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Peg Woffington
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 990 feet
Directed by [?] Edwin S. Porter?
Cast: Florence Turner [Margaret ‘Peg’ Woffington], Mabel Trunnelle [Mrs. Vane], Edward Boulden [Ernest Vane], Herbert Prior [Sir Charles Pomander], William West, William Bechtel
Edison Manufacturing Company production; distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company. / Scenario by Edwin S. Porter, from the play adaptation Masks and Faces by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor of a novel by Charles Reade. / © 26 July 1910 by [?] Thomas A. Edison or Edison Manufacturing Company? [J143675, J143676, J143677, J143678]. Released 26 July 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The novel was subsequently filmed as Peg Woffington (1912).
[?] Drama: Historical?
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? Two men, Sir Charles Pomander and Ernest Vane, both fall in love with Peg at the same time. Pomander’s offer, on account of the manner in which it is made, Peg resents as an insult. Vane’s, on the other hand, is agreeable to her, for she falls desperately in love with this handsome young country gentleman. All goes well, and Peg thinks Vane’s love is honorable and that he intends to make her his wife. Great then is her surprise when, at a banquet given in her honor at Vane’s home, Mrs. Vane unexpectedly arrives. Peg, not knowing who she is, and seeing the strange woman rush into the arms of her suitor, asks, ‘Who is this woman?’ ‘This is my wife,'’ is the reply, which transfixes Peg as if she were struck by a thunderbolt. Mrs. Vane asks her husband to introduce her to the company, and he tries to give some excuse. Peg, concealing her feelings beneath a brave air, steps into the breach and introduces the entire assemblage, saving the day for Vane and permitting the company to withdraw gracefully. Vane tries to explain matters to Peg, and suggests that they elope, but she spurns him and his offer. Pomander, seeing the breach between Vane and his pretty, charming wife, attempts to make love to the latter and receives from her the same treatment that Vane did from Peg. In his anger, Pomander tells Mrs. Vane of the attentions which her husband has paid to the famous actress, Peg Woffington. He then withdraws. As Mrs. Vane is about to leave the room, Peg and Vane enter. They do not see her as she is in the doorway. Vane is pleading with Peg to go away with him. The scene is interrupted by Mrs. Vane coming toward her husband and, after upbraiding him, fainting in the midst of her angry outburst. Peg views the scene before her with mingled emotions. She still loves Vane, though she has rejected him, and sneers somewhat at the sentiment of the wife. We next see Peg in the green room of a theater trying to study the lines of her part. Mrs. Vane is ushered in and pleads with Peg to give up her husband. Peg at first is inclined to be cold, and the other woman sobs in her despair. Peg is moved to pity and, taking Mrs. Vane in her arms, she promises that she will help her. The question now is how a reconciliation can be effected between Vane and his wife. A brilliant idea suggests itself to the mind of Peg. She writes a letter to Pomander under Mrs. Vane’s signature, in which she asks him to meet her (Mrs. Vane) at the rooms of Triplet, the playwright, at two o’clock the following day. Mrs. Vane objects to the sending of this note until Peg explains the nature of the trick. Peg writes another letter to Vane, telling him that if he wishes to save scandal to his name, he will be at the rooms of Triplet the following day at two o'clock. This letter is signed, ‘A Friend.’ Mrs. Vane now becomes a willing confederate of Peg’s. Triplet, by the way, is a poor playwright whom Peg has made an appointment to read one of his tragedies. His home is in a garret, and Peg comes there the next day before two o’clock for a reading of the play. We see the generosity and bounty of Peg in the way in which she relieves the distress of Triplet, his wife and children, and makes the poor man happy, for the moment at least. When Triplet finishes reading his tragedy, Peg expresses her delight with it, and indicates to him that it is a work of art. At this point Mrs. Vane arrives, and Peg explains to Triplet that she wishes to receive some friends in the room. Triplet withdraws. Peg disguises herself in Mrs. Vane’s cloak and sends Mrs. Vane out of the room. Having received their separate letters, the men concerned arrive in proper order. Pomander thinks he is making love to the wife of his friend and is becoming very ardent in his declarations when the indignant husband dashes into the room. The two men are about to fight with swords, when Peg casts off her disguise and brings each man to a full realization of the error of his ways. Vane, who has learned to value the affection of a true wife, is happy when she comes to his arms, and Pomander, the foppish villain of the story, is politely shown the door. Happiness comes to all save Peg, whose heart has received a wound which only her great ability as an actress enables her to conceal.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 6 August 1910, page ?] A pictorial presentation of the long popular story by Charles Reade. Technically excellent, it is a notable addition to the already long list of Edison picture dramas. Whether it was that we were imbued with a sense of Edisonian greatness after witnessing such successes as “The Stars and Stripes,” to cite a recent example, our imagination was keyed up to such a pitch as to what they could do with the dramatic possibilities in the story of the fascinating and erratic actress, that we regret to say we felt some disappointment. Not that they did not acquit themselves well, but others agree with us that here was a chance for a masterpiece and “well enough” was not sufficient. The adapter of the story was the first offender, and he or she was not improved upon by the stage director. The novel is a brilliant one, full of dramatic suggestion. Wealth and penury are contrasted; scenes of riotous extravagance change to those of hunger and misery; charity and goodness of heart is Peg’s character at one moment, the next she is selfish and arrogant. But the point to have brought out was that, with all her faults, Peg Woffington was at heart a good woman. Now the Edison version only mildly brings out the costly dinners lavished on Peg by her admirers; the dramatic effect of the contrast between wealth and poverty is lost by presenting the poor playwright Triplet as too well-fed a character and in too comfortable surroundings. The contrasting qualities in Peg’s character are not brought out strongly enough. So while we enjoyed the pictures, having read the book, and admired some of the clever work, yet the audience received it in silence, which would not have been the case had the dramatic moments been brought out with more intensity.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 12 April 2024.
References: Website-AFI; Website-IMDb.
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