What a family she had ! Parents lived off her work without sending her to school and the grandparents stealing from the parents ! Trusting people just because they're family is a huge mistake.
So true so awful even after a family member has died they still steal and lie …I never trust family members of friends just because they happen to be related to my friend .The things I have seen .
There's a movie called The Black Candle, I'm not sure if it's Irish or Scotish but the main character has a mother who was the spitting image of Satan. With her trying to get the authorities to arrest and kill her eldest son. It's quite moving. I've noticed there are many times water can be thicker than blood.
The fact this young girl went without a proper education while earning a living for her own parents is just so crushingly sad. Even if that was all she had to put up with, her parents shamelessly used her. Great video friend!
It speaks so much to the need for protecting income and mental health. Look at how many times she was betrayed - her own grandfather stole a million dollars?! Her own husband profiteered off her childhood fame? This is why we need labor laws and income laws that can protect us from our own families! It's so sad.
A lot of parents back then were quite ruthless towards their children. I'm not sure the veracity of the claim of the person recalling that not only didn't they care about their children. In the persons account they claimed their mothers her down to be violated.
As long as she learned to read, that's not a huge handicap, considering the fortune she (should have) had to hire all kinds of teachers and learn anything she wanted, later. Luckily for her, she was very strong and resourceful in spite of terrible parents and grandfather.
The 1920s. A century ago. Hard to believe. My parents were born in 1920 and '21. I love silent movies and I've seen loads of them. But, I've never heard of Baby Peggy until now. Yet, another star of the silent era that I must discover.
In addition to her own autobiography, Diana Serra Cary also wrote a biography of child star Jackie Coogan, as well as a book called *Hollywood's Children,* which traces the history of child stardom in early Hollywood.
This was a well done bio. I learned a lot. As an aside, I had never heard of the Hilton Twins. I did a little searching on them. Their treatment was far worse than Peggy's! A very sad story.
I can't believe that I just learned about Baby Peggy, Diana Serra Cary. What a terrific child talent. As well as a talented writer/historian. One of my dearest friends Marcia Mae Jones used to tell me her stories about making movies with Shirley Temple as a child. All so interesting. Thank for your great channel.
I met her at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. We were just two people in the audience. She said she was in silent movies but the Theater didn't have any of the films. I never saw any of them until much later.
Great video! Well done. I first became intrigued by Baby Peggy about 10 years ago when TCM aired the excellent documentary Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room in 2012 It's a great doc and she speaks her own story throughout most of the film. If you haven't yet seen it its a great watch for BP fans.
@@robertsutton8894 It's using the antique phrase "The Elephant in the Room" which basically refers to something that's impossible to miss and very out of place yet no one acknowledges it. In this case its Baby Peggy and her questionable upbringing that fits that narrative
I have the Baby Peggy documentary, "Baby Peggy: The Elephant In The Room," and also, "Captain January", made in 1924. Diana Serra Cary was a remarkable woman and I greatly recommend both of these. Her autobiography, "Whatever Happened To Baby Peggy," looks back over her incredible life as a child star. Her parents indeed squandered her fortune. Such a gifted actress, even as a little girl. Her documentary was co-written by Diana Serra Cary and is quite moving. It contains rare clips from her pictures and shows an intimate portrait of a woman who lost her childhood to the movies.
What a beautiful, adorable wonder of nature on the earth. I’m so glad I stumbled across this video. also from the clips that I’ve seen which are not very long, she was actually extremely funny and talented!!!🎉
Keep in mind that child labor was very common in the 1900’s and early film was no exception. I remember watching her Peggy making the talk show circuit in the 80s; I had no idea who she was. It’s horrible that Hollywood still looks away when child actors are underpaid and abused. There are books and documentaries out today written by young actors, that were assaulted and robbed. Most child stars were given the bare minimum of education. It seems that few children have been protected by the Coogan act. She was equal to a Kardashian promoted family member….except no one cared if she benefited as well.
Thank you for this interesting video.I always have confused Baby Peggy and Baby Rose Marie, who was a star in the 30s. I wonder how many "Baby" screen actresses there were! It is so sad that life does not reward people who work hard and produce. Baby Peggy was a little trooper and the people around her stole from her and lived good lives at her expense.
