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Hollywood's Children: An Inside Account of the Child Star Era
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328 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 1979
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About the author
Diana Serra Cary
10 books15 followersCary was born on October 29, 1918, in San Diego, California,as Peggy-Jean Montgomery, the second daughter of Marian (née Baxter) and Jack Montgomery. While some sources incorrectly give her birth name as Margaret, Cary herself, in her autobiography, notes that she was indeed born as Peggy-Jean.
Baby Peggy was "discovered" at the age of 19 months, when she visited Century Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood with her mother and a film-extra friend.
The success of the Baby Peggy films brought her into prominence. When she was not filming, she embarked on extensive "In-Person" personal appearance tours across the country to promote her movies. She was also featured in several short skits on major stages in Los Angeles and New York, including Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre and the Hippodrome. Her likeness appeared on magazine covers and was used in advertisements for various businesses and charitable campaigns. She was also named the Official Mascot of the 1924 Democratic Convention in New York, and stood onstage waving a United States flag next to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
While under contract with Century and Universal, Peggy commanded an impressive salary, but her parents didn't set aside any money for the future well being of Peggy or her sister, Louise. Through reckless spending of her parents, and corrupt business partners of her father, her entire fortune was gone before she hit puberty.
In her post acting years, Peggy married Gordon Ayres in 1938 and a few years later adopted the name Diana Ayres in an effort to distance herself from the Baby Peggy image. Working at the time as a writer for radio shows, she found that people who figured out her identity were more interested in her Baby Peggy persona than in her writing abilities. She later changed her name to Diana Serra Cary explaining, "After my divorce [from Gordon Ayres] and when I became a Catholic I took Serra as my confirmation name. When I married Bob [her second husband] I became Mrs. Cary."
Eventually, after years of emotional struggle and open derision from Hollywood insiders and the media,] Cary made peace with her Baby Peggy past. She had successful careers as a publisher, historian and author on Hollywood subjects, writing, among other works, an autobiography of her life as a child star, What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star, and a biography of her contemporary and rival, Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star.
As an adult, Cary worked on numerous books about the early film industry, Hollywood cowboys and harsh working conditions for child stars in Hollywood. At the end of her own autobiography, she recounts the fates of numerous child stars, including Judy Garland and Shirley Temple. She also advocated for reforms in child performer protection laws as a member of the organization A Minor Consideration.
Cary appeared in numerous television documentaries and interviews about her work, and she made guest appearances at silent film festivals. At the age of 99, Cary self-published her first novel, The Drowning of the Moon.
Cary & her second husband had one son, Mark. They remained married until Cary's death in 2001. She lived in Gustine, California, near Modesto for many years.
Cary died at her home in Gustine on February 24, 2020, at the age of 101.
abridged from Wikipedia
Baby Peggy was "discovered" at the age of 19 months, when she visited Century Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood with her mother and a film-extra friend.
The success of the Baby Peggy films brought her into prominence. When she was not filming, she embarked on extensive "In-Person" personal appearance tours across the country to promote her movies. She was also featured in several short skits on major stages in Los Angeles and New York, including Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre and the Hippodrome. Her likeness appeared on magazine covers and was used in advertisements for various businesses and charitable campaigns. She was also named the Official Mascot of the 1924 Democratic Convention in New York, and stood onstage waving a United States flag next to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
While under contract with Century and Universal, Peggy commanded an impressive salary, but her parents didn't set aside any money for the future well being of Peggy or her sister, Louise. Through reckless spending of her parents, and corrupt business partners of her father, her entire fortune was gone before she hit puberty.
In her post acting years, Peggy married Gordon Ayres in 1938 and a few years later adopted the name Diana Ayres in an effort to distance herself from the Baby Peggy image. Working at the time as a writer for radio shows, she found that people who figured out her identity were more interested in her Baby Peggy persona than in her writing abilities. She later changed her name to Diana Serra Cary explaining, "After my divorce [from Gordon Ayres] and when I became a Catholic I took Serra as my confirmation name. When I married Bob [her second husband] I became Mrs. Cary."
