Diana Serra Cary

Her elder sister, legally named Jack-Louise (1916–2005), was called Louise or occasionally Jackie.

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.

Her father, Jack, a former cowboy and park ranger, had done work as a stuntman and stand-in for Tom Mix in a number of his cowboy films.

Impressed by Peggy's well-behaved demeanor and willingness to follow directions from her father, director Fred Fishback hired her to appear in a series of short films with Century's canine star Brownie the Wonder Dog.

Diana Serra Cary (born Peggy-Jean Montgomery; October 29, 1918 – February 24, 2020), known as Baby Peggy, was an American child film actress, vaudevillian, author and silent film historian.

She was the last surviving person with a substantial career in silent films.

Baby Peggy was one of the three major American child stars of the Hollywood silent film era along with Jackie Coogan and Baby Marie.

She 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.

She further explained the Roman Catholic nuns at her birth hospital recommended the name Margaret as Peggy was a pagan name.

Her parents rejected the suggestion.

Between 1921 and 1924, she made over 150 short films for the Century Film Corporation.

The first film, Playmates in 1921, was a success, and Peggy was signed to a long-term contract with Century.

Between 1921 and 1924, Peggy made close to 150 short comedy films for Century.

Her films often spoofed full-length motion pictures, social issues and stars of the era; in one, Peg O' The Movies, she satirized both Rudolph Valentino and Pola Negri.

She also appeared in film adaptations of novels and fairy tales, such as Hansel and Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk, contemporary comedies, and a few full-length motion pictures.

In 1922, she received over 1.2 million fan letters and by 1924, she had been dubbed "The Million Dollar Baby" for her $1.5 million annual salary ($ million in ).

In 1923, Peggy began working for Universal Studios, appearing in full-length dramatic films.

Among her works from this era were The Darling of New York, directed by King Baggot, and the first screen adaptation of Captain January.

In line with her status as a star, Peggy's Universal films were produced and marketed as "Universal Jewels", the studio's most prestigious and most expensive classification.

During this time, she also starred in Helen's Babies, opposite Clara Bow.

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 films.

She was also featured in several short skits on major stages in Los Angeles and New York City, 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.

By 1923, she was signed to a $1.5 million a year contract at Universal ($ million in ); on her vaudeville tours she made $300 per day.

Her parents handled all of the finances and money was spent on expensive cars, homes, and clothing.

Nothing was set aside for the welfare or education of Peggy or her sister.

Peggy herself was paid one nickel for every vaudeville performance.

Through reckless spending and corrupt business partners of her father, her entire fortune was gone before she hit puberty.

She was also named the Official Mascot of the 1924 Democratic Convention in New York City, and stood onstage waving a United States flag next to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

By the age of 5, she had her own line of various endorsed items, including dolls in her likeness, sheet music, jewelry, and even milk.

As a child, Frances Gumm (later Judy Garland) owned at least one Baby Peggy doll.

Cary would later befriend Garland, and wrote in her autobiography that she believed Garland's mother had pursued fame for her children based on Baby Peggy's success.

While under contract with Century and Universal, Peggy commanded an impressive salary.

Despite her childhood fame and wealth, her parents mismanaged her finances and by the time she came of age she found herself poor and working as an extra by the 1930s.

Having an interest in both writing and history since her youth, Montgomery found a second career as an author and silent film historian in her later years under the name Diana Serra Cary.

She was the author of several books including her historical novel The Drowning of the Moon.

She was also an advocate for child actors' rights.

When fellow child star Jackie Coogan sued his parents in 1938, Peggy's parents asked her if she was going to do the same.