Peggy Cummins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peggy Cummins
Cummins in 1950
Born	Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller (1925-12-18)18 December 1925 Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales
Died	29 December 2017(2017-12-29) (aged 92) London, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1940–1965
Spouse(s)	William Herbert Derek Dunnett ​ ​ (m. 1950; died 2000)​
Children	2

Peggy Cummins (born Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller; December 18, 1925 – December 29, 2017) was an actress from Ireland. She was born in Wales. Peggy is best known for her role in the 1950 film Gun Crazy. In this movie, she played a character who loved guns and robbed banks with her boyfriend. In 2020, she was named one of Ireland's greatest film actors by The Irish Times.

Who Was Peggy Cummins?

Her Early Life

Peggy Cummins was born in Prestatyn, Wales. Her parents were from Ireland and were visiting Wales when a storm stopped them from going back home to Dublin.

She spent most of her childhood in Killiney, Dublin, where she went to school. Later, she lived in London. Her father was Franklin Bland Fuller, and her mother was Margaret Cummins, who was also an actress. Her mother appeared in films like Smart Woman and The Sign of the Ram.

Starting Her Acting Career

When Peggy was a child in Dublin, she attended the Abbey School of Ballet. There, she was chosen for a small role in a play called The Duchess of Malfi at the Gate Theatre. She said, "I played one of the children, only seen in silhouette because they had been murdered... that was my start in the theatre."

Peggy's first time acting on a London stage was in a children's show called Let’s Pretend. She played the main young character, Maryann, on her 13th birthday. Because of this, she got a part in the British film Dr. O'Dowd (1940). When she was filming, she was only allowed to work five hours a day and had to have a governess with her. She also had supporting roles in Salute John Citizen (1942) and Old Mother Riley Detective (1943).

In 1943, when she was 17, Peggy played a 12-year-old character named Fuffy in a play called Junior Miss. The next year, she played the main role in Alice in Wonderland. Her first big film was English Without Tears (1944), which was also known as Her Man Gilbey in the United States. She then appeared in Welcome, Mr. Washington (1944).

Moving to Hollywood

In 1945, Peggy Cummins went to Hollywood, California. She was invited by Darryl F. Zanuck, who was in charge of 20th Century Fox. Many people thought she was going to play the main role in the movie Forever Amber (1947). However, she was considered "too young" for the role and was replaced by another actress.

Zanuck then gave her the main role in a mystery film called Moss Rose (1947). She also worked with director Joseph L. Mankiewicz in two films: The Late George Apley (1947) and Escape (1948). Peggy then appeared in Green Grass of Wyoming (1948).

She went back to England to film That Dangerous Age (1948). After that, she returned to the United States for Gun Crazy (1950). Peggy said she loved being in Hollywood, but Gun Crazy was her last film made there.

Back to British Films

In 1950, Peggy moved back to London to get married and work in British films. She made My Daughter Joy (1950) and then starred in Who Goes There! (1952) and Street Corner (1953). Around the same time, she was in the comedy Meet Mr. Lucifer and Always a Bride (both 1953).

Peggy also appeared in The Love Lottery (1954) and To Dorothy a Son (1954). She starred in The March Hare (1956) and Carry On Admiral (1957).

Later, she starred in the horror film Night of the Demon (1957) and Hell Drivers (1957). Peggy returned to comedies with The Captain's Table (1959), Your Money or Your Wife (1960), and Dentist in the Chair (1960). Her last film was In the Doghouse (1961).

Her Famous Roles

The film Gun Crazy (1950) was chosen in 1998 to be kept safe in the United States National Film Registry. This means it was considered very important for culture, history, or art. The movie was made quickly in 30 days and cost $400,000.

In 2009, Peggy said about her role in Gun Crazy, "It was a great part." She also said the story was brilliant and that she and her co-star, John Dall, were well-suited for their roles. She watched the film with an audience for the first time in 60 years at the British Film Institute in London.

On June 14, 2006, Peggy was a special guest at a showing of Night of the Demon. She answered questions from the audience and watched the film for the first time. She said she liked her co-star, Dana Andrews, and they remained friends. In 2013, she introduced a new digital version of Night of the Demon at the British Museum. Parts of the film take place in the museum's courtyard.

Life Outside Acting

In 1954, Peggy became the first honorary commander of a special United States Air Force squadron in England.

She married William Herbert Derek Dunnett in 1950. They were married until he passed away in 2000. They had two children, a son born in 1954 and a daughter born in 1962.

Peggy stopped making films in 1961, but she appeared on television a few times until the mid-1960s. In the 1970s, she worked with a charity called Stars Organisation for Spastics. This group helped raise money for children with disabilities. The charity later changed its name to Stars Foundation for Cerebral Palsy. Peggy was a trustee for this charity, which helps people with cerebral palsy get tools for communication and movement. In her later years, she lived in West London.

On January 25, 2013, Peggy was honored at a film festival in San Francisco. They showed a newly restored version of Gun Crazy.

Peggy Cummins passed away on December 29, 2017, in London. She was 92 years old and died after having a stroke.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Peggy Cummins para niños