Customer Reviews

What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star

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This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. Diana Serra Cary was well known in the 1920's as Baby Peggy.This is her story. Beginning with her discovery while visiting a movie studio with her Mother and older sister, this book shows how a child not yet 2 years old becomes the family bread winner. It also lends insight into the unscrupulous abuse of children and animals in the motion picture industry. This book will move you to tears as you follow along this child stars life until she comes full circle to find the childhood that was once destroyed in show business.

This book was a big surprise, probably the best and most intimate story of an ex-child star. Baby Peggy was indisputably the top child actress in movie during the 1920's, the Shirley Temple of the silent screen (Shirley even remade some of her films.) Her stardom was naturally short-lived and Miss Cary quickly went from everybody's darling to "who?" Her lack of bitterness is remarkable and her outstanding writer's instincts give us a clearer picture of the life of a fallen ex-child star than we have ever had before. She writes beautifully (also the author of two other notable books) and deserves credit for bringing her often painful personal story to light. Most eyeopening for me was a rare look at how some of the powerful of Hollywood treat "nobodies" (which included the post-teenage Baby Peggy.) John Ford, Cecil B. DeMille, Hal Roach, Adela Rogers St. John - all written about in admirable prose by most journalists; here we get a new view when the press is away and the mighty abuse their power or either show a complete lack of concern for the extras and others who are viewed as of no more value than "a used Dixie cup" as Ms. Cary puts it. She also notes the struggles of other ex-child stars including Spanky McFarland and Darla Hood. Happily, after years of personal struggle Ms. Cary found happiness in a second marriage and a career as a writer. This is a book every person who ever thought of making a couple of bucks getting their kids into show business should read first.

Doesn't leave out any of the gory details. Very informative. The author is very intelligent, likeable and has a great sense of humor. Fabulous writer. I only wish she had written more books.