She became a symbol of failure and Tragedy, Hollywood style.

The blonde, blue eyed actress was born Lillian Millicent Entwistle, in this house, in Port Talbot, Wales, in 1908. She spent her early years on Comeragh Road, in London. The family home was at number #53. Peg's mom died young, and by the time Peg was 14, she had left Britain to pursue an acting career in America. By 1931, she was in 8 consecutive Broadway shows - that flopped. Hollywood (or course) beckoned, and she came to LA. She with her Uncle Harold at 2428 Beachwood Drive, in Beachwood Canyon almost in the shadow of the famous sign that originally read, "HOLLYWOODLAND."

She played opposite Billie Burke and Bogie in the play, "The Mad Hopes," and RKO offered her a contract. The first film she did for them was "The 13 Women," and Peg's part ended up mostly on the floor. She should have seen that as a sign of things to come. (Get it? Sign? Anyway.) Her career was at a stand still after that. She did lots of auditions, and just hung around her uncle's house, waiting for work, and trying to save enough money to go back to New York, but couldn't even manage train fare. On Sunday September 18, 1932, she told her Uncle Harold that she was going to walk up Beachwood Drive to the drug store, and then to visit friends. Instead she made a beeline for the H. She climbed up the workman's ladder behind the letter H. Betcha can't guess what she did next. Yesiree, she dove for it.

The next morning an anonymous woman called the Central LA police station and said, "I was hiking near the Hollywoodland sign today and near the bottom I found a woman's shoe and jacket. A little further on I noticed a purse. In it was a suicide note. I looked down the mountain and saw a body. I don't want any publicity in this matter, so I wrapped up the jacket, shoes and purse in a bundle and laid them on the steps of the Hollywood Police Station." Then she hung up.

The note read:

"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."

The LA times published the letter in hopes that she would be identified. Her Uncle Harold recognized the initials, and identified her body in the morgue.

There was a rumor that Peg had jumped because of an ill-fated love affair. She was married in 1927 for two years to an actor named Robert Keith. Robert had a very young son named Brian, who grew up to be "Uncle Bill," on the show "Family Affair," and ended his life himself in 1997. Her uncle ruled this out as the cause of her decision to off herself, because it had happened two years prior to the jump.

Ironically, the next day a letter arrived in the mail from the Beverly Hills Playhouse, offering her the lead role in a play - about a woman driven to suicide.

Her funeral was held at the now demolished W.M. Strothers Mortuary at 6240 Hollywood Boulevard. She was cremated at Hollywood Memorial Park, and shipped to Ohio for burial, at Oak Hill Cemetery, Glendale, Ohio. She was buried with her father on January 5th, 1933.

Some Trivia About The Sign

The sign was built in 1923, and originally read HOLLYWOODLAND, for a real estate development along Beachwood Canyon. It cost $21,000 to build, and the letters are 30 feet wide and 45 feet tall. It was originally lit by 4000 light bulbs. Maintenance was discontinued in 1939, and in 1949 the LAND portion of the sign was removed. It was so rundown, that in 1978 the chamber of commerce restored it, and for $28,000 each, the following people sponsored the letters:

H - Terrence Donnelly, Publisher Hollywood Independent Newspaper

O - Giovanni Mazza, Italian movie producer

L - Les Kelley - Originator of the Kelley Blue Book

L - Gene Autrey - With his pioneer television station KTLA

Y - Hugh Hefner - Creator of Playboy Enterprises

W - Andy Williams - Singer

O - Warner Brothers Records

O - Alice Cooper - In memory of Groucho Marx

D - Dennis Lidtke