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Keane of Kalgoorlie

Keane of Kalgoorlie, or a Story of the Sydney CupDirected byJohn GavinWritten byAgnes GavinBased onplay by Edward William O'SullivanArthur Wrightfrom the novel byArthur WrightProduced byHerbert FinlayStanley CrickStarringJohn GavinAgnes GavinCinematographyHerbert FinlaySeptember 19114,000 feet or 3,000 feetCountryAustraliaLanguageSilent
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 and Arthur Wright, adapted from the novel by Wright.

It was made by the husband and wife team of John and Agnes Gavin and is considered a lost film.

Original novel
Keane of Kalgoorlie: A Tale of the Sydney Cup AuthorArthur WrightCountryAustraliaLanguageEnglishPublisherSunday Times Newspaper Company1907
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 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."

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