Saratoga Sam: Created initial article
{{short description|1912 play by J. Hartley Manners}}
{{other uses|Peg o' My Heart (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox play
| name = Peg o' My Heart
| image = Peg o' My Heart 1912.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = [[Laurette Taylor]] in ''Peg o' My Heart''
| writer = [[J. Hartley Manners]]
| based_on =
| director = J. Hartley Manners
| music =
| setting = Drawing room of Regal Villa in [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]]
| premiere = {{Start date|1912|12|20}}
| place = [[Cort Theatre]]
| orig_lang = English
| series =
| subject = Satire of Irish-American sentimentality
| genre = Comedy
}}
'''''Peg o' My Heart''''' is a 1912 play written by [[J. Hartley Manners]]. It has three acts, a medium-sized cast, one setting, and moderate pacing. The story is set at the English mansion of the socially prominent Chichester family, whose lives are changed by the introduction of an Irish-American heiress into their midst.
It was first produced by [[Oliver Morosco]] and staged by the playwright. The massive single setting was designed by Robert Brunton.<ref name="lat052712">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Julian |title="Peg", Genre-Piece |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 27, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=17 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The play starred [[Laurette Taylor]], who had recently signed a three-year contract with Morosco.<ref name="ot030312">{{cite news |title=Will Play In West |work=Oakland Tribune |date=March 3, 1912 |location=Oakland, California |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> It opened in Los Angeles during May 1912, where it ran for eleven weeks.<ref name="lat080112">{{cite news |title=The Taming of Alberta |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=August 1, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=21 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Its Broadway premiere came in December 1912. It was a huge success there, playing over 600 times through May 1914, establishing new records "for longest consecutive run of any comedy in New York City" and continuous performances by a female star.<ref name="nyt053114">{{cite news |title=In Our Set |work=The New York Times |date=May 31, 1914 |location=New York, New York |page=66 |via = [[NYTimes.com]]}}</ref> Critical reviews on both coasts emphasized the importance of Taylor's performance over the content of the play.<ref name="lat052712" /><ref name="bde122112">{{cite news |title=Laurette Taylor Is "Peg o' My Heart" |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=December 21, 1912 |location=Brooklyn, New York |page=3 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
Morosco had announced a prize to write a song for the play in March 1912;<ref name="tc032112">{{cite news |title=Plays And Players |work=The Tucson Citizen |date=March 21, 1912 |location=Tucson, Arizona |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> a year later the winner [[Peg o' My Heart]] was released, also to popular success. Manners published his play,<ref>{{cite book |author=J. Hartley Manners |title=Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy in Three Acts |publisher=C. C. Smith |year=1916 |page= |isbn= |url= |quote= }}</ref> but he also published a novel expanding and encompassing the comedy with background and future events.<ref>{{cite book |author=J. Hartley Manners |title=Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth |publisher=Dodds, Mead & Company |year=1913 |page= |isbn= |url= |quote= }}</ref> The play had a moderately successful Broadway revival from February through April 1921, and was the basis for a [[Peg o' My Heart (1922 film)|1922 silent film]] and a [[Peg o' My Heart (1933 film)|1933 musical]].
==Characters==
Characters are listed in order of appearance within their scope, and as defined in 1912 cast lists. Differences with the published play are in footnotes.
Lead
* '''Margaret O'Connell''' called '''Peg''', is 18, the pretty American-born daughter of an Irish immigrant and his English wife.
* '''Sir Gerald Adair''' called '''Jerry''', is a wealthy young lawyer, Peg's only friend in England; she is unaware of his title.
Supporting
* '''Mrs. Chichester''' addressed by her son as "Mater" but named Monica; she is a narrow-minded, self-absorbed widow.
* '''Ethel''' is Mrs. Chichester's daughter; she is intelligent, frank, proud, bored and horrified at accepting charity.
* '''Alaric''' is Mrs. Chichester's son, a friend of Jerry; not a bad sort and well-educated, but weak-minded and indolent.
Featured
* '''Christian Brent''' is a young married man; a long-winded cad who wants to seduce Ethel and Peg.
* '''Montgomery Hawkes''' is a middle-aged barrister who informs the Chichester family about Nathaniel's will.
* '''Footman''' is a servant in Mrs. Chichester's household.<ref group=fn>The published play has this character as "Jarvis" and calls him a butler.</ref>
* '''Maid''' is the maid in Mrs. Chichester's household.<ref group=fn>The published play has this character as "Bennett".</ref>
Canine
* '''Michael''' is Peg's terrier mutt, her constant companion, whom she has smuggled into England.
* '''Pet''' is Ethel's female french poodle, a dainty creature unable to deal with Michael.