Eventually, after years of emotional struggle and open derision from Hollywood insiders and the media,] Cary made peace with her Baby Peggy past. She had successful careers as a publisher, historian and author on Hollywood subjects, writing, among other works, an autobiography of her life as a child star, What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star, and a biography of her contemporary and rival, Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star.
As an adult, Cary worked on numerous books about the early film industry, Hollywood cowboys and harsh working conditions for child stars in Hollywood. At the end of her own autobiography, she recounts the fates of numerous child stars, including Judy Garland and Shirley Temple. She also advocated for reforms in child performer protection laws as a member of the organization A Minor Consideration.
Cary appeared in numerous television documentaries and interviews about her work, and she made guest appearances at silent film festivals. At the age of 99, Cary self-published her first novel, The Drowning of the Moon.
Cary & her second husband had one son, Mark. They remained married until Cary's death in 2001. She lived in Gustine, California, near Modesto for many years.
Cary died at her home in Gustine on February 24, 2020, at the age of 101.
abridged from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 6, 2011
It's hard to give this book enough praise. Cary has the legitimate claim of being the first child "star" in Hollywood as a result of the hundreds of low-budget shorts she starred in beginning at age 19 months as "Baby Peggy" in the early days of silent film. Unfortunately, the low-rent studio she slaved for was not nearly as well run as those of later silent stars, and most of her work has been lost. On the other hand, this may have worked out in her favor -- she was able to retire in her teens and live a normal life despite the horrible odds against her.
This actually isn't a memoir; Cary was (she died last year, I believe) a professional writer and historian who knew how to tell a story with a clean, incisive style more akin to journalism. She even refers to "Baby Peggy" as a character completely removed from herself. In any case, this book really is a chronicle of the roots of child film stardom, beginning with children who gained international fame in vaudville even before film was invented. Since Cary knew most of the children she profiled personally (Mickey Rooney, Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, Shirley Temple, Edith Fellowes [who just died a few days ago], Judy Garland, etc., etc.), her reporting has an authenticity lacking in many biographical information available on these stars.
Cary relates the lives of children, both well-known still and those long-forgotten, ground down and destroyed by the studio system, sometimes at a frightfully young age. She also takes a short foray into the horrible conditions of some performing animals, which nearly brought me to tears -- I was unaware of some of the circumstances around the use of animals in early film, and it took me by surprise.
I knew manyof the stories and character sketches Cary shares, but different perspectives from different individuals in the film industry always bring out new and fascinating tidbits. This book, originally published in the 1970s but reissued a few years ago with a new introduction by Cary, has long been important source material for later biographers and historians, and now I know why. Truly an excellent read, and I'm glad it is still in print!
This actually isn't a memoir; Cary was (she died last year, I believe) a professional writer and historian who knew how to tell a story with a clean, incisive style more akin to journalism. She even refers to "Baby Peggy" as a character completely removed from herself. In any case, this book really is a chronicle of the roots of child film stardom, beginning with children who gained international fame in vaudville even before film was invented. Since Cary knew most of the children she profiled personally (Mickey Rooney, Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, Shirley Temple, Edith Fellowes [who just died a few days ago], Judy Garland, etc., etc.), her reporting has an authenticity lacking in many biographical information available on these stars.
Cary relates the lives of children, both well-known still and those long-forgotten, ground down and destroyed by the studio system, sometimes at a frightfully young age. She also takes a short foray into the horrible conditions of some performing animals, which nearly brought me to tears -- I was unaware of some of the circumstances around the use of animals in early film, and it took me by surprise.
I knew manyof the stories and character sketches Cary shares, but different perspectives from different individuals in the film industry always bring out new and fascinating tidbits. This book, originally published in the 1970s but reissued a few years ago with a new introduction by Cary, has long been important source material for later biographers and historians, and now I know why. Truly an excellent read, and I'm glad it is still in print!
March 4, 2010
Cary, Diana Serra. HOLLYWOOD'S CHILDREN. (Dallas: Southern Methodist
University, 1997). Originally published in 1978, this version has a new
forward and afterward and some added footnotes. Fascinating book on the
child star phenomenon by someone who knew it first hand as Baby Peggy.
She compares her own experiences (told at greater length in Whatever
Happened to Baby Peggy) to other child stars from Lotta Crabtree to
Shirley Temple, weaving together many stories and switching gracefully
as they intersect. Diana Serra Cary's books are always worth reading.
