Peg 'o My Heart is the name of the fishing boat that Margaret 'Peg' O'Connell, and her father, Pat(J. Farrell McDonald) run out of a small fishing village on Ireland's west coast. The title song was not played. It was composed in 1913, in response to the recent theatrical show of the same name. A silent film version was released in 1922........By way of background for the screenplay, her Irish father and English mother somehow connected, but the mother grew weary of provincial life in the fishing village, and left. She apparently remarried well, and when she died, her will left 2 million pounds to Peg, and nothing to her despised father. But, as the bearer of the news: Sir Jerry Markham confided in her father, this gift comes with certain stipulations, namely: she must spent 3 years in England, living with the upscale Chichester family, being enculturated. Also, she must never again meet her beloved father. Her father told her the first stipulation, which she reluctantly agrees to. However, he doesn't tell her that she cannot see him again. She travels to England with Jerry, who brought the message. Along the way, she seems to have developed a crush on the handsome, unmarried, Jerry, whom she usually addresses as 'Your honor'............Upon arriving at the Chichesters, naturally, they are somewhat suspicious at first. There is a fight over whether her beloved dog, Michael, can come into the house. Their dog is seen in the house. Peg happens to catch the grown daughter, Ethel(not Ethyl!), kissing Captain Brent: a married man whose wife won't give him a divorce. But, Peg discovers that Jerry claims to love Ethel, and her mother encourages Ethel to court him. Peg argues with Ethel against marrying Jerry, claiming that it's Captain Brent whom she really loves. Meanwhile, Mrs. Chichester requests that her foppish son, Alaric, propose to Peg. Hesitantly, eventually, he does. He stipulates that if she agrees, she must give up her dog. She choses her dog, to his relief........Peg's father comes near the house, and tells Jerry that he is going to America, to reduce his temptation to seek out Peg. Meanwhile, Peg tells Jerry that she wants to part from the superficial life she sees in the Chichesters, and rejoin her father, rejecting the large fortune that awaits her..........Peg barges into Ethel's room, and sees her packing in preparation for her marriage to Jerry, demanding that Ethel call off her engagement to Jerry. In a segment that somewhat baffles me, Peg gets in a taxi and goes to Captain Brent's house. Soon others arrive, including Ethel and the Captain's wife. Seeing Peg in the house with the Captain, his wife declares that she will file for divorce. In that case, the Captain will be free to marry Ethel, if that is what she wishes. This will give Peg an opening with Jerry. However, Jerry confesses that he lied to Peg about her father being dead. Actually, he's ready to take a ship to America. Peg is happy that her father is alive, but disappointed that Jerry lied to her. After a birthday party for Peg, her father arranges for her to meet Jerry outside, in the dark. He apologizes for his lie, they make up, he proposes marriage and she accepts..........I'm curious how Peg's father will fit in, if they are married. Will he be OK to live in England, perhaps with the couple. Will he or she be bored there? ........Marion was charming throughout, as a 36y.o. cast as a probable 20y.o. Onslow Stevens was suitably handsome as Jerry, while McDonald was excellent as Peg's father. Veteran actress Irene Brown was good in the thankless role of Mrs. Chichester.
Review of Peg o' My Heart