I think that the wonderful movie, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), with the fabulous actresses, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, may have been inspired by the life of Baby Peggy. Thanks for this excellent podcast. Love your channel! 😃
Peggy's story contrasts sharply with that of Shirley Temple. Both were extremely talented child actresses, but Shirley at least had a loving family, and her parents protected her from exploitation and overwork, and ensured that she had an education. Plus, Shirley loved what she was doing and wasn't pushed into her work, while Peggy, as a toddler, really had no choice as to whether or not she wanted to be a child actress, and if she didn't want to do it, she wasn't given the choice to quit, especially after she became the family's principal breadwinner. Her father was a strict disciplinarian who expected instant obedience from both of his daughters, and they were expected to come to him whenever he snapped his fingers. Sad that this poor kid didn't seem to have much of a childhood, and at six, her acting career was pretty much over due to a combination of a long absence from Hollywood, other new child stars on the scene, and talking films, but I hope that she was able to find some happiness later on in her life!
This was wonderful. A great analysis. It is nice that your photos followed the age of the person being previewed. So many videos just keep showing photos without a concern about how they can be best used. You bring a story that follows (or leads) the visuals that we photo junkies all must have.
My mother (age 4) loved Baby Peggy - knew she did naughty things and people laughed. Once (visiting someone) she (my mom) climbed and sat on their piano! She knew it was wrong, but they all laughed at BP. Uh, nobody laughed at my mother. Hostess aghast, mother embarrassed, and (my mother) put in time out corner.
Knowing people in these days as CELEBRITIES made less than we do as minimum wage fast food workers in this day is absolutely soul crushing to me. I understand the value of money has significantly changed over the years but $7 for an appearance AFTER negotiating is just crazy to me.
Children of films in the silent era were treated awful by there parents and when they became stars their parents who where poor lived on there childs income. not caring about her acting only making sure she obeyed order in the films no matter even it was dangerous. Like others like Shirley Temple they were exploited by manufacturers of dolls and itoms of their faces on them knowing more money making and more money for the psrents to live the high life.They were to young to understand and having dolls and girl things handed to her she was happy.Not knowing her parents were spending and having parties on Peggies earnings.As Peggie aged her struggled like other children of child stars .there acting careers were not many .but she liked a good life out lived her life then the other silent screen child stars who died years before her .she died at the age of 121 .Rest in peace to her and othere child stars she knew and acted with .Godbless them.Rest In peace to them🙏🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹AMEN
Thank you for another great post! Very well put-together and I'm sure very informative to those not familiar with her. Her book is a great read and I have no reason to think that it isn't accurate, although much of it had to be related to her by others. Surely, a kid that young knew nothing about contracts or other behind-the-scenes stuff that was going on, so there could be errors along the way. Thanks again!
@@The1920sChannel I love the history of movies and the silent and early sound era is the most interesting. I used to think “who would watch a silent film they are so boring”. Now I know that statement is wrong.
Though I'd heard of her I knew nothing about her, so this is a treat. It's good to know she went on to claim a life of her own, and lived so many years. I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to more! BTW, I'd love to know who that little boy is in the dance scene. He's an incredible little dancer, and I wonder what became of him?
I actually watched an interview awhile ago where she definately did talk about her father giving her a spanking on set one time because she didn't obey him, ( which was unusual) and she recalled it hurt a lot.
Again an excellent video. I'm afraid you are being shadow banned (like my channel) VERY badly. You should have a ton more subs. Keep on keeping on young man. THANKS.....
I wonder if she was the inspiration behind "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". A century later, child stars are still being overworked, abused, and manipulated by the adults around them. Lots of "ran off with the money" in those times. Even had family members stealing from her. Sad.
Very interesting story! I would have loved to seen some of her shorts! I don't suppose her parents and others that stole from her ever felt guilty! They not only stole her money but her childhood too!
Regarding spanking: most people don't realize that this was very common. I was spanked, and, unfortunately, adults sometimes didn't realize their own strength, especially when angry. This is just the way things were!
