollywood No. 3 1927-08-25 Self
Girl 27 2007-07-27 Self
Off His Base 1932-09-18 Peggy
Sea Shore Shapes 1921-01-02
True Confession 1937-12-24 Autograph Hunter (uncredited)
The Return of Chandu 1934-10-01 Judy Allen
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