Off stage
* '''Nathaniel Kingsworth''' is Mrs. Chichester's recently deceased brother, who leaves a will favoring his niece Peg.
* '''Angelia O'Connell''' long dead, was Peg's mother, sister to both Nathaniel and Mrs. Chichester.
* '''Frank O'Connell''' is Peg's father and widower of Angelia, hopeless with money. Peg admires and speaks of him often.
==Synopsis==
[[File
eg o' My Heart Act I.jpg|thumb]]
'''Act I''' (''Drawing room of Regal Villa, the Chichester mansion in Scarborough, on June 1st.'') The Chichester family learns their bank has closed its doors. Brent comes to pester Ethel. Peggy, just arrived from New York, enters unannounced, and refuses to explain herself. Exasperated, Ethel sends her to the servants quarters, while Alaric sees off Brent. Mr. Hawkes explains the curious will of Nathaniel Kingsworth to the Chichesters. They will have £1000 per annum if they agree to teach Peg refinement. Peg is not to know the conditions of the will, but if she refuses to stay or her character is found wanting, the Chichesters get nothing. Peg is fetched back from the servants' rooms to appall her relatives with her outspoken ways, dowdy clothes, and weatherbeaten mutt. Mr. Hawkes gets all parties to agree on a one month trial. Ordered to her new room, Peg defies the maid only to find the house empty. A summer storm begins, and Peg is frightened by Jerry coming in through the French windows from the garden. Jerry soothes Peg's apprehensions and explains he knows who she is; he was Nathaniel's friend. The Chichesters return, surprised to find Jerry with her. They all go in to lunch together, Peg defying Mrs. Chichester's order to eat in her room. (''Curtain'')
[[Fileeg o' My Heart Act II.jpg|thumb|left]]
'''Act II''' (''Same, a month later.'') Brent sneaks up on Peg while she's reading a book from Jerry. He pesters, grabs and embraces her, then gets slapped in the face. Ethel enters as Peg runs out, and Brent pivots smoothly to another target. Ethel agrees to elope with Brent that night. Peg returns after Brent leaves, and Jerry joins the two girls. He invites them to a dance. Ethel declines, Peg accepts. When Ethel goes to fetch her mother at Peg's insistence, Jerry and Peg discuss her situation. He convinces her to stay another month. Peg admits they are friends now, and maybe more... However, Mrs. Chichester forbids her to go to the dance. Peg does get her permission to stay up late to study. Everyone has gone to bed, when Peg quietly gets her hat and coat to go out with Jerry. But Ethel also creeps quietly down the stairs with her own coat and travel bag. Peg forcibly stops Ethel, telling her a life of misery awaits her with Brent. Ethel breaks down, confessing her misery at living on Peg's charity. Peg is baffled; she knows nothing of the will. When Peg trips and knocks over an urn, the sudden noise awakens the household. Peg tells Ethel to follow her lead. She convinces Mrs. Chichester that Ethel just caught her, Peg, trying to sneak out to the dance. Mrs. Chicester excortiates Peg for her disobediance. Peg says she will leave in the morning, but Ethel faints. Peg scolds Mrs. Chichester for not caring about her daughter, while tending to Ethel. (''Curtain'')
[[Fileeg o' My Heart Act III.jpg|thumb]]
'''Act III''' (''Same, the next morning.'') Ethel convinces her mother to reconsider Peg's departure, since it will leave the family insolvent. Mrs. Chichester approaches Alaric with the suggestion he propose to Peg to keep her at Regal Villa. He reluctantly agrees, but is relieved when Peg laughs, and thanks her for rejecting him. Next Mr. Hawkes arrives; he too proposes to Peg, but adds the curious condition that the engagement should last until she turns 21. She refuses his offer and insists on departing for New York. But now Jerry arrives, and Peg learns he is Sir Gerald, co-executor of her uncle's will. He explains that far from being a guest of the Chichesters, she is actually subsidizing them. Also, if she obeys the will, she will receive £5000 annually at age 21. He then informs the family that their bank has reopened and their capital is secure, so Peg's sinecure is no longer needed. Despite this, Ethel and Alaric urge Peg to stay, while Mrs. Chichester ignores her. However, Peg is determined to see her father again, and so rejects the inheritance. Jerry proposes to her and is accepted, with the understanding he will have to follow her to New York. (''Curtain'')
==Original production==
===Background===
The play was written in 1911,<ref>{{cite book |author=J. Hartley Manners |title=Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth |publisher=Dodds, Mead & Company |year=1913 |page= |isbn= |url= |quote= }}</ref> while the first public mention came in January 1912, when ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' noted Morosco had secured it for early local production by his Burbank Theatre stock company.<ref name="lat012912">{{cite news |title=Morosco Wins Live Ones For The Old Home Town |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=January 29, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=24 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> By March 1912 it was known that Laurette Taylor would star that it had been written especially for her by Manners.<ref name="ot030312" />
Taylor was then performing in another Morosco production, ''[[The Bird of Paradise (play)|The Bird of Paradise]]'', at [[Maxine Elliott's Theatre]] on Broadway. The play was closed on April 13, 1912 so she could be freed up for ''Peg o' My Heart''.<ref name="nyt040112">{{cite news |title=Morosco Play To Close |work=The New York Times |date=April 1, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=13 |via = [[NYTimes.com]]}}</ref> Her leading man was to be Henry Stanford, brought out to Los Angeles from Broadway, where he had been playing in a revival of ''Monsieur Beaucaire'' with [[Lewis Waller]].<ref name="lat051212">{{cite news |title=Henry Stanford |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 12, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=34 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
===Cast===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 90%"
|+ Principal cast for the Los Angeles and Broadway runs. The production was on hiatus from August 4 through December 19, 1912.
