When this picture was produced, Marion Davies was nearing the end of her association at MGM. One reason she and paramour William Randolph Hearst moved over to Warner Brothers in 1934 is because Hearst felt Davies had turned in an Oscar worthy performance as the titular Peg, but MGM execs would not put her on the Best Actress ballot-- probably because the studio's most prestigious actress was Irving Thalberg's wife Norma Shearer.
While watching PEG O' MY HEART, one can't help but agree with biased Mr. Hearst...Davies does turn in a delightful performance that's certainly worth lauding.
It was the studio's second version of the popular play by J. Hartley Manners. The script has been doctored by Davies' pal Frances Marion, with revisions made to the original text. The humble and hardworking background of the character has been played up, as well as her relationship with her father (J. Farrell MacDonald).
The first filmed version was produced in 1922 by Metro, and it starred Laurette Taylor who had a long-running success as Peg, the impressionable Irish lass. Miss Taylor was married to playwright Manners, and together, they turned the simple heartwarming story into a Broadway hit in 1912, which ran for over 600 performances.
Taylor and Manners then took the play to England, where it ran in London during WWI. Afterwards, the duo returned to New York and revived Peg. This time it ran for nearly 700 performances. As a result, Laurette Taylor became very identified with the role, and it was always seen as a much sought after property to adapt to the big screen, since it had a huge built-in audience.
Mary Pickford supposedly coveted the role but Taylor eventually had her feature film debut with Peg in 1922. By then, she was 39. Keep in mind, when she started playing the role in 1912, she wasn't yet 30. The heroine-- a girl from rural Ireland who goes to live with stuffy relatives so that she may be turned into a refined lady like her mother was-- is supposed to be in her late teens or early twenties.
When Hearst and Davies remade it as a sound feature, Miss Davies was 36. Meaning she was a bit younger than Taylor, but still probably a bit too old. Due to innovative lighting techniques, director Robert Z. Leonard and cinematographer George Barnes make her look fairly youthful, if not quite fully adolescent in appearance.
Helping convince the audience she's "younger" is the choice in girlish clothing, especially at the beginning of the film. Also, she clings to a lovable pooch which stresses her immaturity and makes them a forerunner to Dorothy and Toto.
In a way, PEG O' MY HEART is a comedy of manners, but it is also a culture clash tale. Peg is looked down upon by snooty aristocratic relatives, but spiritually, she is superior to them. The general idea is that girls from the impoverished countryside are more wholesome and innocent than their upperclass kin.
The relationship between the two classes is further underscored when Peg is befriended by her relatives' neighbor (Onslow Stevens) not realizing he is privileged nobility. Meanwhile, there are some cute musical interludes, and Davies seems to have chemistry with all her costars. For the most part it's an enjoyable romp.
Stories like this were popular with the public, because they emphasized the virtues of a young woman coming of age. There is also a fish-out-of-water angle, such as the kind we see in POLLYANNA. While battling snobs, she falls for the handsome gent, and this part resembles Jo's love story in LITTLE WOMEN. Yes, the audience had probably seen all this before, but it's a form of comfort storytelling.
This week we will celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And I always make a point of watching PEG O' MY HEART around the 17th of March. For each petal on the shamrock, I send a wish your way: "Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day."
While watching PEG O' MY HEART, one can't help but agree with biased Mr. Hearst...Davies does turn in a delightful performance that's certainly worth lauding.
It was the studio's second version of the popular play by J. Hartley Manners. The script has been doctored by Davies' pal Frances Marion, with revisions made to the original text. The humble and hardworking background of the character has been played up, as well as her relationship with her father (J. Farrell MacDonald).
The first filmed version was produced in 1922 by Metro, and it starred Laurette Taylor who had a long-running success as Peg, the impressionable Irish lass. Miss Taylor was married to playwright Manners, and together, they turned the simple heartwarming story into a Broadway hit in 1912, which ran for over 600 performances.
Taylor and Manners then took the play to England, where it ran in London during WWI. Afterwards, the duo returned to New York and revived Peg. This time it ran for nearly 700 performances. As a result, Laurette Taylor became very identified with the role, and it was always seen as a much sought after property to adapt to the big screen, since it had a huge built-in audience.
Mary Pickford supposedly coveted the role but Taylor eventually had her feature film debut with Peg in 1922. By then, she was 39. Keep in mind, when she started playing the role in 1912, she wasn't yet 30. The heroine-- a girl from rural Ireland who goes to live with stuffy relatives so that she may be turned into a refined lady like her mother was-- is supposed to be in her late teens or early twenties.
When Hearst and Davies remade it as a sound feature, Miss Davies was 36. Meaning she was a bit younger than Taylor, but still probably a bit too old. Due to innovative lighting techniques, director Robert Z. Leonard and cinematographer George Barnes make her look fairly youthful, if not quite fully adolescent in appearance.
Helping convince the audience she's "younger" is the choice in girlish clothing, especially at the beginning of the film. Also, she clings to a lovable pooch which stresses her immaturity and makes them a forerunner to Dorothy and Toto.
In a way, PEG O' MY HEART is a comedy of manners, but it is also a culture clash tale. Peg is looked down upon by snooty aristocratic relatives, but spiritually, she is superior to them. The general idea is that girls from the impoverished countryside are more wholesome and innocent than their upperclass kin.
The relationship between the two classes is further underscored when Peg is befriended by her relatives' neighbor (Onslow Stevens) not realizing he is privileged nobility. Meanwhile, there are some cute musical interludes, and Davies seems to have chemistry with all her costars. For the most part it's an enjoyable romp.
Stories like this were popular with the public, because they emphasized the virtues of a young woman coming of age. There is also a fish-out-of-water angle, such as the kind we see in POLLYANNA. While battling snobs, she falls for the handsome gent, and this part resembles Jo's love story in LITTLE WOMEN. Yes, the audience had probably seen all this before, but it's a form of comfort storytelling.
This week we will celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And I always make a point of watching PEG O' MY HEART around the 17th of March. For each petal on the shamrock, I send a wish your way: "Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day."