In Loving Memory of Peg Entwistle on the 86th Anniversary of her death.

- September 16, 2018

Millicent Lillian Entwistle February 5, 1908-September 16, 1932

Born in Port Talbot Whales on February 5,1908 to Robert and Emily Entwistle. Her Birth Name is Millicent Lillian. Robert obtained a divorce and Full custody of Millicent around 1910 due to Emily’s mental instability and the two along with Robert’s Brother Harold left England for the US on the SS Philadelphia in Liverpool in 1913.

Robert and Harold were Shakespearean actors in England they performed at the coronation of King George and Managed Broadway Actor Walter Hampton

After seeing Actress Laurette Taylor perform in the Broadway Play “ Peg ‘O My Heart” Millicent insisted that her family call her Peg after that. It became her stage name. At 17 Peg played Hedveg in Ibsen’s The Wild Duck a young Bette Davis was in the Audience and said “I want to be just like Peg Entwistle.” A Star was born!

Peg’s Family lived in both New York City and Cincinnati. In Cincinnati Her Father and Uncle met and Married Sisters Lauretta and Jane Ross who were related to the family who owned the Palmolive Soap Company. Robert and Lauretta had two sons Robert and Milton. Harold and Jane had no children of their own but raised Robert’s three. In 1921 Lauretta died of encephalitis and in December 1922 Robert Died from a hit and run accident that happened outside his stationary store on Park Ave in NYC Peg was 14.

Peg went on to have a successful theater career in NYC. She always worked never went long periods without a job and got good reviews. Stories that she wasn’t a good actress and that her career was never good, A failed actress are false! She worked with Ethel Barrymore, Laurette Taylor, Walter Hampton, Billie Burke, and Humphrey Bogart who was her last boyfriend just to name a few.

Peg had a two year Marriage to Actor Robert Keith. He was the father of actor Brian Keith. Robert was an abusive alcoholic who drank his wages. Peg supported them and paid his child support to keep Robert out of Jail on her wages. She divorced him. Her cleaned up his act and remarried after that. Peg was wearing a necklace he gave her when she was found. Peg made her theater company angry when she decided to move in with Uncle Harold in the Hollywoodland Housing plan and try her shot at acting she was cast in a Female ensemble movie Thirteen Women based on Tiffany Thayer’s book. Peg Played Hazel Cousins a lesbian woman who kills her husband to keep her secret. It was her only movie and it was released after her death. Most of her scenes were cut it was the pre-code days and the censors wouldn’t go for the lesbian storyline.

Peg was Unable to get work in New York. Her theater company was still upset she canceled commitments to do thirteen women, her contract with RKO was to do the one movie. Her roommate back in New York lost their apartment because Peg couldn’t move back or help her pay the rent and a friend of her Aunt Jane and Uncle Harold who was living with them had to move out of their house to move Peg in because she had no place to go.

All this and the fact her family believes Peg had Manic Depression like her mother. Peg told her Uncle she was going to visit some Friends on the Evening of September 16, 1932.

She made her final walk up to the Hollywoodland Sign. She left her coat, shoes, and purse with her Suicide note in it at the base of the sign. She used the ladder at the back of the H and Jumped off the top of the H of the Sign to her death.

Peg’s body was found on September 18th. She was cremated at what is now Hollywood Forever Cemetery her ashes were buried on top of her Father. In Cincinnati OH.

In February of 2010 I found out that Peg and her father were buried in an unmarked grave 4 hours from where I lived. I decided to Give them a Headstone. My now X husband, who didn’t want to pay for it all talked me into starting a Facebook group to see if others wanted to contribute. There were 100 approx in the group. 14 donated. It was the one first Headstone campaigns done on Facebook and now it’s done all the time for famous and none famous people and that fact makes me proudI ordered the stone in July of 2010 and it was placed on the Grave September 16 2010 8 Years Ago today.

I get asked all the time why did you buy a Headstone for a strangers grave? I simply say this she needed one. She needed support, she needed someone to talk to she needed someone to tell her she mattered but that didn’t happen and she died now this is all I could do for her.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

I’ve faced so many tragedies in my life where I could’ve just said I’m going to sleep and not wake up but I know I matter to myself and to my son. I could never. But there are others who truly need to hear they matter!

The only Movie Peg Starred In was Thirteen Women The Film Starred Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez, Myrna Loy, Jill Esmond, Peg, Kay Johnson, Florence Eldridge, and Mary Duncan. The Movie was Released in October of 1932 But was a box office Flop.