|-
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" | Actor
! scope="col" | Dates
! scope="col" | Notes and sources
|-
|Peg
|[[Laurette Taylor]]
|May 26, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|Taylor did not miss a single performance for the Broadway run.<ref name="nyt053114" />
|-
|rowspan=2|Jerry
|Henry Stanford
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[H. Reeves-Smith]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|Mrs. Chichester
|[[Emelie Melville]]
|May 26, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|Melville was the only other player besides Taylor to last through the entire LA and NY runs.
|-
|rowspan=4|Ethel
|[[Roberta Arnold]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[Christine Norman]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - Jul 2?, 1913
|Norman had to leave the production suddenly because of illness.<ref name="lat072813">{{cite news |last=Bradford |first=Gardner |title=Coast Company Now Complete |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=July 28, 1913 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=20 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|Ruth Gartland
|Jul 2?, 1913 - Aug 9, 1913
|Gartland took over when Norman first fell ill,<ref name="lat072813" /> then was given the part in the road company.<ref name="lat081313">{{cite news |last=Bradford |first=Gardner |title=Anna Held May Be Cause Of Big Vaudeville War |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=August 13, 1913 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=28 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Violet Kemble-Cooper]]
|Aug 11, 1913 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Alaric
|Donald Bowles
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[Hassard Short]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Christian Brent
|[[Edward Fielding]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|Reginald Mason
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Montgomery Hawkes
|[[James Corrigan]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[Clarence Handyside]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Footman
|[[Robert Z. Leonard|Robert Leonard]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|Peter Bassett
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Maid
|[[Lola May]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|Ruth Gartland
|Dec 20, 1912 - Jul 2?, 1913
|
|-
|Yvonne Jarrette
|Jul 2?, 1913 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|}
===Los Angeles opening===
''Peg o' My Heart'' had its first public performance as a Sunday matinee at Morosco's Burbank Theatre<ref group=fn>Despite the name, this was located near Sixth and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles.</ref> on May 26, 1912.<ref name="lat052712" /> Morosco had a stock company at the theatre, who filled some parts, with others drawn from [[David Belasco|Belasco]] players in town.<ref name="lat052312">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Julian |title=From The Mason To The Majestic |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 23, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=34 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Reviewers agreed on two things: that Taylor's performance outshone the play, and that Donald Bowles was mistakenly playing Alaric as a simpleton.<ref name="ee052712">{{cite news |title=At The Theaters |work=Los Angeles Evening Express |date=May 27, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=13 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name="lat052712" /> Julian Johnson of ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' said: "The feature of the whole thing is Laurette Taylor as 'Peg'. Peg a la Taylor is bigger than the play surrounding her", and he called her "one of the subtlest comediennes on our stage today".<ref name="lat052712" /> He also revealed that the audience was not quite up to some of the lines: "Much of the satire of ''Peg o' My Heart'' is so delicate that daylight kills it. Which accounts for many firecracker lines passing noiselessly over the heads at yesterday's matinee".
Originally scheduled for an eight-week run,<ref name="ot030312" /> the production was still attracting standing-room only crowds at eleven weeks when forced to close on August 3, 1912, to make way for [[Richard Bennett (actor)|Richard Bennett]] in ''The Deep Purple''. The string of 101 consecutive performances set a record for the Burbank Theatre.<ref name="lat080112" />
===Broadway premiere===
The Broadway premiere for ''Peg o' My Heart'' had long been scheduled as the inaugeral work for the new [[Cort Theatre]]. However, construction took longer than anticipated, so the premiere was slipped until December 1912.<ref name="lat090412">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Julian |title=From The Mason To The Majestic |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=September 4, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=34 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Laurette Taylor and J. Hartley Manners confirmed their engagement on November 2, 1912, but said the wedding would have to wait until after the Christmas holidays as they were too busy with play preparations.<ref name="ts110312">{{cite news |title=Too Busy To Wed At Once |work=The Sun |date=November 3, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=12 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
''Peg o' My Heart'' premiered at the Cort Theatre on December 20, 1912, with only Emelie Melville (Mrs. Chichester) carried over from the Los Angeles cast.<ref name="tr122112">{{cite news |title="Peg o' My Heart" |work=New-York Tribune |date=December 21, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Reviewers devoted some of their space to the aesthetics of the newly opened theatre, but their general conclusions mirrored the earlier critics, that the play was all Taylor. The reviewer for ''[[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'' said the other characters were impossible due to the writing.<ref name="bde122112" /> The ''New-York Tribune'' reported: "After the second act Peg was forced by determined applause to make a speech, and Peg - not Laurette Taylor - responded. For once the curtain speech was a success...".<ref name="tr122112" /> And the critic for ''[[The New York Times]]'' said "...it will be impossible to imagine 'Peg' without Miss Taylor, or for a long time to come, Miss Taylor without 'Peg'... The others do not matter, with the exception of Mr. H. Reeves-Smith, who does mostly nothing, but does it splendidly. In fact, when Miss Taylor is off the stage the curtain might as well be down".<ref name="nyt12212">{{cite news |title='Peg O' My Heart' Charms At Cort |work=The New York Times |date=December 21, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=13 |via = [[NYTimes.com]]}}</ref>
===Broadway closing===
The play closed on Saturday, May 30, 1914, having been performed 604 times, a then record for a comedy.<ref name="nyt053114" /> Laurette Taylor was hailed by ''The New York Times'' for having never missed a single performance, which it called "a world's record for a female star".<ref name="nyt053114" /> Among other statistics compiled and cited by the newspaper were $788,340 in gross receipts<ref group=fn>Worth over $25 million in 2024.</ref> and a viewing audience of 524,272.<ref name="nyt053114" /> Another newspaper pointed out that the 604 number was "exclusive of special performances" for benefits and one private performance given at the request of [[Sarah Bernhardt]].<ref name="">{{cite news |title="Peg o' My Heart" Closes 67 Weeks' Run in Gotham |work=Buffalo Sunday Morning News |date=May 31, 1914 |location=Buffalo, New York |page=55 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
==Revival==
''Peg o' My Heart'' was given a revival by producer [[Abe Erlanger]] at the Cort Theatre starting February 14, 1921. Laurette Taylor reprised her starring role, but with a different supporting cast. It ran through April 29, 1921, for 88 performances.
==Adaptations==
===Music===
{{main|Peg o' My Heart}}
During March 1912, two months before ''Peg o' My Heart'' opened, Morosco announced a $1000 prize for a song to complement the new play.<ref name="tc032112" /> He renewed the offer a year later,<ref name="bde030313">{{cite news |title=Brady In Debate With Rosenfeld |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=March 3, 1913 |location=Brooklyn, New York |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> with the judging to be done by Laurette Taylor, J. Huntly Manners, and George Mooser.<ref name="bc031313">{{cite news |title=Manhattan Topics |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |date=March 13, 1913 |location=Brooklyn, New York |page=5 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
===Literature===
Manners first adapted his play to short story form in March 1913 for the magazine of ''The Sunday World''.<ref name="ew031513">{{cite news |title="Leaders" That Will Get Many Votes (ad) |work=The Evening World |date=March 15, 1913 |location=New York, New York |page=12 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In October 1913 he published a novel based on it, comprising the play, background events, and subsequent happenings. The novel was organized into five "books", of which only the fourth covered events from the play, albeit greatly expanded and with changes. The novel introduced new characters and additional plotlines. There were two editions of the novel: a special "Laurette Taylor" edition with a page devoted to the history of the production (at the time still going on Broadway), and a mass edition published by Grossett & Dunlop. Both editions were copyrighted by Dodd, Mead & Company.
===Film===
* [[Peg o' My Heart (1922 film)]]
* [[Peg o' My Heart (1933 film)]]
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=fn}}
==References==
===Synopsis source===
* J. Hartley Manners. ''Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy in Three Acts''. C. C. Smith, Canada, 1916
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* J. Hartley Manners. ''Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth''. Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, October 1913. - "The Laurette Taylor Edition" of the novel.
* J. Hartley Manners. ''Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth''. Grosset & Dunlap, New York, October 1913. - Mass edition of the novel.
Okumaya devam et...
