Peggy Stewart

by Frank M. Roberts

January 2016

Continuing our 'round-up' of the western star favorites of the '30s and '40s - this is our first look at the fairer sex - the leading ladies of those multitudinous cowboy and - er - cowgirl movies. Number one on the agenda is Peggy Stewart, a lovely coleen. Coleen? Anyone with the birth name of Peggy O'Rour qualifies.

And, it looks like she was born into money. West Palm Beach, FL. is her birthplace. The birthdate is June 5, 1933. However, she was raised in the South. The family then moved to California while she was still a youngster. And, while still a youngster she became the favorite of most of the 'B' western heroes at Republic in the 1950s.

The career, however, began when she visited her uncle in Los Angeles. There, she enrolled in a drama school. Can you keep up with this moving moving picture star? The family went back South again - Atlanta. She remained there and, while there, she tested for Fox and, lo and behold, she got the role of Joel McCrae's daughter in "Wells Fargo." Call that a very impressive beginning.

One of her later movies was "Oregon Trail." The male star was - excuse me - the dull Sunset Carson. Peggy then worked at Universal, a biggie studio. What next? Love and marriage, western style. She became Mrs. Don Barry and, she obtained a contract at Republic as a bonus. Her first role then was in the Bill Elliott-Red Ryder, "Tucson Raiders." It was his first feature.

During Stewart's Republic years she appeared with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Carson. She referred to one of her male co-stars as 'Bubble Butt'. Her personal favorite of all those gents was Wild Bill Elliott, because of his professionalism. Take that, Roy -- take that, Gene.

Her favorite villain - almost every cowboy star's favorite villain - was Roy Barcroft. Miss Peggy was not one of those performers who delighted in putting down the Poverty Row output. She refers to her Republic years as, "the dearest part of my career."

After leaving home - Republic, that is - she appeared in two films with then newcomer, Lash LaRue, working for Screen Guild. She then returned to the 'Red Ryder' series at Eagle-Lion, working with Jim Bannon. So - she appeared with all the Ryders except for Barry, and was quite active for several years, later appearing regularly on television.

In this series, I always take a quick look at some of the performers whose names were near the bottom of the bill in the western movies. Right now, a look at a gentleman whose star shone in major features, like his father before him. Lon Chaney Jr. is best known for his portrayal of Lennie in, "Of Mice And Men." And, he was equally well known as "The Son Of Dracula," and he was occupied with "The Mummy's Curse."

So far as westerns are concerned, he donned his cowboy outfits for "Life Of Jesse James," "High Noon," and "Union Pacific" - a quite respectable line-up.