“Miss Ex becomes Margaret Kerry (there is more to a name than I thought)”
Enjoy this un-edited chapter of soon to be published book of By Margaret Kerry “Tinker Bell Talks Tales of a Pixie Dusted Life”
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Well. I started life as Margaret Lorraine McCarty, (called Lorraine) became Peggy Lorraine Robb, followed by Peggy Lynch and I hadn’t planned on any more name changes. But when someone like Eddie Cantor, famous for discovering young talent who became super stars like Dinah Shore, tells you that you need to change your name … you listen. After all, he changed his name from Isidore Itzkowitz! Look what happened to him.
On the set, Mr. Cantor said to me one day, “You don’t really want to be called ‘Peggy’ all your life, do you?”
“Ah.. um … no, Mr. Cantor.”
“I was just talking to Peggy Wood. You know, the actress? She’s getting near sixty and she was complaining that at her age she is a little sick of being called Peggy. I think you are going to be in this business for a long time …so …”
“Ah.. um … yes, Mr. Cantor?”
“I’ll find you a new name before the picture is over. All right?” he asked
.
“Ah.. um … what ever you say, Mr. Cantor. Thank you.”
I worked on that film for over six weeks and during that time my moniker was “Miss X” even on the call sheet. Almost eighteen and graduated from high school* it was not a happy time for me to be called onto the set with, “Ready for Mis s ex” No, that’s not a typo. They started calling me Miss Sex! Production guys had a Junior High School funny bone.
Miss X designation was not what I had in mind during my conversation with Mr. Cantor. I wanted action and I kept waiting for him to walk in with a new name appropriate for me, his new star! Yet Mr. Cantor was busy producing and starring in the movie. Maybe my life was a little side bar.
One day he autographed a photo ‘To Terry” explaining that he had chosen the name Terry Randall for me. It was a name of a character in a movie he just screened called Stage Door. Wow, I liked that. However a little research and we had a problem. A member of Screen Actor’s Guild had already claimed the name. I went back to the waiting game.
My last day on the picture I tracked Mr. Cantor to the makeup room.
I digress here for one paragraph.
Years earlier Mr. Cantor had been in a serious car accident leaving him with a deep indent in his forehead. It was so deep that makeup had a plastic prosthesis shaped to match the three-inch long dent. This was always carefully secured first before makeup was applied to mask the appliance. It was a little bit of a shock to see him before and after. All right … all right. back to my story.
Hmm. How to approach the subject of my new name was dicey. I decided that I’d tell him I was just thinking of the film and asked him if the credits were going to read, ‘Peggy Lynch’. Darling man that he was, without missing a beat, said, “Honey, it’s not easy coming up with a great name for you. I have been giving it a lot of thought when I had the time.”
See, I knew he had been thinking about my problem. Well, I wanted to believe it but I could spot a great piece of improvisation … most the time.
“Do you like your first real name? It must be Margaret, yes?”
I never thought much about it but at least it was mine. “Yes, Mr. Cantor.”
“It’s a strong name like Margaret Dumont.” “Who?”
“Margaret Dumont with the Marx Brothers.”
This was going to turn into an embarrassing moment for him if I said, “Who?” one more time. So I brilliantly retorted.. “Um…”
“One of my favorite actors is Norman Kerry. Kerry, you know, like Country Kerry, Ireland,” he added waiting for my reaction.
I would love to have said, ‘Who?’ again but I didn’t. Instead I mumbled something like, “My mother’s family came over from County Kerry.”
“Well that’s it, then. We’ll check with SAG right away, All right, Margaret Kerry?”
“Ah.. um … yes, Mr. Cantor.” I left the makeup room with my fourth name.
Later that day, I was signing studio and production forms with my new name. I was hugging everyone to say goodbye and Mr. Cantor called me over. But before I could give him a hug, he dramatically pulled his famous handkerchief out of his picket and waved it just as he had in the Zeigfeld Follies on Broadway when he was the highest paid entertainer in America.
Mr. Cantor started it and Joan Davis chimed in
"If You Knew Margaret, Like we know Margaret
Oh, oh, oh what a girl.
There’s none so classy, as this fair dancer
Oh, oh, Holy Moses she’s a prancer …"
Did I tell you they were dear people?
May I digress once more? Only take a minute. It’s about names.
All rightie. When I was at ABC I married the Associate Director on the Charlie Ruggles Show. His last name was Brown. So, I became Margaret Kerry-Brown. In looking up the actor, Norman Kerry, it turns out that his original name was Arnold Kaiser. He changed his name to Kerry because of a friend who came from County Kerry, Ireland. Remember Senator John Kerry? Wanted to be President? His paternal grandfather, who was a Czech Jew, changed his family’s name to Kerry. He picked it out on an atlas -- County Kerry, Ireland? And people ask me if I have an identity problem? When I married my second husband I became Margaret Kerry-Willcox. It is going to stay that way unless a man as wonderful as Jack romantically pursues me. Say … there’s a thought.