University, 1997). Originally published in 1978, this version has a new
forward and afterward and some added footnotes. Fascinating book on the
child star phenomenon by someone who knew it first hand as Baby Peggy.
She compares her own experiences (told at greater length in Whatever
Happened to Baby Peggy) to other child stars from Lotta Crabtree to
Shirley Temple, weaving together many stories and switching gracefully
as they intersect. Diana Serra Cary's books are always worth reading.
March 12, 2018
Insightful book on the rise and fall of the child star phenomenon by someone who lived the life. Beginning in Gold Rush times with the first nationwide child star Lotta Crabtree the author looks at the factors, often economic rarely if ever from the child's desire to perform, that drive parents to put their children to work on a stage.
What makes this stand out from other movie star bios is the fact that authoress Cary takes no pains to glamorize the life but show the hardscrabble reality particularly in the times before protections where put in place to safeguard children's safety. Speaking about not only her experience as silent child star Baby Peggy but the many who came after who she personally knew she looks at the experience if not dispassionately, it was too bruising for that, but at least with eyes not softened with nostalgia.
It's fascinating, disturbing and sad by turns but always involving.
What makes this stand out from other movie star bios is the fact that authoress Cary takes no pains to glamorize the life but show the hardscrabble reality particularly in the times before protections where put in place to safeguard children's safety. Speaking about not only her experience as silent child star Baby Peggy but the many who came after who she personally knew she looks at the experience if not dispassionately, it was too bruising for that, but at least with eyes not softened with nostalgia.
It's fascinating, disturbing and sad by turns but always involving.
July 3, 2020
"Baby Peggy" looks back on the child star era, 1925-1945.
February 29, 2016
This book is part non fiction and part memoir. It is written by Diana Serra Cary. She was the former "Baby Peggy" I have an interest in reading about former child stars. Diana Serra Cary writes a very interesting book about what some of these kids went through. She starts with the first known child star that dated way back to 1852 during the gold rush years, there was a little girl named Lotta Crabtree. Her mother noticed the child had talent singing and dancing. She put the little girl in front of an audience and a star was born. the crowd threw gold coins and other money on stage. In these pages Diana writes about many other famous child stars such as Jackie Coogan, Shirley Temple, Jackie Cooper. Deanna Durbin and of course her own experiences in show "biz". Many of these kids did not have an easy life. Many were the bread winners of the family. Some like jackie Coogan had no money waiting for him when he turned 21 finding his mother and step father spent it all. this resulted in a law suit. Even though jackie Coogan got very little back it did start up a new law called "the Coogan Law' that would protect some of a child star's earnings in a trust fund.
This book was written in 1977 Diana Cary wrote about the child stars mostly from the early 1900s to the 1940s.A lot of these kids did NOT have a happy life during and even after. She writes many former child stars ended up in therapy, had many marriages, and often had a hard time trying to make a living and being in the "real" world. I found this to be quite interesting. Diana Serra Cary was very honest of the life she had as a child start having to work since she was a baby. and after film she had to travel the USA appearing in the vaudeville circuit. losing all her money etc. such as many of these kids. IN all fairness she also wrote of the kids who did fine in their adult world even if it was not in show business. A good read.
This book was written in 1977 Diana Cary wrote about the child stars mostly from the early 1900s to the 1940s.A lot of these kids did NOT have a happy life during and even after. She writes many former child stars ended up in therapy, had many marriages, and often had a hard time trying to make a living and being in the "real" world. I found this to be quite interesting. Diana Serra Cary was very honest of the life she had as a child start having to work since she was a baby. and after film she had to travel the USA appearing in the vaudeville circuit. losing all her money etc. such as many of these kids. IN all fairness she also wrote of the kids who did fine in their adult world even if it was not in show business. A good read.
March 18, 2014
Loved this book! Diana Serra Cary is a wonderful writer. She brings to magnificent life the early beginnings of child stars starting with the Forty-Niners darling Lotta Crabtree. This would make an amazing miniseries! Definitely recommend!
Want to read
December 8, 2016After researching silent films, this popped up and looked interesting.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews