Peggy Shannon Movies

A wedding ceremony is rudely interrupted by a bank robbery next door, the bridegroom is shot and the best man is accused of being the culprit. All this takes place during the first five minutes of Triple Justice, George O'Brien's final western for RKO. Brad Henderson (O'Brien) is innocent, of course, but is forced to clear his good name and reputation by tracking down not only the three real bank robbers but also their secret boss, Deputy Sheriff Harry Woods). Along the way, Brad falls in love with lovely (Virginia Vale), the sister of neophyte outlaw Bud McTaggart), and finds himself the center of attention of three equally charming senoritas, (The Lindemann Sisters, who perform a couple of standard Mexican ballads. Miss Vale) also takes time out for a song, Fred Ross and Ray Whitley's "Lonely Rio. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Of the many MGM Our Gang comedies focused on whiny child actor Robert Blake, the one-reel All About Hash is often cited as the worst of the bunch. It seems that little Mickey (Blake) is upset over the fact that his parents (Louis Jean Heydt and Peggy Shannon) spend every Monday night arguing. The reason: Mickey's mom invariably serves hash from the Sunday-dinner leftovers, and Mickey's dad hates hash. To teach the two adults a lesson, the Our Gang kids stage a skit on a local radio program, ending with a heartfelt plea by Mickey to stop the quarrelling. All About Hash was originally released on March 30, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carnival promoter Fixer Dugan (Lee Tracy) is so named because of his ability to mollify angry customers and process-serving sheriffs. Fixer also works overtime patching up the personal problems of the various carney performers. Along the way, he helps out lion tamer Peggy Shannon, who is in danger of losing her cats to a crooked rival, and Virginia Weidler, the orphaned daughter of the troupe's recently deceased high-wire artist. Bert Granet and Paul Yawitz adapted their screenplay from a story treatment by director H.C. Potter, who otherwise had nothing to do with this RKO programmer. Fixer Dugan was released in England as Double Daring. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This minor but entertaining screen version of the Monte Barrett-Russell E. Ross comic strip The Adventures of Jane Arden stars Warner contractee Rosella Towne as the title character. Dapper villain Dr. Vanders (James Stephenson) has been using beautiful, gullible young women as pawns in a clever smuggling ring. After rather nastily disposing of socialite Lola Martin (Peggy Shannon), Vanders is virtually a marked man himself: intrepid gal reporter Jane Arden vows to bring the criminals to justice, and never mind that her managing editor sweetheart Ed Towers (William Gargan) warns her off the case. Jane's adventures range from a dangerous ocean voyage to an exciting equestrian chase across the California countryside, with nary a pause for breath (after all, the picture runs only 55 minutes). Benny Rubin and Dennie Moore provide barely relevant comedy relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the Clare Booth Luce play of the same name, this MGM comedy is justly famous for its all-female cast and deft direction by George Cukor. The plot centers on a group of gossipy high-society women who spend their days at the beauty salon and haunting fashion shows. The sweet, happily wedded Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) finds her marriage in trouble when shopgirl Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford) gets her hooks into Mary's man. Naturally, this situation becomes the hot talk amongst Mary's catty friends, especially the scandalmonger Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell), who has little room to talk -- she finds herself on a train to Reno and headed for divorce right after Mary. But with a bit of guts and daring, Mary snatches her man right back from Crystal's clutches. Snappy, witty dialogue, much of it courtesy of veteran screenwriter Anita Loos, helps send this film's humor over the top. So do the characterizations -- Crawford is as venomous as they come, and this was Russell's first chance to show what she could do as a comedienne. And don't discount Shearer -- her portrayal of good-girl Mary is never overpowered by these two far-flashier roles. The only part of The Women that misses is the fashion-show sequence. It was shot in color -- an innovative idea in its day -- but now both the concept and clothes are dreary and archaic. Do keep an eye on the supporting players, though, especially Mary Boland as the Countess DeLage. The role was based on a cafe society dame of that era, the Countess DiFrasso, who had a wild affair with Gary Cooper; that romance is satirized here. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

If not for the lachrymose presence of Our Gang member Robert Blake (still in his whiny, squeaky-voiced stage), the one-reel Dad for a Day might have been one of the series' better MGM entries. While planning to participate in the annual Fathers and Sons Day Picnic, the Our Gang kids are reminded that their pal Mickey (Blake) has no father. The kids prevail upon friendly gas-station owner Mr. Henry to act as Mickey's surrogate dad during the festivities. Not only does Mr. Henry win every competition, but he also works up enough nerve to propose to Mickey's widowed mother. Originally released on October 21, 1939, Dad for a Day benefits from an unusually strong adult supporting cast: Louis-Jean Heydt as Mr. Henry, Peggy Shannon as Mickey's mom, Arthur Q. Bryan (aka the voice of cartoondom's Elmer Fudd) as the chairman of the picnic, and Tom Herbert (brother of comedian Hugh Herbert) as a dithering gas-station customer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

