Peggy Shannon

Birthday: 1907-01-10
Deathday: 1941-05-11
Birthplace: Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Peggy Shannon (born Winona Sammon, January 10, 1907 – May 11, 1941) was an American actress. She appeared on the stage and screen of the 1920s and 1930s.

Shannon began her career as a Ziegfeld girl in 1923 before moving on to Broadway productions. She was signed to Paramount Pictures and groomed to replace Clara Bow as the newest "It girl", whom she replaced in the 1931 film, The Secret Call. Her growing dependency on alcohol eventually derailed her career. She appeared in her final film, Triple Justice, in 1940. In May 1941, Shannon died at the age of 34 from a heart attack, brought on by alcoholism. Her husband, Albert G. Roberts, shot himself three weeks after her death. Shannon was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1907[ (some sources erroneously cite 1909 or 1910) to Edward and Nannie Sammon. She had a younger sister, Carol. She attended Annunciation Academy Catholic School and Pine Bluff High School before being hired as a chorus girl by Florenz Ziegfeld while visiting her aunt in New York in 1923. The following year she was cast in the Ziegfeld Follies followed by a role in Earl Carroll's Vanities. While on Broadway in 1927, she was spotted by B. P. Schulberg, production head of Paramount Pictures, and was offered a contract. When she arrived in Hollywood, she was hailed as the next "It girl", replacing the former, Clara Bow. Prior to the shooting of The Secret Call, Bow had suffered a nervous breakdown and Shannon was hired to replace her only two days after her arrival in Hollywood.

Shannon would sometimes work sixteen-hour days (from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. the next day) while shooting a film, and when shooting wrapped, would rush to begin another film. She would occasionally work on two separate films in one day. Through films and publicity, Shannon became known as a fashion plate, wearing styles three months before they became popular. In 1932, she signed a new contract at Fox and became known as difficult and temperamental on the set and was rumored to have had a drinking problem. In 1934, Shannon returned to New York City to do the Broadway show, Page Miss Glory.

In 1935, she continued on Broadway with The Light Behind the Shadow, but was soon replaced, with a press release claiming a tooth infection, though rumors claimed it was her drinking. In 1936, she returned to Hollywood with Youth on Parole. She found it harder to conceal her drinking. Fewer movie roles were offered, while her drinking worsened. She made her last film appearance in the 1940 film, Triple Justice, opposite George O'Brien.

Credits

Year Title Character
1940-09-22 Triple Justice Susan
1940-03-30 All About Hash Edith Henry
1940-03-01 The House Across the Bay Alice
1940-01-11 Cafe Hostess Nellie
1939-11-22 The Amazing Mr. Williams Kitty (uncredited)
1939-10-20 Dad for a Day Mary Baker, Mickey's mother
1939-09-01 The Women Mrs. Jones (uncredited)
1939-04-21 Fixer Dugan Aggie Moreno
1939-03-18 The Adventures of Jane Arden Lola Martin
1939-01-24 Blackwell's Island Pearl Murray
1938-10-22 Girls on Probation Inmate Ruth
1937-10-04 Youth on Parole Peggy
1936-11-04 Ellis Island Betty Parker
1935-10-05 The Case of the Lucky Legs Thelma Bell
1935-03-01 Night Life of the Gods Daphne Lambert
1933-11-07 Back Page Jerry Hampton
1933-10-23 Fury of the Jungle Joan Leesom
1933-08-25 Turn Back the Clock Elvina Evans Wright / Elvina Evans Gimlet
1933-08-20 The Devil's Mate Nancy Weaver
1933-08-17 Deluge Claire Arlington
1933-03-04 Girl Missing Daisy Bradford
1932-10-12 False Faces Elsie Fryer
1932-08-20 The Painted Woman Kiddo
1932-05-29 Society Girl Judy Gelett
1932-02-21 Hotel Continental Ruth Carleton
1932-01-09 This Reckless Age Mary Burke
1931-11-15 Touchdown! Mary Gehring
1931-09-25 The Road to Reno Lee Millet
1931-08-29 Silence Norma Davis / Norma Powers
1931-07-24 The Secret Call Wanda Kelly