G’day there!

It’s a question nearly as old as time itself: What happens when a city girl far from the bright lights of Winnipeg is wooed by a dashing young farmer-fisherman from the Island’s North Shore?

That’s what you’ll find out over the next thirty minutes in a fictional film the National Film Board dubs “a classic summertime romance and a nostalgic visit to the delightfully sun-soaked PEI of the past”. Starring Iris Krangle as Jean Sigurdsson and Daniel MacDonald as Danny ‘Black Danny’ McLeod, this 1957 production – tourism propaganda masquerading as an innocent, coming-of-age love story – was directed by Donald Ginsberg based on a script by George Salverson. It features beautiful black and white landscapes, some famous provincial landmarks, wit and repartee, a slew of Island stereotypes, and yes, I’ll warn you now, even a bit of harmless 1950s-style stalking. And that’s all I’m going to say about it. But prepare yourselves for ultimate captivation – it’s like nothing you’ve seen on here before. As for me, I’ve already lost an hour and a half to it; in other words, I’ve watched it three times. And do you know what? I’m probably going to watch it again. And perhaps once more for good measure.

Anyway, enjoy the show!

Island Romance

Cheers,

PEI History Guy