{{short description|1912 play by J. Hartley Manners}}
{{other uses|Peg o' My Heart (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox play
| name = Peg o' My Heart
| image = Peg o' My Heart 1912.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = [[Laurette Taylor]] in ''Peg o' My Heart''
| writer = [[J. Hartley Manners]]
| based_on =
| director = J. Hartley Manners
| music =
| setting = Drawing room of Regal Villa in [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]]
| premiere = {{Start date|1912|12|20}}
| place = [[Cort Theatre]]
| orig_lang = English
| series =
| subject = Satire of Irish-American sentimentality
| genre = Comedy
}}
'''''Peg o' My Heart''''' is a 1912 play written by [[J. Hartley Manners]]. It has three acts, a medium-sized cast, one setting, and moderate pacing. The story is set at the English mansion of the socially prominent Chichester family, whose lives are changed by the introduction of an Irish-American heiress into their midst.
It was first produced by [[Oliver Morosco]] and staged by the playwright. The massive single setting was designed by Robert Brunton.<ref name="lat052712">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Julian |title="Peg", Genre-Piece |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 27, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=17 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The play starred [[Laurette Taylor]], who had recently signed a three-year contract with Morosco.<ref name="ot030312">{{cite news |title=Will Play In West |work=Oakland Tribune |date=March 3, 1912 |location=Oakland, California |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> It opened in Los Angeles during May 1912, where it ran for eleven weeks.<ref name="lat080112">{{cite news |title=The Taming of Alberta |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=August 1, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=21 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Its Broadway premiere came in December 1912. It was a huge success there, playing over 600 times through May 1914, establishing new records "for longest consecutive run of any comedy in New York City" and continuous performances by a female star.<ref name="nyt053114">{{cite news |title=In Our Set |work=The New York Times |date=May 31, 1914 |location=New York, New York |page=66 |via = [[NYTimes.com]]}}</ref> Critical reviews on both coasts emphasized the importance of Taylor's performance over the content of the play.<ref name="lat052712" /><ref name="bde122112">{{cite news |title=Laurette Taylor Is "Peg o' My Heart" |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=December 21, 1912 |location=Brooklyn, New York |page=3 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
Morosco had announced a prize to write a song for the play in March 1912;<ref name="tc032112">{{cite news |title=Plays And Players |work=The Tucson Citizen |date=March 21, 1912 |location=Tucson, Arizona |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> a year later the winner [[Peg o' My Heart]] was released, also to popular success. Manners published his play,<ref>{{cite book |author=J. Hartley Manners |title=Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy in Three Acts |publisher=C. C. Smith |year=1916 |page= |isbn= |url= |quote= }}</ref> but he also published a novel expanding and encompassing the comedy with background and future events.<ref>{{cite book |author=J. Hartley Manners |title=Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth |publisher=Dodds, Mead & Company |year=1913 |page= |isbn= |url= |quote= }}</ref> The play had a moderately successful Broadway revival from February through April 1921, and was the basis for a [[Peg o' My Heart (1922 film)|1922 silent film]] and a [[Peg o' My Heart (1933 film)|1933 musical]].
==Characters==
Characters are listed in order of appearance within their scope, and as defined in 1912 cast lists. Differences with the published play are in footnotes.
Lead
* '''Margaret O'Connell''' called '''Peg''', is 18, the pretty American-born daughter of an Irish immigrant and his English wife.
* '''Sir Gerald Adair''' called '''Jerry''', is a wealthy young lawyer, Peg's only friend in England; she is unaware of his title.
Supporting
* '''Mrs. Chichester''' addressed by her son as "Mater" but named Monica; she is a narrow-minded, self-absorbed widow.
* '''Ethel''' is Mrs. Chichester's daughter; she is intelligent, frank, proud, bored and horrified at accepting charity.
* '''Alaric''' is Mrs. Chichester's son, a friend of Jerry; not a bad sort and well-educated, but weak-minded and indolent.
Featured
* '''Christian Brent''' is a young married man; a long-winded cad who wants to seduce Ethel and Peg.
* '''Montgomery Hawkes''' is a middle-aged barrister who informs the Chichester family about Nathaniel's will.
* '''Footman''' is a servant in Mrs. Chichester's household.<ref group=fn>The published play has this character as "Jarvis" and calls him a butler.</ref>
* '''Maid''' is the maid in Mrs. Chichester's household.<ref group=fn>The published play has this character as "Bennett".</ref>
Canine
* '''Michael''' is Peg's terrier mutt, her constant companion, whom she has smuggled into England.
* '''Pet''' is Ethel's female french poodle, a dainty creature unable to deal with Michael.
Off stage
* '''Nathaniel Kingsworth''' is Mrs. Chichester's recently deceased brother, who leaves a will favoring his niece Peg.
* '''Angelia O'Connell''' long dead, was Peg's mother, sister to both Nathaniel and Mrs. Chichester.
