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IMDbPro

Peggy Cummins(1925-2017)

  • Actress
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Peggy Cummins
American professor John Holden arrives in London for a parapsychology conference, only to find himself investigating the mysterious actions of Devil-worshiper Julian Karswell.
Play trailer2:10
Curse of the Demon (1957)
3 Videos
88 Photos
Peggy Cummins was an Irish actress, appearing in several films between 1940 and 1961. Her best known role was that of trigger-happy bank robber Annie Laurie Starr in the film "Gun Crazy".

In December, 1925, Cummins was born under the name of "Augusta Margaret Diane Fuller" in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales. Her parents were an Irish couple from Dublin, who visited Prestatyn during their vacation. They were reportedly seeking shelter from a storm there. Cummins' parents were Franklin Bland Fuller (1897-1943) and his wife, the actress Margaret Cummins (1889-1973). Through her father's side of the family, Cummins was a great-granddaughter of famed architect and novelist James Franklin Fuller (1835-1924).

Cummins was mostly raised and educated in Killiney, Dublin. As a child, she attended the Abbey School of ballet in Dublin. She was eventually spotted there and chosen for a non-speaking role in a performance of the play "The Duchess of Malfi" (1613/1614) by John Webster. Cummins played one of the play's murdered children and she was (in her words) "only seen in silhouette". This was her theatrical debut.

In 1938, Cummins made her London stage debut at the St James's Theatre. She performed in the role of Maryann, the juvenile lead in the children's review "Let's Pretend", In 1940, Cummins had her film debut in the drama "Dr. O'Dowd" . The film concerned Marius O'Dowd (played by Shaun Glenville) , an alcoholic doctor who has lost his license and the affection of his only son, but later attempts to befriend his young, estranged granddaughter Pat O'Dowd (Cummins).

Being only 15-year-old during her film debut's production, Cummins was (by agreement) limited to working 5 hours per day, and only under the supervision of a governess. The film was a success, and helped Cummins being cast in supporting roles in subsequent films. Meanwhile she continued her theatrical career. In 1943, Cummins played the 12-year-old Fuffy in a theatrical adaptation of the short story collection "Junior Miss" (1941) by Sally Benson. In 1944, Cummins played the leading role of Alice in a theatrical adaptation of the novel "Alice in Wonderland" (1865) by Lewis Carroll.

In 1944, Cummins played notable roles in the comedy film "English Without Tears" (1944) and the World War II-themed drama "Welcome, Mr. Washington". In 1945, Darryl F. Zanuck, head of 20th Century-Fox, brought Cummins to Hollywood. Cummins was considered for roles in both "Cluny Brown" (1946) and "Forever Amber" (1947), but was rejected for being "too young". Her first leading role in an American film was playing the blackmailer Belle Adair/Rose Lynton in the film noir "Moss Rose" (1947). The film was praised by the press but was a box office flop. Zanuck claimed that the losses from the film amounted to 1,300,000 dollars.

Cummins subsequently appeared in a handful of American films. She played Eleanor Apley, daughter of an upper-class Bostonian family, in the romantic comedy "The Late George Apley" (1947). She played Dora Winters, an escaped prisoner's love interest, in the thriller "Escape" (1948). She played Carey Greenway, the love interest of a Wyoming-based horse owner, in "Green Grass of Wyoming" (1948).

Cummins then returned to the United Kingdom to have a role in the romance film "That Dangerous Age" (1949), about a neglected wife who finds romance with a lover. Cummins played a supporting role to the film's female lead Myrna Loy. Cummins returned to the United States to play a femme fatale role as bank robber Annie Laurie Starr in the film "Gun Crazy" (1950). The film was released by the film studio United Artists,This was Cummins' last appearance in a film shot in the United States. In retrospect, the film has been considered culturally significant and chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress.

In the rest of the 1950s, Cummins mainly worked in British films. Among her best known roles in this period was the role of female lead Joanna Harrington in the cult-themed horror film "Night of the Demon" (1957). Receiving modest praise in its original release, their film has since been evaluated as one of the gems of the horror genre.

In the early 1960s, Cummins only appeared in comedies. They included the divorce-themed farce "Your Money or Your Wife" (1960), the crime comedy "Dentist in the Chair" (1960), and the veterinarian-themed comedy "In the Doghouse" (1961). "In the Doghouse" was Cummins' last film appearance, as she largely retired from acting at the age of 36. Her few subsequent appearances were guest-star roles in television.

From the 1970s onward, Cummins devoted her time to the national charity Stars Organisation for Spastics. She chaired the management committee of a holiday center for children with disabilities in Sussex. In 2008, the charity organization changed its name to Stars Foundation for Cerebral Palsy, with Cummins still among its volunteers.

In December 2017, Cummins suffered a stroke and died in London, where she had spend her last years. She died eleven days following her 92nd birthday.
BornDecember 18, 1925
DiedDecember 29, 2017(92)
BornDecember 18, 1925
DiedDecember 29, 2017(92)
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Photos88

Peggy Cummins and John Dall in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins and John Dall in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins and John Dall in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy (1950)
Peggy Cummins and John Dall in Gun Crazy (1950)

Known for

Peggy Cummins and John Dall in Gun Crazy (1950)
Gun Crazy
7.6
  • Annie Laurie Starr
  • 1950
Dana Andrews and Peggy Cummins in Curse of the Demon (1957)
Curse of the Demon
7.4
  • Joanna Harrington
  • 1957
Stanley Baker and Peggy Cummins in Hell Drivers (1957)
Hell Drivers
7.2
  • Lucy
  • 1957
Ronald Colman, Peggy Cummins, Richard Haydn, and Richard Ney in The Late George Apley (1947)
The Late George Apley
7.0
  • Eleanor Apley
  • 1947

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actress

  • Summer Comedy Hour
  • The Human Jungle (1963)
    The Human Jungle
  • In the Doghouse (1961)
    In the Doghouse
  • Saturday Spectacular (1956)
    Saturday Spectacular
  • Dentist in the Chair (1960)
    Dentist in the Chair
  • Your Money or Your Wife (1960)
    Your Money or Your Wife
  • The Captain's Table (1959)
    The Captain's Table
  • Dana Andrews and Peggy Cummins in Curse of the Demon (1957)
    Curse of the Demon
  • Stanley Baker and Peggy Cummins in Hell Drivers (1957)
    Hell Drivers
  • The Ship Was Loaded (1957)
    The Ship Was Loaded
  • The March Hare (1956)
    The March Hare
  • Cash on Delivery (1954)
    Cash on Delivery
  • The Love Lottery (1954)
    The Love Lottery
  • Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953)
    Meet Mr. Lucifer
  • Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan, and Ronald Squire in Always a Bride (1953)
    Always a Bride

Videos3

Trailer
Trailer 2:44
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:10
Official Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 1:35
Trailer

Personal details

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    • December 18, 1925
    • Prestatyn, Denbighshire, Wales, UK
    • December 29, 2017
    • London, England, UK(stroke)
    • 1950 - 2001 (his death, 2 children)
    • Margaret Tracy
  • Stage: Appeared in "Junior Miss", London, England.
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Articles
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    On June 14, 2006, she appeared as guest of honor at a special screening of Curse of the Demon (1957) in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, UK. Looking slim and elegant and nowhere near her age, Peggy answered some questions from the audience before viewing the film for the first time.
  • Quotes
    [on being fired from Forever Amber (1947)] Say it was my lack of experience, say it was the color of my eyes, say it was a lot of little things, but please don't say I don't have enough sex.

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