''Keane of Kalgoorlie, or a Story of the Sydney Cup'' is a 1911 Australian silent film set in the racing and gambling circles of Sydney, based on a popular play by

Edward William O'Sullivan Edward William O'Sullivan (17 March 1846 – 25 April 1910) was an Australian journalist and politician. Early life and journalism O'Sullivan was born in Launceston, Tasmania. His father deserted the family when he was a child and he was mai ...

and Arthur Wright, adapted from the novel by Wright. It was made by the husband and wife team of

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

and

Agnes Gavin Agnes Gavin (1872–1947), was an Australian actor and screenwriter in the silent film era. She worked in collaboration with her husband John Gavin throughout her career. She wrote the majority of his films and was arguably the first specialist s ...

and is considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

Synopsis

Sydney clerk Frank Keane is in love with Tess Moreton, who is desired by Gregory Harris. Keane farewells Tess at

Circular Quay Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping port, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on the northern edge of the Syd ...

in order to go west to seek his fortune. Harris arranges with Harold Rose to send a telegram to Tess saying that Keane has married a Kalgoorlie barmaid. Tess believes this and marries Harris. Ten years later, Keane and Tess meet again. Keane has become rich and wants to enter his horse in the

Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series and it is ...

. He meets Harold Rose, who confesses the truth about falsifying the telegram, then shoots himself. Harris robs Rose's dead body and is spotted by a dosser, who blackmails him. Tess overhears Harris and the blackmailer discussing a plan to abduct Keane's horse and prevent it from winning the race. With Tess' help, Keane ensures his horse wins the race. However, Harris then accuses him of the murder of Rose. However at a trial, a stolen watch proves his innocence, and Harris is arrested while Keane is freed. Harris kills himself and Keane and Tess get married.

Cast

John Gavin John A. Gavin (born Juan Vincent Apablasa; April 8, 1931 – February 9, 2018) was an American actor who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild (1971–73), and the United States Ambassador to Mexico (1981–86). Among the films he appeared ...

as Frank Keane *

as Tess Murton *Alf Scarlett *Charles Woods as Dave Dyeball

Original novel

Arthur Wright's story was first published in the ''Referee'' in 1906. He expanded it into a novel, which was published the following year by the Sunday Times Company.

Plot

Frank Keane is in love with Tess Morton but they have no money, so he decides to leave his home in Sydney and seek his fortune in the Kalgoorlie goldfields. Two years later he and his friends, including Harold Ross, strike it rich. But then Frank receives a letter informing him that Tess has married the villainous Gregory Harris. Eight years later, Harris has fallen into financial trouble, stolen from Tess, served a stint in gaol. Frank has become very wealthy and returns to Sydney. Frank learns from Harold Ross why Tess married Harris: Frank and his friend needed money on the goldfields to keep digging. Harris promised Ross £100 if he would forge Frank's handwriting and send a letter from the goldfields claiming that Frank had married a barmaid; Ross did this and a heartbroken Tess then married Harris. Ross asks Frank for some money to help him but Frank refuses. Ross is later found dead in the Domain, having been murdered by Harris. Frank and Tess are reunited and visit the Randwick Races together, where they are spotted by Harris. Harris is spending money he has stolen from Ross. Harris tries to destroy Keane's horse, which is running against one of his own in the Sydney Cup. When Harris dies, he contrives things so that Keane is blamed for his death. Eventually however, Keane's horse wins the race and he is proved innocent and reunited with Tess.

Reception

The book was popular with readers and launched Wright's career. A critic from the ''Advertiser'' compared the book to the works of

Nat Gould Nathaniel Gould (21 December 1857 – 25 July 1919), commonly known as Nat Gould, was a British novelist. History Gould was born at Manchester, Lancashire, the only surviving child of Nathaniel Gould, a tea merchant, and his wife Mary, ''née' ...

and said it "makes no claim to any high order of merit, yet it i. as readable as many sensational stories of a more pretentious character... the story is written by one who has evidently seen a good deal of the darker side of life and is well acquainted with the turf, two important qualifications for the production of a work intended only to amuse... ought to find many readers."

Theatre adaptation

Development

Wright thought the novel had possibilities as a play and approached

, who had written the successful plays ''Cooee'' and ''Eureka Stockade'' for his opinion. O'Sullivan was enthusiastic and encouraged Wright to write the story up as a play, offering to rewrite it for him. This was done, although O'Sullivan later said "it did not require much alteration, as Mr. Wright had the true dramatic instinct." O'Sullivan recommended the play to theatre entrepreneur

E. I. Cole Edward Irham Cole (3 December 1859 – 1 July 1942) was an Australian theatrical entrepreneur and film director whose productions represented a synthesis of Wild West shows, Wild West show and stage melodrama (often with a bushranger theme). ...

in early 1908.