* '''Frank O'Connell''' is Peg's father and widower of Angelia, hopeless with money. Peg admires and speaks of him often.
==Synopsis==
[[File
eg o' My Heart Act I.jpg|thumb]]'''Act I''' (''Drawing room of Regal Villa, the Chichester mansion in Scarborough, on June 1st.'') The Chichester family learns their bank has closed its doors. Brent comes to pester Ethel. Peggy, just arrived from New York, enters unannounced, and refuses to explain herself. Exasperated, Ethel sends her to the servants quarters, while Alaric sees off Brent. Mr. Hawkes explains the curious will of Nathaniel Kingsworth to the Chichesters. They will have £1000 per annum if they agree to teach Peg refinement. Peg is not to know the conditions of the will, but if she refuses to stay or her character is found wanting, the Chichesters get nothing. Peg is fetched back from the servants' rooms to appall her relatives with her outspoken ways, dowdy clothes, and weatherbeaten mutt. Mr. Hawkes gets all parties to agree on a one month trial. Ordered to her new room, Peg defies the maid only to find the house empty. A summer storm begins, and Peg is frightened by Jerry coming in through the French windows from the garden. Jerry soothes Peg's apprehensions and explains he knows who she is; he was Nathaniel's friend. The Chichesters return, surprised to find Jerry with her. They all go in to lunch together, Peg defying Mrs. Chichester's order to eat in her room. (''Curtain'')
[[File
eg o' My Heart Act II.jpg|thumb|left]]'''Act II''' (''Same, a month later.'') Brent sneaks up on Peg while she's reading a book from Jerry. He pesters, grabs and embraces her, then gets slapped in the face. Ethel enters as Peg runs out, and Brent pivots smoothly to another target. Ethel agrees to elope with Brent that night. Peg returns after Brent leaves, and Jerry joins the two girls. He invites them to a dance. Ethel declines, Peg accepts. When Ethel goes to fetch her mother at Peg's insistence, Jerry and Peg discuss her situation. He convinces her to stay another month. Peg admits they are friends now, and maybe more... However, Mrs. Chichester forbids her to go to the dance. Peg does get her permission to stay up late to study. Everyone has gone to bed, when Peg quietly gets her hat and coat to go out with Jerry. But Ethel also creeps quietly down the stairs with her own coat and travel bag. Peg forcibly stops Ethel, telling her a life of misery awaits her with Brent. Ethel breaks down, confessing her misery at living on Peg's charity. Peg is baffled; she knows nothing of the will. When Peg trips and knocks over an urn, the sudden noise awakens the household. Peg tells Ethel to follow her lead. She convinces Mrs. Chichester that Ethel just caught her, Peg, trying to sneak out to the dance. Mrs. Chicester excortiates Peg for her disobediance. Peg says she will leave in the morning, but Ethel faints. Peg scolds Mrs. Chichester for not caring about her daughter, while tending to Ethel. (''Curtain'')
[[File
eg o' My Heart Act III.jpg|thumb]]'''Act III''' (''Same, the next morning.'') Ethel convinces her mother to reconsider Peg's departure, since it will leave the family insolvent. Mrs. Chichester approaches Alaric with the suggestion he propose to Peg to keep her at Regal Villa. He reluctantly agrees, but is relieved when Peg laughs, and thanks her for rejecting him. Next Mr. Hawkes arrives; he too proposes to Peg, but adds the curious condition that the engagement should last until she turns 21. She refuses his offer and insists on departing for New York. But now Jerry arrives, and Peg learns he is Sir Gerald, co-executor of her uncle's will. He explains that far from being a guest of the Chichesters, she is actually subsidizing them. Also, if she obeys the will, she will receive £5000 annually at age 21. He then informs the family that their bank has reopened and their capital is secure, so Peg's sinecure is no longer needed. Despite this, Ethel and Alaric urge Peg to stay, while Mrs. Chichester ignores her. However, Peg is determined to see her father again, and so rejects the inheritance. Jerry proposes to her and is accepted, with the understanding he will have to follow her to New York. (''Curtain'')
==Original production==
===Background===
The play was written in 1911,<ref>{{cite book |author=J. Hartley Manners |title=Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth |publisher=Dodds, Mead & Company |year=1913 |page= |isbn= |url= |quote= }}</ref> while the first public mention came in January 1912, when ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' noted Morosco had secured it for early local production by his Burbank Theatre stock company.<ref name="lat012912">{{cite news |title=Morosco Wins Live Ones For The Old Home Town |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=January 29, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=24 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> By March 1912 it was known that Laurette Taylor would star that it had been written especially for her by Manners.<ref name="ot030312" />
Taylor was then performing in another Morosco production, ''[[The Bird of Paradise (play)|The Bird of Paradise]]'', at [[Maxine Elliott's Theatre]] on Broadway. The play was closed on April 13, 1912 so she could be freed up for ''Peg o' My Heart''.<ref name="nyt040112">{{cite news |title=Morosco Play To Close |work=The New York Times |date=April 1, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=13 |via = [[NYTimes.com]]}}</ref> Her leading man was to be Henry Stanford, brought out to Los Angeles from Broadway, where he had been playing in a revival of ''Monsieur Beaucaire'' with [[Lewis Waller]].<ref name="lat051212">{{cite news |title=Henry Stanford |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 12, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=34 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
===Cast===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size: 90%"
|+ Principal cast for the Los Angeles and Broadway runs. The production was on hiatus from August 4 through December 19, 1912.