I have read her book.. how tragic to be used like a trick pony to support your parents' extravagant lifestyle while your childhood development is denied. 😢
Wow I'm from DFW and I remember hearing about baby Peggy..and her parents really stinked..and her dad sounded like a massive moron and her mom a victim of the high class high life bug..and wow she was in school classes with Judy garland & Mickey Rooney that means she'd have had some studio classes with my cousin Linda Darnell..and baby Peggy was adorable like Darla or Shirley Temple..granted her parents sucked but at least they weren't like Judy garlands mom and some Hollywood parents and yeah Peggy's dad was a hypocrite telling his wife I don't want you to do that but money's a crazy thing and one min it helps you then allures you and can crush you .and it doesn't matter what decade tbh and maybe it took the crash and her career ending for her family to regain some stability and normalcy and she obviously got some degree of literacy for her to become a writer but alot of kids were illiterate back then my great grandfather born in 1918 had a 5th grade education and ended up serving in WW2 and got the GI bill and worked to get a correspondence business degree and ended up a millionaire when he died granted tax crap and business debts and inflation left him with nothing to leave the family but it's still impressive and admirable in my family we joke about how there hasn't been a successful Darnell since Linda or great grandpa now were all on the edge of blue collar and probably living like some of the families in the grapes of wrath .lol and I only got introduced to baby Peggy through grandma and pbs and we'd watch her and shirley temple and little rascals granted it sucked what these kids went through and the need for better safety precautions but the shows they made are still more nice than some of the Hogwash coming out of hollyweird now
Small correction about the photo at 5:53: Joe Martin was, in fact, an orangutan, and the picture shows Mrs. Joe Martin, who was a chimpanzee
What a family she had ! Parents lived off her work without sending her to school and the grandparents stealing from the parents ! Trusting people just because they're family is a huge mistake.
So true so awful even after a family member has died they still steal and lie …I never trust family members of friends just because they happen to be related to my friend .The things I have seen .
There's a movie called The Black Candle, I'm not sure if it's Irish or Scotish but the main character has a mother who was the spitting image of Satan. With her trying to get the authorities to arrest and kill her eldest son. It's quite moving. I've noticed there are many times water can be thicker than blood.
The fact this young girl went without a proper education while earning a living for her own parents is just so crushingly sad. Even if that was all she had to put up with, her parents shamelessly used her. Great video friend!
It speaks so much to the need for protecting income and mental health. Look at how many times she was betrayed - her own grandfather stole a million dollars?! Her own husband profiteered off her childhood fame? This is why we need labor laws and income laws that can protect us from our own families! It's so sad.
Shes not the first and definitely won't be the last unfortunately
A lot of parents back then were quite ruthless towards their children. I'm not sure the veracity of the claim of the person recalling that not only didn't they care about their children. In the persons account they claimed their mothers her down to be violated.
As long as she learned to read, that's not a huge handicap, considering the fortune she (should have) had to hire all kinds of teachers and learn anything she wanted, later.
Luckily for her, she was very strong and resourceful in spite of terrible parents and grandfather.
@@harrymills2770
The 1920s. A century ago. Hard to believe. My parents were born in 1920 and '21. I love silent movies and I've seen loads of them. But, I've never heard of Baby Peggy until now. Yet, another star of the silent era that I must discover.
How time flies!
In addition to her own autobiography, Diana Serra Cary also wrote a biography of child star Jackie Coogan, as well as a book called *Hollywood's Children,* which traces the history of child stardom in early Hollywood.
80
Thanks, I will look for those books.
I just finished Diana's autobiography. You did a beautiful job covering Baby Peggy. She was an amazing woman.
Dude, great job. Thank you for all the work you put into your videos. You are one of my favorite TH-camrs.
Great documentry ! So sad that such a adorable girl had a sad childhood and parents who tolarate and put her into it
Very interesting and enjoyable video. It was so sad that she was used so terribly by her parents and studios.
rest in peace Baby Peggy
Awe, she was the cutest little girl. Awe precious sorry she went through so much.
Her autobiography is SO good! Her parents were so awful to her, and took such horrible advantage of her.
