Peggy Lenore Ahearn Blaylock, known professionally as Peggy Ahern, (March 9, 1917 – October 24, 2012) was an American actress best known for her appearance in eight of the ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

'' series of films released between 1924 and 1927. The ''Our Gang'' series, which was also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'', was a series of comedic,

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

silent films A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...

created by director and producer

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

. Ahern was one of the last surviving cast members from a Hal Roach film.

Early life

Ahern was born in

Douglas, Arizona Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States that lies in the north-west to south-east running Sulpher Springs Valley. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico at Agua Prieta and a history of mining. The population was 16,531 in ...

. She moved to

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most d ...

, with her family in 1921.

Career

She began her film career as a child actor in the 1923 Hal Roach film, ''

The Call of the Wild ''The Call of the Wild'' is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Bu ...

'', which was released by

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

. She next appeared in small roles in two films, both released in 1925: '' Excuse Me'', starring

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

, and '' Not So Long Ago'', starring

Ricardo Cortez Ricardo Cortez (born Jacob Kranze or Jacob Krantz; September 19, 1900 – April 28, 1977) was an American actor and film director. He was also credited as Jack Crane early in his acting career. Early years Ricardo Cortez was born Jacob K ...

and

Betty Bronson Elizabeth Ada Bronson (November 17, 1906 – October 19, 1971) was an American film and television actress who began her career during the silent film era. Early years Bronson was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Frank and Nellie Smith Bronso ...

. Ahern was then cast by Roach in eight of his ''Little Rascal'' films from 1924 to 1927: ''

Cradle Robbers ''Cradle Robbers'' is a 1924 short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 26th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. Synopsis The boys cannot go fishing because they have to take care of their baby brothers and sisters. ...

'' in 1924, ''

The Sun Down Limited ''The Sun Down Limited'' is a 1924 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 30th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. The title is a play on the Southern Pacific Railroad's ''Sunset Limited'' train service. ...

'' in 1924, '' Circus Fever'' in 1925, ''

Dog Days The dog days or are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sud ...

'' in 1925, ''

The Love Bug ''The Love Bug'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and the first in a franchise by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 ...

'' in 1925, ''

Official Officers ''Official Officers'' is a 1925 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 40th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. Cast The Gang * Joe Cobb as Joe * Jackie Condon as Jackie * Mickey Daniels as Mickey * ...

'' in 1925, ''

War Feathers ''War Feathers'' is a 1926 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan and nephew Anthony Mack. It was the 54th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. Cast * Joe Cobb as Joe * Jackie Condon as Jackie * Johnny Downs as John ...

'' in 1926, and ''

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

'' in 1927.

Personal life

Ahern and her sister,

Lassie Lou Ahern Lassie Lou Ahern (June 25, 1920 – February 15, 2018) was an American actress. Originally discovered by Will Rogers, she was best known for her role as Little Harry in the 1927 silent film ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' and also for her recurring appea ...

, toured as a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

song-and-dance act from 1932 until 1939. They also appeared in the 1937 comedic short musical, '' Hollywood Party'' by

Charley Chase Charles Joseph Parrott (October 20, 1893 – June 20, 1940), known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with pro ...

Death

Ahern died on October 24, 2012, at the age of 95.

References

External links

* *
Peggy Blaylock Obituary: View Obituary for Peggy Blaylock by Gates, Kingsley & Gates Praiswater Mortuary, Canoga Park, CA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahern, Peggy 1917 births 2012 deaths American stage actresses Vaudeville performers People from Douglas, Arizona People from Culver City, California 20th-century American actresses American film actresses American child actresses Actresses from California Actresses from Arizona American silent film actresses Hal Roach Studios actors Our Gang 21st-century American women