|-
! scope="col" | Role
! scope="col" | Actor
! scope="col" | Dates
! scope="col" | Notes and sources
|-
|Peg
|[[Laurette Taylor]]
|May 26, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|Taylor did not miss a single performance for the Broadway run.<ref name="nyt053114" />
|-
|rowspan=2|Jerry
|Henry Stanford
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[H. Reeves-Smith]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|Mrs. Chichester
|[[Emelie Melville]]
|May 26, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|Melville was the only other player besides Taylor to last through the entire LA and NY runs.
|-
|rowspan=4|Ethel
|[[Roberta Arnold]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[Christine Norman]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - Jul 2?, 1913
|Norman had to leave the production suddenly because of illness.<ref name="lat072813">{{cite news |last=Bradford |first=Gardner |title=Coast Company Now Complete |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=July 28, 1913 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=20 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|Ruth Gartland
|Jul 2?, 1913 - Aug 9, 1913
|Gartland took over when Norman first fell ill,<ref name="lat072813" /> then was given the part in the road company.<ref name="lat081313">{{cite news |last=Bradford |first=Gardner |title=Anna Held May Be Cause Of Big Vaudeville War |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=August 13, 1913 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=28 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Violet Kemble-Cooper]]
|Aug 11, 1913 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Alaric
|Donald Bowles
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[Hassard Short]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Christian Brent
|[[Edward Fielding]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|Reginald Mason
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Montgomery Hawkes
|[[James Corrigan]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|[[Clarence Handyside]]
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Footman
|[[Robert Z. Leonard|Robert Leonard]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|Peter Bassett
|Dec 20, 1912 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Maid
|[[Lola May]]
|May 26, 1912 - Aug 03, 1912
|
|-
|Ruth Gartland
|Dec 20, 1912 - Jul 2?, 1913
|
|-
|Yvonne Jarrette
|Jul 2?, 1913 - May 30, 1914
|
|-
|}
===Los Angeles opening===
''Peg o' My Heart'' had its first public performance as a Sunday matinee at Morosco's Burbank Theatre<ref group=fn>Despite the name, this was located near Sixth and Main streets in downtown Los Angeles.</ref> on May 26, 1912.<ref name="lat052712" /> Morosco had a stock company at the theatre, who filled some parts, with others drawn from [[David Belasco|Belasco]] players in town.<ref name="lat052312">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Julian |title=From The Mason To The Majestic |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 23, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=34 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Reviewers agreed on two things: that Taylor's performance outshone the play, and that Donald Bowles was mistakenly playing Alaric as a simpleton.<ref name="ee052712">{{cite news |title=At The Theaters |work=Los Angeles Evening Express |date=May 27, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=13 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name="lat052712" /> Julian Johnson of ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' said: "The feature of the whole thing is Laurette Taylor as 'Peg'. Peg a la Taylor is bigger than the play surrounding her", and he called her "one of the subtlest comediennes on our stage today".<ref name="lat052712" /> He also revealed that the audience was not quite up to some of the lines: "Much of the satire of ''Peg o' My Heart'' is so delicate that daylight kills it. Which accounts for many firecracker lines passing noiselessly over the heads at yesterday's matinee".