This was a well done bio. I learned a lot. As an aside, I had never heard of the Hilton Twins. I did a little searching on them. Their treatment was far worse than Peggy's! A very sad story.
I’ve never heard of the Hilton Twins either. I’ll have to do some research.
I can't believe that I just learned about Baby Peggy, Diana Serra Cary. What a terrific child talent. As well as a talented writer/historian. One of my dearest friends Marcia Mae Jones used to tell me her stories about making movies with Shirley Temple as a child. All so interesting. Thank for your great channel.
I loved Marcia Mae Jones in These Three!!
I met her at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. We were just two people in the audience. She said she was in silent movies but the Theater didn't have any of the films. I never saw any of them until much later.
Great video! Well done.
I first became intrigued by Baby Peggy about 10 years ago when TCM aired the excellent documentary Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room in 2012
It's a great doc and she speaks her own story throughout most of the film. If you haven't yet seen it its a great watch for BP fans.
Where did the pachyderm come in?
@@robertsutton8894 It's using the antique phrase "The Elephant in the Room" which basically refers to something that's impossible to miss and very out of place yet no one acknowledges it.
In this case its Baby Peggy and her questionable upbringing that fits that narrative
Baby Peggy is awesome, but let's take a moment to appreciate the young man dancing with her. He had great moves. Very expressive.
Very true!
Great job! I loved the story & you told it so well. Thank you!
I have the Baby Peggy documentary, "Baby Peggy: The Elephant In The Room," and also, "Captain January", made in 1924. Diana Serra Cary was a remarkable woman and I greatly recommend both of these. Her autobiography, "Whatever Happened To Baby Peggy," looks back over her incredible life as a child star. Her parents indeed squandered her fortune. Such a gifted actress, even as a little girl. Her documentary was co-written by Diana Serra Cary and is quite moving. It contains rare clips from her pictures and shows an intimate portrait of a woman who lost her childhood to the movies.
What a beautiful, adorable wonder of nature on the earth. I’m so glad I stumbled across this video.
also from the clips that I’ve seen which are not very long, she was actually extremely funny and talented!!!🎉
Keep in mind that child labor was very common in the 1900’s and early film was no exception. I remember watching her Peggy making the talk show circuit in the 80s; I had no idea who she was. It’s horrible that Hollywood still looks away when child actors are underpaid and abused. There are books and documentaries out today written by young actors, that were assaulted and robbed. Most child stars were given the bare minimum of education. It seems that few children have been protected by the Coogan act.
She was equal to a Kardashian promoted family member….except no one cared if she benefited as well.
Thank you for this interesting video.I always have confused Baby Peggy and Baby Rose Marie, who was a star in the 30s. I wonder how many "Baby" screen actresses there were! It is so sad that life does not reward people who work hard and produce. Baby Peggy was a little trooper and the people around her stole from her and lived good lives at her expense.
I think that the wonderful movie, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), with the fabulous actresses, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, may have been inspired by the life of Baby Peggy.
Thanks for this excellent podcast. Love your channel! 😃
It's great to see your channel grow. Kudos to you!
Peggy's Dad hates the idea of people turning their kids in movie stars.
Also Peggy's Dad...
Yep. . .until he realized that his OWN kid was capable of earning some big bucks for the family -- and then he changed his tune pretty quickly!
Thank you very much for the detailed video ❤
Thanks so much.
I regret not getting one of her autographed pictures. She was a great star & a great lady.
Really neat and interesting.
absolutely unthinkable what they put this child thru. glad she came to peace and productivity as an adult
Wow! What an interesting life Little Peggy had and she was so pretty! Thank you for all your research! I never even heard of her until now!
This was my great great grandma
I love this channel . This is so well written, so well presented. All of your work is much appreciated .. I'm blown away. Onto the next Video.
