Baby Peggy’s wheels

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This picture is exactly a century old and would you believe that the girl behind the wheel died just two years ago? Her name was Peggy-Jean Montgomery but she became better known as ‘Baby Peggy’, Hollywood’s most-loved child-star according to many. Fact is she became one of the silent film sensations of the 1920s after her cowboy father decided to try his luck in Hollywood when he heard the film industry was in need of horseriding stuntmen. His little girl appeared in no less than 150 (short) movies between 1921 and 1924 alone, playing lead roles in flicks such as Little Red Riding Hood (1922), The Darling of New York (1923) and Captain January (1924).

Baby Peggy’s dad accompanied her to the studio every day ― is that her mother in the back or an actress? ― but the millions she earned in those first few years were burned just as rapidly by her parents. One source mentions: “They handled all of the finances and money was spent on expensive cars, homes, and clothing.” Was this big black tourer with whitewall tyres and winged radiator cap one of them? Do let us know if you recognize exactly what it is.

When Peggy’s dad fell out over her salary with producer Sol Lesser (his office is in the background) her career came to a sudden halt. She was a tough girl though and, despite several more setbacks, managed to start a new career, virtually lasting until February 2020 when she died at the age of 101.

Words Jeroen Booij. Picture from the archive.

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