Originally scheduled for an eight-week run,<ref name="ot030312" /> the production was still attracting standing-room only crowds at eleven weeks when forced to close on August 3, 1912, to make way for [[Richard Bennett (actor)|Richard Bennett]] in ''The Deep Purple''. The string of 101 consecutive performances set a record for the Burbank Theatre.<ref name="lat080112" />
===Broadway premiere===
The Broadway premiere for ''Peg o' My Heart'' had long been scheduled as the inaugeral work for the new [[Cort Theatre]]. However, construction took longer than anticipated, so the premiere was slipped until December 1912.<ref name="lat090412">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Julian |title=From The Mason To The Majestic |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=September 4, 1912 |location=Los Angeles, California |page=34 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Laurette Taylor and J. Hartley Manners confirmed their engagement on November 2, 1912, but said the wedding would have to wait until after the Christmas holidays as they were too busy with play preparations.<ref name="ts110312">{{cite news |title=Too Busy To Wed At Once |work=The Sun |date=November 3, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=12 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
''Peg o' My Heart'' premiered at the Cort Theatre on December 20, 1912, with only Emelie Melville (Mrs. Chichester) carried over from the Los Angeles cast.<ref name="tr122112">{{cite news |title="Peg o' My Heart" |work=New-York Tribune |date=December 21, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Reviewers devoted some of their space to the aesthetics of the newly opened theatre, but their general conclusions mirrored the earlier critics, that the play was all Taylor. The reviewer for ''[[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'' said the other characters were impossible due to the writing.<ref name="bde122112" /> The ''New-York Tribune'' reported: "After the second act Peg was forced by determined applause to make a speech, and Peg - not Laurette Taylor - responded. For once the curtain speech was a success...".<ref name="tr122112" /> And the critic for ''[[The New York Times]]'' said "...it will be impossible to imagine 'Peg' without Miss Taylor, or for a long time to come, Miss Taylor without 'Peg'... The others do not matter, with the exception of Mr. H. Reeves-Smith, who does mostly nothing, but does it splendidly. In fact, when Miss Taylor is off the stage the curtain might as well be down".<ref name="nyt12212">{{cite news |title='Peg O' My Heart' Charms At Cort |work=The New York Times |date=December 21, 1912 |location=New York, New York |page=13 |via = [[NYTimes.com]]}}</ref>
===Broadway closing===
The play closed on Saturday, May 30, 1914, having been performed 604 times, a then record for a comedy.<ref name="nyt053114" /> Laurette Taylor was hailed by ''The New York Times'' for having never missed a single performance, which it called "a world's record for a female star".<ref name="nyt053114" /> Among other statistics compiled and cited by the newspaper were $788,340 in gross receipts<ref group=fn>Worth over $25 million in 2024.</ref> and a viewing audience of 524,272.<ref name="nyt053114" /> Another newspaper pointed out that the 604 number was "exclusive of special performances" for benefits and one private performance given at the request of [[Sarah Bernhardt]].<ref name="">{{cite news |title="Peg o' My Heart" Closes 67 Weeks' Run in Gotham |work=Buffalo Sunday Morning News |date=May 31, 1914 |location=Buffalo, New York |page=55 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
==Revival==
''Peg o' My Heart'' was given a revival by producer [[Abe Erlanger]] at the Cort Theatre starting February 14, 1921. Laurette Taylor reprised her starring role, but with a different supporting cast. It ran through April 29, 1921, for 88 performances.
==Adaptations==
===Music===
{{main|Peg o' My Heart}}
During March 1912, two months before ''Peg o' My Heart'' opened, Morosco announced a $1000 prize for a song to complement the new play.<ref name="tc032112" /> He renewed the offer a year later,<ref name="bde030313">{{cite news |title=Brady In Debate With Rosenfeld |work=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=March 3, 1913 |location=Brooklyn, New York |page=9 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> with the judging to be done by Laurette Taylor, J. Huntly Manners, and George Mooser.<ref name="bc031313">{{cite news |title=Manhattan Topics |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |date=March 13, 1913 |location=Brooklyn, New York |page=5 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
===Literature===
Manners first adapted his play to short story form in March 1913 for the magazine of ''The Sunday World''.<ref name="ew031513">{{cite news |title="Leaders" That Will Get Many Votes (ad) |work=The Evening World |date=March 15, 1913 |location=New York, New York |page=12 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In October 1913 he published a novel based on it, comprising the play, background events, and subsequent happenings. The novel was organized into five "books", of which only the fourth covered events from the play, albeit greatly expanded and with changes. The novel introduced new characters and additional plotlines. There were two editions of the novel: a special "Laurette Taylor" edition with a page devoted to the history of the production (at the time still going on Broadway), and a mass edition published by Grossett & Dunlop. Both editions were copyrighted by Dodd, Mead & Company.
===Film===
* [[Peg o' My Heart (1922 film)]]
* [[Peg o' My Heart (1933 film)]]
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=fn}}
==References==
===Synopsis source===
* J. Hartley Manners. ''Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy in Three Acts''. C. C. Smith, Canada, 1916
===Citations===
{{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* J. Hartley Manners. ''Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth''. Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, October 1913. - "The Laurette Taylor Edition" of the novel.
* J. Hartley Manners. ''Peg o' My Heart: A Comedy of Youth''. Grosset & Dunlap, New York, October 1913. - Mass edition of the novel.
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