Peggy's story contrasts sharply with that of Shirley Temple. Both were extremely talented child actresses, but Shirley at least had a loving family, and her parents protected her from exploitation and overwork, and ensured that she had an education. Plus, Shirley loved what she was doing and wasn't pushed into her work, while Peggy, as a toddler, really had no choice as to whether or not she wanted to be a child actress, and if she didn't want to do it, she wasn't given the choice to quit, especially after she became the family's principal breadwinner. Her father was a strict disciplinarian who expected instant obedience from both of his daughters, and they were expected to come to him whenever he snapped his fingers. Sad that this poor kid didn't seem to have much of a childhood, and at six, her acting career was pretty much over due to a combination of a long absence from Hollywood, other new child stars on the scene, and talking films, but I hope that she was able to find some happiness later on in her life!
I read her book. Excellent
Great video, well done ! Thanks. RIP, Ms Baby Peggy
Beautiful, you can see how grown ups act, yet today they still act the same way ,
This was wonderful. A great analysis. It is nice that your photos followed the age of the person being previewed. So many videos just keep showing photos without a concern about how they can be best used. You bring a story that follows (or leads) the visuals that we photo junkies all must have.
7:44 - if she says she doesn't remember her father beating her "at the studio even once" it does NOT mean that he didn't beat her at home.
Thanks, dude! Youve done a great job researching things as usual, sir. 👍 👍 👍
I had the honor of meeting Mrs Cary at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. Wonderful lady. And her books are well worth reading.
My mother (age 4) loved Baby Peggy - knew she did naughty things and people laughed. Once (visiting someone) she (my mom) climbed and sat on their piano! She knew it was wrong, but they all laughed at BP. Uh, nobody laughed at my mother. Hostess aghast, mother embarrassed, and (my mother) put in time out corner.
I feel for her
What an unbelievable life! Great video, thanks for making it!
Knowing people in these days as CELEBRITIES made less than we do as minimum wage fast food workers in this day is absolutely soul crushing to me. I understand the value of money has significantly changed over the years but $7 for an appearance AFTER negotiating is just crazy to me.
She should have a star
I’d not heard of baby Peggy so this was fun.
Lil Peggy, it's faced it's a abuse and also frightening, too..
Awesome job as always. BIG thumbs-up.
Thank you, you did a great job with this presentation.
Incredible video as always good sir
RIP Baby Peggy
Love your channel!
am i the only one who finds it weird that literal toddlers were top box office draws back then? super weird lol.
Absolutely fascinating.
Children of films in the silent era were treated awful by there parents and when they became stars their parents who where poor lived on there childs income. not caring about her acting only making sure she obeyed order in the films no matter even it was dangerous. Like others like Shirley Temple they were exploited by manufacturers of dolls and itoms of their faces on them knowing more money making and more money for the psrents to live the high life.They were to young to understand and having dolls and girl things handed to her she was happy.Not knowing her parents were spending and having parties on Peggies earnings.As Peggie aged her struggled like other children of child stars .there acting careers were not many .but she liked a good life out lived her life then the other silent screen child stars who died years before her .she died at the age of 121 .Rest in peace to her and othere child stars she knew and acted with .Godbless them.Rest In peace to them🙏🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹AMEN
Peggy Jean Montgomery 29 October 1918 - 24 February 2020
Thank you for another great post! Very well put-together and I'm sure very informative to those not familiar with her. Her book is a great read and I have no reason to think that it isn't accurate, although much of it had to be related to her by others. Surely, a kid that young knew nothing about contracts or other behind-the-scenes stuff that was going on, so there could be errors along the way. Thanks again!
❤❤❤
Thanks to you, I’ve gotten into silent movies.
That’s great!
@@The1920sChannel I love the history of movies and the silent and early sound era is the most interesting. I used to think “who would watch a silent film they are so boring”. Now I know that statement is wrong.
@@kilgoretrout4491
Aren't they wonderful? I have more than 60 full-length ones, plus many shorts. If you haven't seen Sunrise, get it for sure! 🌄
@@h.calvert3165 One of my favorites is intolerance from 1916
Though I'd heard of her I knew nothing about her, so this is a treat. It's good to know she went on to claim a life of her own, and lived so many years. I've subscribed to your channel and look forward to more! BTW, I'd love to know who that little boy is in the dance scene. He's an incredible little dancer, and I wonder what became of him?
I actually watched an interview awhile ago where she definately did talk about her father giving her a spanking on set one time because she didn't obey him, ( which was unusual) and she recalled it hurt a lot.
