Peg of Old Drury: Old School Theatrics and a Bit of Whimsy

Is Peg of Old Drury worth your time today? If you enjoy black-and-white period pieces where everyone is slightly over-acting and the sets look like they might tip over if someone sneezes, then absolutely. If you want gritty realism or anything resembling a modern pace, you will probably be reaching for the remote by the ten-minute mark.

Anna Neagle is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She has this spark that keeps the whole thing from feeling like a dusty museum exhibit. Watching her navigate the theater world after getting dumped by Michael is charming enough, though I kept wondering why she didn't just move on faster.

The whole theater vibe is kind of fun, in a messy way. There is a scene where she’s practicing lines that feels like it goes on for an eternity, but then she hits a note that makes you realize why she’s the star. It is that kind of movie—a bit uneven, maybe a little too sweet, but it has its moments.

Honestly, I kept thinking about how different this feels compared to something like Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen. Where that one has a certain tension, this one just wants to be a cozy stage play. Cedric Hardwicke shows up and, well, he is Cedric Hardwicke. He brings a gravitas that feels a bit misplaced among the lighter antics, but I didn't mind.

Some of the extras in the background of the Drury Lane scenes look like they’re trying not to laugh. I swear one guy in the third row is just counting to ten repeatedly. It’s those little, pointless details that made me like it more than I probably should have.

Things I noticed:

• The costumes are surprisingly fancy for a movie that feels like it was filmed in a shoebox.
• The dialogue is very, very theatrical. Nobody talks like that, but in this movie, it somehow works.
• I’m still not sure what happened to Michael, and honestly, I stopped caring after the first act.
• There is a specific chair in the dressing room that appears in every single scene. It’s the real star.

It is not a masterpiece. It isn't trying to be. It is just a story about a woman who decides she is too talented to stay sad over a boy. We have all seen that story a hundred times, but Neagle makes it feel like she’s telling it to you personally. Maybe that is enough.

If you’re looking for a low-stakes evening, give it a go. Just don't expect to be analyzing the plot deep into the night. Sometimes a movie just needs to be a nice hat you wear for an hour and then hang back up on the hook. 🎭