The Kelly Pages - Look What I Found Today :)

Hi Everyone!

An unfamiliar orb appeared in the sky today. After squinting through the icicles for a better look, I suddenly realized it was the sun. So, I tunneled out of my igloo and mushed my sled to an antiques show. :->

Here's what I found:

Okay, not very JK-ish, but I couldn't resist such an authentic old-time horse print. (And, hey, this could be Goldie's great-grandpa!) ;->

Look what else I found:

Yep, a Maverick comic book, for only $10! The cover's a little rough, but the inside is fine. I guess kids liked to write their name on comic covers back in the day (one of the other Maverick comic books I have is "autographed" like that, too). The seller told me he'll probably bring more Maverick comic books to a future show, so I'll be watching for him.

Now, here's the best thing I found:

I stopped at a booth that had some newer-looking magazines. Since I'm into the vintage stuff, these didn't seem too interesting at first. Until I noticed they were all Memories, "The Magazine of Then and Now". The "Then" part sounded promising, so I thumbed through the stack.

Jackpot! Or should I say, "Jack Kelly pot!" :) One of the magazines had an article titled, "Whither the TV Western?" It was about the rise and fall of television "rope operas". Not only did it have a couple of nice 1950's black & white Maverick stills of JK and JG, it also had brief present-day (1989) updates about JK & JG with color pics, including the one of JK above. (Note the famous gold chain peeking out of his shirt.)

Needless to say, this magazine instantly joined the Kellection. And, guess what--it was only $1.00!

Anyway, here's what the update said about JK:

"'We had a certain panache that allowed us to get away with things that most guys only wished they could,' says Jack Kelly, who as Bart Maverick alternated leads with James Garner (who played his brother) on Maverick.

"Poking fun at other TV westerns, the two antiheroes gambled and gamboled their way through the West, talking their way out of trouble with wit and a wry sense of humor.

"'If there were too many bad guys around,' Kelly remembers, 'I'd say to the girl, 'Let's get outta here!'

"Kelly stuck with the show after Garner departed in 1960. After its demise, he played cameos in other television series, but he says his 'lightning bolt was never rekindled'.

"Today Kelly, 66 [B27 -???], does voice-overs for TV commercials and occasionally takes an acting role. He recently stepped down after eight years as a councilman of Huntington Beach, CA, where he lives with Jo, his wife of 20 years, and their 17 year-old daughter, Nicole. As new owner and columnist for the Huntington Beach News, Kelly now hopes to 'kick up some dust as a journalist'."

(By Delphine Taylor in Memories - December 1989-January 1990 issue)

Nice write-up! (And even nicer pic!!!) However, I think JK was actually 62 in 1989, he was also mayor of HB for a while, and most of the guest shots he did after Maverick were a bit more substantial than "cameos" (which usually means walk-ons).

But, it was refreshing to see James Garner referred to as the Maverick brother for once! ;->