Peg Entwistle Hollywood Sign Girl

80 years ago today was the worst day in Peg Entwistle's life it was also the last. Peg was an actress born in Wales and raised in London with the name Millicent Lilian Entwistle. Peg and her family emigrated to the US and she eventually settled in Boston where she studied acting at Henry Jewett's Repertory (now know as the Huntington Theater). She once performed the role of Hedvig in Ibsen's "Wild Duck" and inspired a young Bette Davis to be an actress "Just like Peg Entwistle". In 1925 Peg moved to New York having been recruited by the New York Theater Guild. In New York she performed with George M Cohan, William Gillette, Lilian Gish and Laurette Taylor. Peg met and married fellow actor Robert Keith. It wasn't until after they were married she discovered Keith had been married before and had a son Brian Keith. Brian Keith went on to star in TV's "Family Affair" as Uncle Bill. Their marriage was short lived. Peg was cast in a touring company and ended up in Los Angeles in 1932. She co-starred in the play "Mad Hopes" with Billie Burke. Humphrey Bogart was also in the cast. When "Mad Hopes" closed she was cast in the RKO film "Thirteen Women". This was a pre-code film produced by David O Selznick starring Irene Dunne and Myrna Loy. It is considered to be the first female ensemble film made in Hollywood. Ms Entwistle was living with an uncle on in Beachwood Canyon down the hill from the Hollywood Land development. She was dead broke at the time and spent most of her time looking for work as an actress. It was Friday night September 16th 1932 she told her uncle she was going out to the drugstore and would be back later. She never returned. It is now known she walked up through the canyon to Mount Lee. There she walked to the Hollywoodland sign and climbed a workman's ladder to the top of the "H". On Sunday morning of the 18th an anonymous woman called the Hollywood police station telling them she had left a package on their steps. She said she found a jacket, shoes and purse while out hiking near the sign. The police found the body of a blond woman in a ravine 100 feet below the sign. This was Peg Entwistle. She was later identified by her uncle. There was a note left in her purse stating simply: "I am afraid, I am a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain. P.E.

There is a story that a letter arrive the next day offering her a job. This is just Hollywood lore, it makes a good store but has no basis in truth.
Peg Entwistle was 24 years old.