Jack Kelly: "Broken Hand Mystery" - SOLVED! :)

Hello All!

These days, I don't often get to see the Maverick episodes on Encore Westerns, since they air when I'm usually on the freeway, bound for work.

However, last week I had an unscheduled day off after my water heater sprung a leak and began making ominous noises. I tried to remember when it had been installed. When all I could come up with was "Uh, nineteen something?", I knew it was time to buy a new water heater.

While waiting for the home improvement store to open, I got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with Bart, by way of "Dodge City or Bust". I thought I remembered reading on the Jack Kelly Facebook page that JK had injured his hand before filming this episode and had to wear a cast. The cast was removed so he could film his scenes in "DCOB" (what a trouper!) and then replaced when he was finished filming.

Poor JK seemed to be prone to accidents. His various mishaps (including a serious water skiing accident that badly scarred his leg) have been discussed on the JK FB page. JK's hand injury is particularly intriguing because the news stories about the cast being temporarily removed apparently didn't explain what caused the injury.

Well, I found the solution to the "Broken Hand Mystery". I was leafing through a February 1961 movie magazine from the Kellection this evening, and this item in Armand ("Army") Archerd's gossip column suddenly leaped out at me:

"We hopped over to Warner Brothers to find out what's cooking over there...Jack Kelly wasn't working--and we knew why. Jack had called us a couple of days earlier to report he had broken his hand at the party he gave at his house at which we were among the guests. It was Jack's first bash in the new mansion and after all had left and he was helping wife May straighten up the place, he tripped while carrying some plates. In order to prevent a fall on his face, he braced himself with his outstretched hand. Funny thing, he told us, the fracture wasn't discovered until two days later--after Jack played 18 holes of golf with Bob Newhart!"

Wow--talk about a dedicated golfer! :0

And, that's not all I found in this magazine. There's a photo of JK and Roger Moore at a costume party. You won't believe how RM is costumed. I'll show it to you--next time. ;->

Plus: I also have a 1960 pictorial showing JK and Donna/May moving into the new home mentioned above. It's coming soon! :)

(Oh, and I did get my water heater replaced. The new one has a 12 year warranty, so I guess I'll be in hot water for a while--the good kind of hot water, that is! ;->)