The Gift of Love (1978) (TV)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writers:

O. Henry (story)
Caryl Ledner (writer)

Release Date:

8 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

This is the story of two people, from totally different backgrounds and social status. The boy is a...

Plot Keywords:

Watch | Hair | Newlywed

Cast

Marie Osmond	...	Beth Atherton
Timothy Bottoms	...	Rudi Miller
Bethel Leslie	...	Agnes
June Lockhart	...	Constance Schuyler
Donald Moffat	...	William Schuyler
David Wayne	...	O'Henry and Narrator
James Woods	...	Alfred Browning
Sondra West	...	Mary O'Halloran
Robert Pierce	...	Franz Hollner
Fred Stuthman	...	Griggs
Peggy Rea	...	Mrs. Mooney
Anne Ramsey	...	Maeve O'Halloran
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sarah Benoit	...	Liesl's Mother
Lane Davies	...	Browning Servant
Ray Duke	...	Hack Driver
Christian Grey	...	Fat Man at Ball
John Hart	...	Justice of the Peace
John LaMotta	...	Vendor
Arthur Malet	...	Emcee at Ball
Sandy Martin	...	Jan's Mother
Hedley Mattingly	...	Jewelry Salesman
Glenn Robards	...	Dancer at Ball
Jason Yowell	...	Young Man at Ball

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Osmond Productions

Quotes:

Mary O'Halloran: Your aunt wants me to help you get ready. Mr. Browning will be here any minute.
Beth Atherton: Thank you Mary.
Mary O'Halloran: [Fixes Beth up. Mutters angrily] The whole thing's a cry shame. That's what it is.
Beth Atherton: Mary please don't start that again!
Mary O'Halloran: [Upset] Well why shouldn't I? Wouldn't you try to stop me from being pig-headed and throwing my life away?
Beth Atherton: I'n not throwing my life away! I'm just doing what's expected of me. I love Alfred, you know that.
Mary O'Halloran: Are you trying to tell me that you would...
Beth Atherton: [Interrupts] NO!
[Crying]
Beth Atherton: I'm trying to tell me!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Version of The Sacrifice (1909)

Love in action

Take in this movie at Christmas or any time you want to be reminded what it really means to love someone. The protagonists are likable, the conflicts are genuine, and even the man to whom Beth Atherton is unwillingly engaged (played by James Woods) isn't the villain you'd expect; he's rather sweet and gentle in his own unique way. The antagonists are equally easy to dislike: narrow-minded, misguided, and in some cases self serving, they choose to ignore the time honoured cliché that money cannot buy happiness. This film is basically a beautiful and ironic lesson about true love wrapped in a heart-warming and reasonably entertaining story.