Peggy Bernier ( March â€" March ) was an American comedian and film
actress who was popular in the s and s.Bernier was born in in
Providence, Rhode Island but she spent her childhood in Newton,
Massachusetts. Her father was a French Canadian immigrant who worked
in the worsted mills, her mother was an Irish immigrant. Peggy
excelled in school and won many amateur theatrical contests. Her first
engagement came in , when she and her mother approached George M.
Cohan and begged her a small part in "Little Nelly Kelly" which was
then in tryouts in Boston. According to Bernier, this landed her a
part in the show at age but this story may be apocryphal as her name
does not appear on any cast lists for this play. She spent several
years living with a cousin in New York City. At the age , she landed a
job in the chorus of Al Jolson's musical Big Boy. The show disbanded
in Chicago, Illinois when Jolson became ill. Temporarily stranded in
Chicago, she began performing her Jolson impersonation in cafes and
clubs. Paul Ash and his wife caught her act. Ash offered her an
engagement. Bernier accompanied Ash, was a success with him, and later
in California.Bernier was with the Rubeville Follies, produced by Jack
Partington, in August . She appeared at the Metropolitan Theater in
Los Angeles, California. She was billed as Al Jolson's world's worst
voice girl. In November she was in the cast of Actors' Night In Coffee
Dan's, which included a unique stage setting and new numbers sung by
Bernier. In she appeared in the Chicago production of "Good News" as
Flo, the Varsity Drag Girl. She received many rave notices for this
show and the show ran at the Selwyn Theater for over a year. She
continued to tour with Paul Ash for three years. Peggy recorded
several songs from Good News as well "Me Too" which was a hit on the
college charts and contains licks taught to her by her then boyfriend
Bing Crosby.Bernier was on stage at the Paramount Theater in June .
The following week she began rehearsing for a musical show entitled Me
For You (later titled "Heads Up). It had an original musical comedy
libretto written by Owen Davis, with lyrics by Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart. The show played the Alvin Theatre on Broadway after being
presented in Detroit, Michigan and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bernier
was joined in the cast by Jack Whiting, Betty Compton, and Gordon
King. The producers were Alexander Aarons and Vinton Freedley. Me For
You was about the daughter of a bootlegger. Every character in the
play appeared to be involved in the moonshine business.
actress who was popular in the s and s.Bernier was born in in
Providence, Rhode Island but she spent her childhood in Newton,
Massachusetts. Her father was a French Canadian immigrant who worked
in the worsted mills, her mother was an Irish immigrant. Peggy
excelled in school and won many amateur theatrical contests. Her first
engagement came in , when she and her mother approached George M.
Cohan and begged her a small part in "Little Nelly Kelly" which was
then in tryouts in Boston. According to Bernier, this landed her a
part in the show at age but this story may be apocryphal as her name
does not appear on any cast lists for this play. She spent several
years living with a cousin in New York City. At the age , she landed a
job in the chorus of Al Jolson's musical Big Boy. The show disbanded
in Chicago, Illinois when Jolson became ill. Temporarily stranded in
Chicago, she began performing her Jolson impersonation in cafes and
clubs. Paul Ash and his wife caught her act. Ash offered her an
engagement. Bernier accompanied Ash, was a success with him, and later
in California.Bernier was with the Rubeville Follies, produced by Jack
Partington, in August . She appeared at the Metropolitan Theater in
Los Angeles, California. She was billed as Al Jolson's world's worst
voice girl. In November she was in the cast of Actors' Night In Coffee
Dan's, which included a unique stage setting and new numbers sung by
Bernier. In she appeared in the Chicago production of "Good News" as
Flo, the Varsity Drag Girl. She received many rave notices for this
show and the show ran at the Selwyn Theater for over a year. She
continued to tour with Paul Ash for three years. Peggy recorded
several songs from Good News as well "Me Too" which was a hit on the
college charts and contains licks taught to her by her then boyfriend
Bing Crosby.Bernier was on stage at the Paramount Theater in June .
The following week she began rehearsing for a musical show entitled Me
For You (later titled "Heads Up). It had an original musical comedy
libretto written by Owen Davis, with lyrics by Richard Rodgers and
Lorenz Hart. The show played the Alvin Theatre on Broadway after being
presented in Detroit, Michigan and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bernier
was joined in the cast by Jack Whiting, Betty Compton, and Gordon
King. The producers were Alexander Aarons and Vinton Freedley. Me For
You was about the daughter of a bootlegger. Every character in the
play appeared to be involved in the moonshine business.
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