Pegeen (1920)
Pegeen (1920), directed by David Smith, starring Bessie Love and Edmund Burns.
score
Synopsis
Pegeen O'Neill must fend for herself when her father Dan becomes mentally unbalanced after his wife Mary's death. Dan spends his days searching for his wife, setting fires in the belief that the flames will illuminate his Mary. The townspeople, enraged at the arson that is slowly destroying their village, track down Dan and trap him in a burning cabin. Pegeen rushes to comfort her dying father, who consoles himself at death with the hallucination that his wife has returned in the figure of his daughter. Pegeen is then rescued from the raging fire by Jimmie, who proposes to the waif as he delivers her from the flames.
- David SmithDirector
- William B. LaubWriter
About the film
Pegeen is a 1920 American silent drama film based on the 1915 novel of the same name by Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. It was produced by Vitagraph Studios and directed by David Smith. It stars Bessie Love in the title role.
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Pegeen is a 1920 American silent drama film based on the 1915 novel of the same name by Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. It was produced by Vitagraph Studios and directed by David Smith. It stars Bessie Love in the title role.
Plot
Recently widowed Danny O'Neil has the belief that his wife will return to him by way of fire, and sets fire to buildings around town in hope that she will return to him. For her safety, his daughter Pegeen is sent to live with a neighbor. When her father is to be arrested, Pegeen's friend Ezra helps hide her father, who dies shortly thereafter.
Cast
Reception
Reviews for the film were mixed. Its "worst criticism" is that "it is not a thriller, nor a spectacle. Neither is it a heavy digest of a weighty social or economic problem. It is just a simple story of every day people, told in simple, direct continuity, intelligently and coherently."
Scenes involving a hanging and a shoot-out were recommended for removal when showing the film to family audiences.
References
External links
Pegeen at IMDb
Pegeen at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Pegeen at the British Film Institute
Lantern slide
Text from Pegeen (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegeen_(film)
Trivia
- It premiered on January 1, 1920, a Thursday.
- It runs 0h50 — short for a feature film.
- This film's quiz has 8 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosVitagraph Company of America
- CountriesUnited States
- LanguagesNo Language
- StatusReleased
Cast
Bessie Love
Pegeen O'Neill 
Edmund Burns
Juan de la Cruz
Quiz about this movie
Questions from the whole catalogue.
Play nowIf you liked this one
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Marcas do Silêncio
7.1
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A Garota Na Caixa
6.7
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The Safety of Objects
6.5
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The Thing with Feathers
6.5
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Sem Fôlego
6.1
-
Anorexia: A Ilusão da Beleza
6.5
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Querida Zoe
6.5
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A Luta Por Um Ideal
6.1
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Skin
6.4
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Jogo Duplo
5.9
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Jesse Stone: Gelo Fino
6.9
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Perigos da Rede
6.3
Tags
Crew
- David Smith Director
- William B. Laub Writer
Questions about this film
What is Pegeen about?
Pegeen: Pegeen O'Neill must fend for herself when her father Dan becomes mentally unbalanced after his wife Mary's death. Dan spends his days searching for his wife, setting fires in the belief that the flames will illuminate his Mary. The townspeople, enraged at the arson that is slowly destroying their village, track down D…
Who directed Pegeen?
Pegeen was directed by David Smith in 1920.
Who stars in Pegeen?
The cast of Pegeen includes Bessie Love, Edmund Burns, Ruth Fuller Golden, Charles Spere and Juan de la Cruz.
How long is Pegeen?
Pegeen runs for 50 minutes, or 0h50.
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Page updated on 09/12/2026.
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