Productions

The production debuted at the Sydney Hippodrome on 18 April 1908 and starred W.H. Ayr as Frank and Amy Sherwood as Tess. The critic from ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' said that the play:

Is full of local color, from the opening scene, enacted in the Domain during the Commonwealth festivities, to the running of the Sydney Cup at Randwick. Some realistic Incidents are portrayed, including the burning of Keane's stables, and an attempt on the life of the Sydney Cup favorite: the trial of the hero on a false charge at the Central Criminal Court; a two-up school, in which the game is followed by a police raid; a house in
Woolloomooloo Woolloomooloo ( ) is a harbourside, inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Woolloomooloo is 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. It is in a low ...
, where Keane is imprisoned, and tho final settling at Randwick. Tho story is an interesting one, and being well interwoven with a sporting element, should appeal to a large section of playgoers.

The ''Sydney Morning Herald'' was more guarded, stating that:

The production was far from well mounted, but it was well acted, and with better stage dressing would prove a decided draw. Although occasionally one's sense of probabilities was shocked during the stage unfolding of the story, on tho whole the play proved one of coherence, reasonably dramatic situations, and humour... The scenes in which boxing and two up wore presented were by no means convincing. The boxers gave a very poor display, devoid of cleverness, and the two-up episode and raid was a weak parody of the real thing... The authors must have been gratified with the storm of approval that arose near the conclusion of the drama from the great audience.

The ''Evening News'' said the play "presents several stirring situations in a story which is fairly well-developed." Public response appears to have been enthusiastic and there were further productions throughout the rest of the decade.

Film production

Wright later said he suggested the story might make an ideal film to John Gavin, who specialised in making films about bushrangers, "believing that a racing film would be welcomed as a change... It would be a shame to mention the price offered or rights to the playand accepted, but as I thought the picture would enhance the sale of the book, as the drama had done, I had no kick comings." Production of the film was announced in April 1911, with Stanley Crick and Herbert Finlay producing the movie in Sydney. There are sequences involving a boxing match and game of

two-up Two-up is a traditional Australian gambling game, involving a designated "spinner" throwing two coins or pennies into the air. Players bet on whether the coins will fall with both heads (obverse) up, both tails (reverse) up, or with one coin ...

, and the climax has Keane winning the

. During shooting racing authorities would not allow

Randwick Racecourse Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney ra ...

to be used, so footage of a race in Western Australia, the

Perth Cup The Perth Cup is a Perth Racing Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race run under quality handicap conditions over a distance of at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Western Australia in January, usually on New Year's Day. The total prize money is $400,000. ...

, was used instead. Authorities also refused permission to film at Darlinghurst Gaol, location for an important scene where the hero is released from prison. In order to get the shot, Gavin snuck into the prison along with tradesmen, then was filmed by his crew when exiting. Gavin also "stole" a shot involving Keane greeting a real-life well known barrister, without the barrister's knowledge.

Reception

According to Arthur Wright, the film was released to "big business":

Wherever it was shown, box-office returns were a record for the times (prices 6d. and 3d. mostly). It packed the big tent show run, by the Mclntyres at North Sydney, where it was extensively advertised as- 'A great Australian sporting story by
Nat Gould Nathaniel Gould (21 December 1857 – 25 July 1919), commonly known as Nat Gould, was a British novelist. History Gould was born at Manchester, Lancashire, the only surviving child of Nathaniel Gould, a tea merchant, and his wife Mary, ''née' ...
.' This, of course, in my modesty, I objected to, and dodgers were sent out with a correction, and the lecturer, Mr. Woods, who played the part of Dave Dyeball, the Domain Dosser, in the picture, apologised for the mistake; and made a eulogistic reference to the 'young Australian author' who was really responsible. Yes, someone made money out of 'K of K', and there should be money to be made again under the altered conditions with a talkie, with the racecourse as a background. The author gained but little from his offspring, except experience and a measure of amusement from participation in what was a new diversion.

References

External links

*
''Keane of Kalgoorlie'' (play)
at

AustLit AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature), usually referred to simply as AustLit, is an internet-based, non-profit collaboration betwee ...

''Keane of Kalgoorlie'' (novel)
at

Articles on the novel
at

Trove Trove is an Australian online library database owned by the National Library of Australia in which it holds partnerships with source providers National and State Libraries Australia, an aggregator and service which includes full text document ...

*Complete text of original short story at ''The Referee'' from 1906 to 1907 �
Oct 31Nov 7Nov 14Nov 21Nov 28Dec 5Dec 12Dec 19Dec 26Jan 2Jan 9Jan 16Jan 23 – final installment
{{Arthur Wright 1911 films Australian black-and-white films Australian silent feature films Films directed by John Gavin Lost Australian films Australian plays 1908 plays Australian films based on plays 1911 lost films