Friday, May 4, 2012

The Gambler and the Flapper! :)

Howdy!

Bet you never thought you'd see Bart Maverick doing the Charleston--but here he is:


The feisty flapper hoofing it with Bart is
Dorothy Provine, who was about to star as "Pinky Pinkham" in a new (1960) Warner Brothers TV series called The Roaring 20's.

It seems Ms. Provine was a bit of a gambler herself. In fact, according to an item in a 1961 issue of TV Radio Mirror, foxy Dot regularly outfoxed Jack Kelly and other Warner Brothers stars at the poker table. And JK smelled a rat: 

"The male contingent of TV stars far outnumber the female on the Warners' lot, and, for relaxation during lunch breaks, they've been having a few friendly rounds of poker. It was strictly stag until wide-eyed Dorothy Provine asked to be taught the game. 'Sure,' said Jack Kelly with a tolerant wink at the others. 'We'll let you in.' By agreement, stakes were low for the first session and Dot was given every opportunity. As a result, she won. But when she continued to win with ease and cunning, the boys began to suspect they were being suckered. So, at this writing, Warners' big problem with its he-man stars is not higher salaries but how to keep one pip of a blonde from getting in the card game and diverting her toward something feminine like knitting. [B27 -!] Groans Jack, 'That gal's hands are faster than our eyes and I don't like the smooth way she rakes in the pots--no beginner was ever that smooth.' As for Dot, she is as wide-eyed as ever. But, if one looks hard enough, there is a knowing gleam in her innocent gaze." ;-)

COMING SOON IN TDS: A German view of a movie made in Hong Kong with two American stars; the story behind JK's "boot"; and more! :)

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