Baby Peggy Movies
Before there was Shirley Temple, there was Baby Peggy, and during the early '20s, the child actress appeared in over a dozen feature-length films and numerous short films. She was born Peggy Montgomery in Rock Island, IL, the daughter of a stunt man and a bit player. She was three when she made her feature-film debut. Her popularity continued through the onset of adolescence. During her teen years, Peggy began playing in B-Westerns using her real name. She retired from Hollywood in the mid-'30s and after that worked as a journalist and an executive of a greeting card company. In the '70s, Montgomery published two books including the eye-opening account of the way child actors were treated in Tinseltown, Hollywood Children. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1926
One of the era's many ethnic (read: Jewish) comedies, this film starred Alexander Carr, a Broadway actor-playwright who made a career out of playing Lower East Side types. This time around, Carr played Jacob Goodman, a former pants-presser turned umbrella tycoon, whose daughter, Irma (Duane Thompson), falls for the handsome nephew (Raymond Keane) of the Goodman's nouveau riche neighbor, Mr. Applebaum (Snitz Edwards). The boy, however, is soon accused of theft; the crime, as Goodman discovers, is actually committed by Applebaum's no-good son, Joseph (Eddie Phillips. Little Baby Peggy (aka Diana Serra Cary), who earlier starred in her own series of 2-reelers, appeared here as one of the Goodman children. Produced by small-time company Chadwick, April Fool was based on a 1915 play written by Carr and Edgar Allan Woolf. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1924
Long before Shirley Temple, Baby Peggy Montgomery was filmdom's favorite moppet. In Helen's Babies, Montgomery plays Toddie, the niece of pretentious author Harry (Edward Everett Horton). Considering himself an expert on child-rearing, Harry finds he knows next to nothing about kids when Toddie is left in his care. Featured in the cast is "It Girl" Clara Bow, on the verge of full-blown stardom. After wearing out her welcome on screen, Montgomery grew up to become prolific author (and expert film historian) Diana Cary. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1924
Lighthouse keeper Jeremiah Judkins (Hobart Bosworth) rescues a little girl (Baby Peggy) from a storm. The girl, called Captain January, unabashedly adores her adopted father and loves her life at the lighthouse. Judkins prevents the villagers from taking her away from him, but he can't stop her aunt, Isabelle Morton (Irene Rich). Isabelle shows up one night when a vessel she is on becomes grounded. She makes her way over to the lighthouse and recognizes the little girl as the daughter of her dead sister. Captain January goes to live at the Morton's lavish home, but she longs for Judkins and her old life. She is able to sneak off and see him, and the Mortons realize that she and Judkins should be together. They make room for Judkins in their home, and the little girl is happy. This film was remade in 1936 as a vehicle for Shirley Temple. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Baby Peggy, Hobart Bosworth, (more)
- 1924
Baby Peggy, a popular child star of the 1920s who grew up to become film historian Peggy Carey, who stars in The Law Forbids. This time around, little-miss-fix-it Carey prevents her mother (Elinor Fair) from making a big mistake by divorcing Daddy (Robert Remsen). Separated from her husband, mother packs Peggy off to the family's country estate. The precocious tyke accidentally-on-purpose gets lost, reuniting her wandering parents. Based on a story by Bernard McConville, The Law Forbids concludes with a tear-stained courtroom scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1923
After gaining a wide audience in a succession of two-reelers, "Baby" Peggy Montgomery stars in her first full-length feature. Santussa (Montgomery) is an Italian orphan who is being brought to America by her governess (Estelle Goulder). But the little girl ends up in the hands of an Italian smuggler, who hides a number of precious gems in her rag doll. When the ship they are on lands in New York, a rival crook snatches up Santussa and leaves her in a trash can. She next winds up staying with Levinsky (Max Davidson) and his large family. But she runs away and one of the gang of thieves, the kindly Light Fingered Kitty (Gladys Brockwell), takes charge of her. Police raid the hideout, which catches fire. Kitty grabs up the little girl and jumps into a safety net. The smuggler who originally kidnapped Santussa has decided to go straight and has confessed all to the girl's grandfather (Frank Currier). The girl and her wealthy grandfather are finally brought together for a happy ending. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Baby Peggy, Gladys Brockwell, (more)
