The Facts Vs. The Myths of The Life of Peg Entwistle

As many already know I am the historian who donated the headstone to the unmarked grave of actress Peg Entwistle and her father Robert Entwistle in 2010. I had the honor of knowing Ms. Entwistle's brother Milton from 2010 until his death in 2018 at the age of 100. I got to learn about her true existence and written about it on social media but yet on the anniversary of her death and on her birthday I see so many articles written promoting the same myths and lies about her life. I try to correct the authors in most cases I'm met with disdain, questioned or blocked completely. If you want to know the facts about Peg here they are. 

Early Life

Peg was born on February 5, 1908 her birth name was Millicent Lillian Entwistle not Lillian Millicent but yet people still get her name wrong. Her name was reversed on her death certificate which I believe is the reason for the confusion.  Her biological Mother was Emily Stevenson Entwistle and Her father was Robert Symes Entwistle. Her parents divorced when she was a small child and peg's mother lost custody of peg. The circumstances surrounding the divorce and custody issues are unknown. In Robert's will he made it clear that emily was never to have custody of peg but gave no explanation. 

Peg was born in Port Talbot Wales and spent her early childhood in West Kensington London. Peg and her father Emigrated to Cincinnati Ohio then to New York City from Liverpool in the early spring of 1913.  Robert was listed per the IBDB as being in the cast of several plays in 1913. Robert married Lauretta Ross peg's beloved stepmother. In 1922 Robert Entwistle died a victim of a hit and run accident in in NYC, her stepmother died the year before.  

Broadway Career

In 1925  Peg was living in Boston as a student of Henry Jewett's Repretory and was one of Henry Jewett's Players. Walter Hampdan (who was managed by peg's uncle) gave Peg an uncredited walk-on part in his Broadway Production of Hamlet. Peg was 17 when she played "Hedveg" in the 1925 production of "The Wild Duck" this caught the attention of a young Bette Davis. She told her mother I want to be just like Peg Entwistle. Davis went on to play "Hedveg" some years later and told the director she saw peg play the role in 1925. Davis always credited peg as her inspiration to take up acting. 

Peg was very active in the broadway community and worked steady from 1925 to 1932 she was never a "mediocre" actress as some have suggested. Peg worked with the likes of Ethel Barrymore, Walter Hampden, Dorothy Gish, Laurette Taylor. Her longest running play was the 1927 hit "Tommy" which she starred with Sidney Tolar which ran for 232 performances and this is the play she is most remembered for.   

Personal Life

In April of 1927 Peg married actor Robert Keith. Robert was an alcoholic and had been married before and had a 6 year old son Brian Keith who later became an actor. When he married peg he didn't tell peg he had been married before and didn't tell her he had a son. Robert was abusive and drank most of his wages during the marriage he nearly went to jail for not paying child support until peg paid the past due amount with her salary. She was granted a divorce in May of 1929. Peg dated Humphrey Bogart while she was performing in the Play "The Mad Hopes" with him in 1932. According to peg's brother Milton she brought him home to meet the family and he was very Polite. 

Hollywood 

In may of 1932 beg came to Los Angeles she got a role in the Romney Brent Play "The Mad Hopes" She wanted the chance to work with Billie Burke. The play also starred Humphrey Bogart whom peg was dating during the play's run. The play got favorable reviews. The play was going to move to a run on Broadway and peg had hopes in being in the New York cast. 

After the play closed she got a one picture deal at Radio Pictures (later RKO) for the movie "Thirteen Women.". It was an all star cast with Myrna Loy, Irene Dunne, Ricardo Cortez, and Jill Esmond. It was produced by David O.Selznick. The movie was based on the book by Tiffany Thayer. Peg played Hazel it was a small supporting role, in the book the role of hazel was a lesbian who murders her husband. Her role was cut back dramatically because in the book hazel was a lesbian and so most of peg's work ended up on the cutting room floor because of the censors and it wasn't her fault. In 2008 Variety Magazine cited Thirteen Women as one of the earliest "female ensemble" films.

Last Days

We will never know for sure why Peg decided to take her own life but that facts from her personal papers and memories from her brother these some of the circumstances that might have been factors in her suicide.

Peg in order to get a chance to work with Billie Burke put ambition before people and commitments within her theater community and that got her blacklisted. She committed a mortal sin in their eyes. Peg was unable to move back to new york and unable to send money to her roommate so the roommate lost their apartment in the city. Peg had to move in with her aunt and uncle and in order to do that they had to evict a close friend who had been living with them for quite a while. All these circumstances really made Peg feel very guilty at all the trouble she caused everyone. 

She was still in love with her former husband. After she divorced Robert Keith her got sober he re-married and revived his acting career and she was broke and out of work. When her body was found she was wearing a necklace he gave her. Milton had the necklace I'm assuming his children have it now. 

Depression and underlying mental illness, Peg at a very young age watched both her father and stepmother die very painful deaths and I can say from watching my own parents die from cancer when I was young that it's traumatic and it changes you and your life forever. I can only speculate why her biological mother lost custody of her but it could've been an underlying mental illness we will never know. 

Finally George Cukor ,when casting The film Bill of Divorcement David O.Selznick wanted to cast Peg as Billie Burke's Daughter. He liked her acting and he felt Peg was more "believable" as burke's daughter they resembled each other. Cukor shut Selznick down It had to be Katherine Hepburn.  Selznick Cast Peg in Thirteen Women instead, things could've been so different if Peg could've gotten the other role. 

Suicide

Her date of death is September 16, 1932. Her body was discovered on September 18, 1932. Don't believe any conspiracy theories she didn't jump from the 13th letter of the "Hollywoodland" sign. The ladder was behind the "H" she climbed up the H using the ladder. Peg died from multiple fractures of the Pelvis and she didn't die on impact sad to say. 

The Coroner got her name wrong on the death certificate her birth name is Millicent Lillian Entwistle.

The Infamous Myth of The Letter

Peg's uncle did get a letter a day or two after her suicide it was never from the Beverly Hills Playhouse or any other playhouse Which has been reported for 87 years now. It was from RKO Studios! Per Milton Entwistle The letter arrived a couple days after she died the family were furious because the studio had their phone number.  It was an offer for a one picture deal but he doesn't remember what the role was about he is unsure if the role she was to play a woman who committed suicide at the end of the film so this is a myth. Milton said the letter doesn't exist today He was unsure what his uncle did with it. He speculated that hethrew it away because he was so livid with the studio. 

2010 Headstone Campaign 

In February 2010 I launched a Facebook group to mark her grave. It was one of the first of its kind. The group had 120 members and 14 people donated. The process took 7 months and the headstone was placed on the graves of peg and her father on the 78th Anniversary of her death September 16, 2010. 

People ask me all the time why did I mark the grave of people I didn't know? The best Answer I can give you is... Milton. From 2010 Until his death in February of 2018 he would show photos of the headstone to everyone he was so proud. also, my father he was a cemetery caretaker from the time he was 16 until a week before his death in 1995 (50 years) He always said no matter who you are you deserve a headstone on your grave! Historians care about history and we care about the dead as much as we do the living. Now that milt has joined the rest of his family in heaven I hope they are all at peace. 

If there are any other questions I haven't covered here you are free to e-mail me at lisaslopek@gmail.com