Peg of Old Drury

a biopic of eighteenth-century Irish actress Peg Woffington. It was based on the play Masks and Faces.

Herbert Wilcox assembled a pretty strong cast for this historical romance. Anna Neagle is the eponymous "Peg" who comes to London from Ireland with her beau "Michael" (Jack Hawkins). He promptly dumps her and she decides to make a career on the stage. With the assistance of impresario David Garrick (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) she is an huge success wowing crowds at the famous "Theatre Royal" in Drury Lane - and enticing Garrick to fall for her... Her success brings back the now unwanted attentions of her erstwhile beau and also some serious health issues at which point the story becomes a touch too melodramatic. It is fortunate that much of this is set in/around the theatre as the performances are very much in that mould - intentionally or not. Small sets, narrow-focus photography and jauntily composed music keep this jolly drama rolling along well enough, though the dialogue meanders at times. There are some quite decent visual effects here, for 1935, too.