I read her book Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy. It was very informative and interesting.
This series is excellent.
Damn sure did enjoy it !
She passed away in 2020, aged 101 years.
8:57 It sounds like the story of Baby Peggy became the script for the feature film Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962, Warner Bros.)
❤
18:55 Give Peggy a pair of mouse ears and she would look the perfect mouseketeer.
Again an excellent video. I'm afraid you are being shadow banned (like my channel) VERY badly. You should have a ton more subs. Keep on keeping on young man. THANKS.....
Amazing!!!
I wonder if she was the inspiration behind "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane". A century later, child stars are still being overworked, abused, and manipulated by the adults around them. Lots of "ran off with the money" in those times. Even had family members stealing from her. Sad.
That was very interesting.
She was the same age as my mother, roughly. Impressive life story.
Thank you.
The shameful way that Child actors were treated was astounding by the way that was all the way through the 19 50s and 60s
Just Wonderful!
great stuff. She was remarkable
Very interesting story! I would have loved to seen some of her shorts! I don't suppose her parents and others that stole from her ever felt guilty! They not only stole her money but her childhood too!
Can you imagine why the elephant would have a grudge against that monster? 🤬
👏👏👏👏👏
I wonder if Baby Peggy was the character inspiration for Henry Farrell's novel character Baby Jane in the novel What ever happened to Baby Jane?
😢
NEW SUBSCRIBER HERE 😁😀✌️ The Little Dog 🐶🐕 Passed Away In 1922 😭😭😢💔 The Chimpanzee 🐒😭😭😢💔 And The Elephant 🐘 😭😭😢💔
Excellent job!
It's harrowing to think this was normal treatment of children in the day. Just awful😢
Great! Thank you!
Regarding spanking: most people don't realize that this was very common. I was spanked, and, unfortunately, adults sometimes didn't realize their own strength, especially when angry. This is just the way things were!
I was a kid in the 80s and I got spanked. Spanking was seen as normal up until recently
This is so sad. Her parents financially abused her and overworked her. Poor little girl.
I have read her book.. how tragic to be used like a trick pony to support your parents' extravagant lifestyle while your childhood development is denied. 😢
Nicely done.....
do you know the silent movie star Asta Nilsen she have such a cool story
Baby Peggy 2:
RELOADED
Thank you!!!
I can't believe that parents were allowed to take advantage of their children's skills.
That's Hollywood for you...although we love her movies , the price of putting a youngster into films was hardly worth it .
Very interesting
Wow there wasn't protection rights and laws for children stars in the 1920s and 1930s. Also animals weren't treated any better on set.
She was making huge money for the times. How and on what did her parents blow it all on?
Thsnks
Wow I'm from DFW and I remember hearing about baby Peggy..and her parents really stinked..and her dad sounded like a massive moron and her mom a victim of the high class high life bug..and wow she was in school classes with Judy garland & Mickey Rooney that means she'd have had some studio classes with my cousin Linda Darnell..and baby Peggy was adorable like Darla or Shirley Temple..granted her parents sucked but at least they weren't like Judy garlands mom and some Hollywood parents and yeah Peggy's dad was a hypocrite telling his wife I don't want you to do that but money's a crazy thing and one min it helps you then allures you and can crush you .and it doesn't matter what decade tbh and maybe it took the crash and her career ending for her family to regain some stability and normalcy and she obviously got some degree of literacy for her to become a writer but alot of kids were illiterate back then my great grandfather born in 1918 had a 5th grade education and ended up serving in WW2 and got the GI bill and worked to get a correspondence business degree and ended up a millionaire when he died granted tax crap and business debts and inflation left him with nothing to leave the family but it's still impressive and admirable in my family we joke about how there hasn't been a successful Darnell since Linda or great grandpa now were all on the edge of blue collar and probably living like some of the families in the grapes of wrath .lol and I only got introduced to baby Peggy through grandma and pbs and we'd watch her and shirley temple and little rascals granted it sucked what these kids went through and the need for better safety precautions but the shows they made are still more nice than some of the Hogwash coming out of hollyweird now