View source for Cross of Gold (Wednesday Theatre)

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series       = [[Wednesday Theatre]]
| image        =
| caption      =
| season       = 1
| episode      = 41
| director     = [[Patrick Barton]]
| teleplay     = Richard Lane
| based_on     = {{Based on|''[[Eugénie Grandet]]''|[[Honoré de Balzac]]}}
| photographer =
| airdate      = {{Start date|1965|10|27|df=yes}}
| length       = 75 mins<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105869041 |title=WEDNESDAY |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=40 |issue=11,295 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=25 October 1965 |accessdate=20 March 2017 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
| guests       =
| prev         = Collect Your Hand Luggage
| next         = The Bergonzi Hand
}}
"'''Cross of Gold'''" is a 1965 Australian television film which aired on ABC. It is based on the 1833 novel ''[[Eugénie Grandet]]'' by [[Honoré de Balzac]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105869014 |title=WHAT TO STAY HOME FOR... Documentaries to the fore this week |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=40 |issue=11,295 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=25 October 1965 |accessdate=19 February 2017 |page=17 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=TV Guide|newspaper=The Age|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zDRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2pQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7136%2C3921996|date=21 October 1965|page=19}}</ref><ref name="cross"/>
It was produced in ABC's Melbourne studios. It aired in a 75-minute time-slot. Per a search of their website, the National Archives may hold a copy, with running time listed as 1:14:33.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-television-plays-cross-of-gold-and-goodbye-gloria-hello/|title=Forgotten Australian television plays: Cross of Gold and Goodbye Gloria Hello|first= Stephen|last= Vagg|date=February 19, 2022}}</ref>
==Plot==
Eugenei Grandet, daughter of a miserly financier, lends her cousin Charles 8,000 francs in gold which her father has given her as gifts over the years. Charles is to return to marry her but when he does he is a social climbing snob who has married another woman. Eugenie has the gold turned into a cross made of gold.<ref>{{cite news|title=Balzac Bites|newspaper=The Age|date=21 October 1965|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122306197/?terms=%22patrick%2Bbarton%22}}</ref>
==Cast==
*Allen Bickford as Charles Grandet
*Fay Kelton as Eugenie
*[[Raymond Westwell]] as Pete Grandet
*Christine Calcutt
*Penelope Shelton
*Kevin Colebrook as Cruchot
*Dennis Clinton
*Kenric Hudson
==Differences from the novel==
In the novel, Eugenie spent her fortune on charity. In this version she became a miser.<ref>{{cite news|date=29 October 1965|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|page=11|title=Arms Trade Examined|first=Kylie|last=Tennant|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122798663/?terms=%22cross%20of%20gold%22&match=1}}</ref>
==Reception==
''The Age'' called it "a complete success - a uniform, high quality cast, a first class play and imaginative, competent directing."<ref>{{cite news|date=30 October 1965|title=Television|last=Monitor|newspaper=The Age|page=23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122308266/?terms=%22cross%20of%20gold%22&match=1}}</ref>
''Filmink'' wrote "this was... fine."<ref name="cross"/>
==Radio adaptation==
A radio adaptation of the film was made for ABC. The script was again written by Lane.<ref name="cross">{{cite web |first=Stephen|last=Vagg|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-television-plays-cross-of-gold-and-goodbye-gloria-hello/ |title=Forgotten Australian television plays: Cross of Gold and Goodbye Gloria Hello &#124; FilmInk |website=Filmink |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224183552/https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-television-plays-cross-of-gold-and-goodbye-gloria-hello/ |archive-date=24 February 2022 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb episode|4119114}}
* [http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/7120675 ''Cross of Gold''] at [[Austlit]]
{{Patrick Barton}}
{{Eugénie Grandet}}
[[Category:1965 television plays]]
[[Category:1965 Australian television episodes]]
[[Category:1960s Australian television plays]]
[[Category:Black-and-white television episodes]]
[[Category:Wednesday Theatre season 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Adaptations of works by Honoré de Balzac]]
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