And off to the antiques show we go...
This particular show is held about four times a year and is especially well-attended during the holidays. I think that's because a lot of people are visiting from out of town and are looking for unique gifts.
Many dealers had vintage Christmas decorations for sale. One even had a silver tree with a rotating spotlight that projected colors onto it! (That brings back memories.)
My quest for JK memorabilia led me to a booth where a man was selling TV western DVDs. I asked if he had anything relating to Maverick. He said he wished he did, because he loved it. He'd taped the entire series from the Westerns Channel. I ended up buying two non-Maverick DVDs from him.
Back to the Kelly quest (Kwest?). I found a Saturday Evening Post containing an advertisement for Acme Golden Angus Boots (The most beautiful western boots ever created!). There's a very small pic of JK and James Garner and other Warner Brothers westerns stars at the bottom of the ad, because "Acme Boots are worn by stars and featured players of Warner Bros. western television and motion picture productions." Wow, the mens' boots could be had for only $16.95 a pair, and kids' boots ranged from $5.95 - $10.95. I guess grown-up cowgirls were out of luck, however. There are no boots shown in womens' sizes.
After more meandering up and down the aisles, I finally reached Valhalla. Or, at least its equivalent for the JK fan at an antiques show:
A booth with nothing...but...boxes...and...boxes...of...MOVIE MAGAZINES.
"Can I help you find something, hon?" the lady running the booth asked.
"Um...I like Maverick."
The lady's husband piped up: "Look under 'G' for 'Garner.'"
(See, these sellers categorized their magazines not by title, or year, or anything like that. They grouped them by what stars were inside. But, they didn't label each issue, so a magazine listed under "G" might have James Garner, or Greta Garbo. The mags were in snug plastic bags, too, so I couldn't skim the table of contents.)
Then, I threw the husband a curveball.
"Actually, I'm looking for Bart Maverick, you know, Jack Kelly?"
"Oooh, that's a toughie. I don't think we have anything with him. Gosh, we had a magazine with him, I think it had just him on the cover, too. But, look under 'K'. And, look under 'G' anyway, too, because he might be in there with James Garner."
O-kay.
I started thumbing through the "K"'s, but the filing system drove me Koo-Koo. I knew JK wasn't in a 1930 issue of Photoplay or a 1981 issue of Tiger Beat. I ditched the alphabetical method and let my instincts do the driving. I began looking for annuals and yearbooks from the Maverick era.
Passers-by probably wondered about the lady going though the magazines a mile a minute and pulling out titles like TV's Top Stars and Silver Screen Annual. But, I found six magazines with JK in them. :)
The sellers may have had an unorthodox filing method. However, they were very nice and even gave me a discount since I bought a bunch of magazines.
Now, here are some of the highlights from those JK magazines, starting with a small pic and blurb from Movieland and TV Time 1960 Annual (published in 1959):
Again, if the blurb doesn't read clearly, it says:
"Jack Kelly's real life started when he eloped with brunette actress May Wynn and married her, three years ago. That's what he says as he gazes romantically at May and thanks his lucky stars for the good fortune that has come his way.
His career boomed when he was cast in the already-going series Maverick. Catching up with James Garner's build-up was not easy, but Jack is doing fine.
He's a veteran actor who has played many types of roles and he's perfect as the casual, romantic, amusing Bart Maverick.
'Bart is Jack, playing himself', says May admiringly.
Among Jack's many hobbies are reading history, making model ships and cooking. When he gets outdoors, he is often found on the water sailing, or down below with his skin diving equipment. He also likes golf, riding and flying, too. Quite a busy man, this 'Maverick'!"
Wow, so many nuggets of JK knowledge gleaned from that little blurb! :)
Stay tuned for a glimpse of JK's unusual (and cozy) way of studying a script. ;->
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