From low-rent company Invincible comes this hardy survivor, a cheap-looking but fairly engrossing account of a convicted bank robber who, about to be deported, escapes from Ellis Island with the assistance of a mystery man with less than altruistic motives. Enter immigration official Gary (Donald Cook) and his comic sidekick, Kit (Johnny Arthur), who together with the escaped man's daughter, Betty (Peggy Shannon), go up against a gang of desperados willing to commit murder to achieve their goal. Bradley Page, Joyce Compton, and Maurice Black also appear in this low-budget caper directed by genre specialist Phil Rosen. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Poor Peggy Shannon goes from bad to worse in this ultra-cheap melodrama from one of Hollywood's few women executives, Fanchon Royer. A lowly but ambitious secretary, Dora (Shannon), marries wealthy Jimmy Hanford (Edward Woods), but Jimmy's society mother (Betty Blythe) quickly ruins the relationship. Dora then takes up with aging libertine "Breck" Breckenridge (Edward Earle), falls in love with handsome George Davis (Jack Mulhall), and goes on a cruise. George asks her to marry him and she agrees despite warnings that she is once again marrying "out of her class." The union, needless to say, fails miserably and George returns to his erstwhile and more suitable fiancée, Sally Newton (Marion Lessing). Jimmy, meanwhile, has fallen on hard times and commits suicide. In his will, Dora is left 50 dollars, "for services rendered," and the resulting scandal forces her to divorce George. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

The legs in question in this the second of Warner Bros. Perry Mason whodunits belong to Margy Clune (Patricia Ellis), the first-prize winner in a Lucky Legs contest and the fiancée of Dr. Bob Doray (Lyle Talbot). But when Margy goes to collect her winnings, she finds that the contest's promoter, Frank Patton (Craig Reynolds), has skipped town with the money. When Margy goes after him, her boss, Bradbury (Porter Hall), convinces Perry Mason (Warren William) that she may be heading for trouble. And, sure enough, Patton is found very much murdered with Margy the prime suspect. But as Mason, his secretary Della Street (Genevieve Tobin), and intrepid private eye Spudsy Drake (Allen Jenkins) discover, there are other and more dangerous suspects around. The Case of the Lucky Legs was followed by The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) and The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936), also with Warren Williams as Mason, after which the role would be played in the remaining films by three different actors: Ricardo Cortez, Donald Woods, and William Lundigan. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Dore Schary, then just cutting his teeth in the movie biz, was one of the scripters of Columbia's Fury of the Jungle. The story is the standard "tropical degradation" concoction, complete with the hot-blooded native girl (Toshia Mori) and drunken doctor (Dudley Digges). Virtually the only attractive woman in a remote South American jungle village, Chita (Mori) is lusted after by every man within hailing distance. Before long, however, virginal white girl Joan (Peggy Shannon) shows up with her ailing brother in tow. When brother dear expires, poor Joan finds herself "up for grabs," with good-for-nothing Taggart (Alan Dinehart) as the most ardent of her would-be seducers. But Chita is herself crazy about Taggart, leading to the film's road-company-melodrama denouement. Luckily for Joan, escaped convict Allen (Donald Cook) -- who's really a nice guy underneath it all -- is there for her during the final fadeout. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The missing girl in this weak whodunit from Warner Bros. is redheaded Peggy Shannon, once seen as the successor of "It Girl" Clara Bow. Shannon plays Daisy Bradford, a chorine who mysteriously disappears after dallying with millionaire Henry Gibson (Ben Lyon). Not only has Daisy gone missing, the body of gangster Jim Hendricks (Harold Huber) is found in the garden just below the room where she was last seen. Did Daisy kill Hendricks or was she merely an innocent witness? Fellow chorus girls Kay Curtis (Glenda Farrell) and June Dale (Mary Brian) decide to play amateur sleuths and their investigation leads to sundry other suspects, including Henry who has become smitten with June. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

This Monogram melodrama gets off to a quick start as a young man is shot to death -- while he's being led to the electric chair! The condemned man was planning to make a startling last-minute revelation which would have put a noose around the neck of his murderer. Several other people shared the dead man's secret, and the murderer isn't averse to bumping them off as well. Assistant DA Preston S. Foster and intrepid newspaperwoman Peggy Shannon try to solve the mystery and trap the unknown assassin A good cast of "B"-picture regulars includes Bryant Washburn, George Hayes (still not "Gabby"), Jason Robards Sr., and, as the unfortunate hot-seat candidate, future John Ford regular Paul Fix. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

By rights, Spencer Tracy should have played the leading role of prizefighter Johnny Malone in the 1932 romantic drama Society Girl. But at the time, James Dunn was a bigger name, thus Dunn was cast as Malone, while Tracy was relegated to the standard "best friend and severest critic" part of Johnny's manager, Briscoe (the sort of role that Tracy would later essay opposite top-billed Clark Gable when he moved from Fox to MGM). The film's title character is flighty debutante Judy Gellett (Peggy Shannon), with whom the oafish Johnny falls in love. Arriving at training camp, Judy manages to take Johnny's mind off his work to such an extent that Briscoe tries to intervene, explaining that boxing and dames don't mix. Angrily, Johnny tells Briscoe to take a hike, whereupon Briscoe does just that. Sure enough, the out of shape Johnny loses the big fight, but there are at least two surprising plot twists ahead for our thick-eared hero (and, by extension, for the audience). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide