Peggy Shannon

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.

Career

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 and then was hired as a chorus girl by Florenz Ziegfeld while visiting her aunt in New York in 1923. Before 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 sometimes worked 16-hour days (from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. the next day) while shooting a film, and when shooting wrapped, rushed to begin another film. She occasionally worked 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.

Death On May 11, 1941, Shannon's husband Albert Roberts and a fellow studio worker returned from a fishing trip to find Shannon dead in their North Hollywood apartment. She was slumped over the kitchen table, a cigarette in her mouth and an empty glass in her hand. She had been dead for approximately 12 hours. An autopsy revealed that she had died of a heart attack brought on by a liver ailment and a run-down condition. His suicide note read "I am very much in love with my wife, Peggy Shannon. In this spot she died, so in reverence to her, you will find me in the same spot."

Broadway credits Date Production Role October 20, 1923 - May 10, 1924 Ziegfeld Follies of 1923 Performer January 11 - March 19, 1927 Piggy Performer February 21 - May 1927 What Ann Brought Home Alma October 6 - Oct 1927 High Gear Florence Ainslee November 26 - December 1928 Back Here Sally August 5 - August 1929 Now-a-Days Jean Wing November 11 - December 1929 Cross Roads Dora December 30, 1929 – January 1930 Damn Your Honor Michel Du Fresne December 22, 1930 – Jan 1931 Life Is Like That Jane Barton March 11 – March 1931 Napi La George November 27, 1934 - March 1935 Page Miss Glory Gladys Russell February 10 - February 1936 Alice Takat Kitty Linderman

Filmography +Films Year Title Role Notes 1930The Gob Short film 1931 Opening Night Short filmThe Meal Ticket Friend Short filmThe Secret Call Wanda Kelly Silence Norma Davis/Norma PowersThe Road to Reno Lee Millet Touchdown Mary Gehring 1932 This Reckless Age Mary Burke Hotel Continental Ruth Carleton Society Girl Judy GelettThe Painted Woman Kiddo False Faces Elsie Fryer 1933 Girl Missing Daisy Bradford Deluge Claire Arlington Devil's Mate Nancy Weaver Turn Back the Clock Elvina Evans Wright/Elvina Evans Gimlet Fury of the Jungle Joan Leesom Back Page Jerry Hampton 1935 Night Life of the Gods Daphne LambertFighting Lady Dora HartThe Case of the Lucky Legs Thelma Bell 1936The Man I Marry Margot Potts Ellis Island Betty Parker 1937 Romancing Along Margot Potts Youth on Parole Peggy 1938 Girls on Probation Inmate Ruth Uncredited 1939 Blackwell's Island Pearl MurrayThe Adventures of Jane Arden Lola Martin Fixer Dugan Aggie MorenoThe Women Mrs. Jones Uncredited Dad for a Day Mary BakerThe Amazing Mr. Williams Kitty Uncredited 1940 Cafe Hostess NellieThe House Across the Bay Alice All About Hash Edith Henry Short film Triple Justice Susan

Footnotes