Peggy-Jean Montgomery, better known as Baby Peggy, was a child star of the silent film era, born in 1918 in San Diego, California, to acting stock parents. She was discovered at the age of 19 months on the Century Studios lot on Sunset Boulevard and went on to appear in nearly 150 shorts and nine feature films.
Baby Peggy was often considered a precursor to Shirley Temple, and her most popular film vehicle was the child classic Captain January. She was known for imitating legends such as Rudolph Valentino, Pola Negri, Mary Pickford, and Mae Murray in her comedies, which were parodies of movies made by grown-up stars.
Her first feature-length film was Penrod, and her first film with Universal was The Darling of New York, which was a solid hit. However, by the age of 8, she was finished with her acting career.
After her fortune was depleted by her father's stepfather, Baby Peggy turned to the vaudeville circuit for survival and later became a book publisher and writer using the pseudonym Diana Serra Cary. She wrote several books, including "Hollywood Posse" and "Hollywood's Children", and her autobiography "Whatever Happened to Baby Peggy?" was released in 1996.
In 2016, Diana was inducted into the Classic Film Hall of Fame and was considered to be the last living star of the silent film era. She died on February 24, 2020, at the age of 101.
