Hello All! We'll return to 1960 and Hidden Valley shortly, but in the meantime, here's a fantabulous Jack Kelly performance from 1963. It's "Shadow of a Man", an episode originally broadcast on Kraft Mystery Theater which co-stars Broderick Crawford, Ed Begley and many other recognizable faces. By the way, if the names of JK's and Crawford's characters sound familiar, they were also used by Fred McMurray and Edward G. Robinson in the 1944 Billy Wilder film Double Imdemnity. Apart from the insurance investigator angle, though, "Shadow of a Man" has little in common with that famous film noir. It's still a blast to watch--enjoy! :)
BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE!!!
Bloodhound Bartista is on a hot streak tonight. I also found JK's segment ("La Canasta") from the episodic 1956 Mexican film Canasta De Cuentos Mexicanos (A Basket of Mexican Tales). In "La Canasta" ("The Basket"), based on a story by B. Traven of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre fame, a clever Mexican basketweaver outsmarts a gringo couple. JK's wife is played by Mari Blanchard, with whom he later co-starred in She Devil. The clip is in Spanish without subtitles, but JK is muy bueno in any language. :)
Howdy! You're just in time. The Wayback Machine is almost finished boarding. Our destination: San Jose, California, USA. The date: September 18, 1960. Hold on tight now--and away we go! Wow, that was fast. We've landed on Roeder Road, just off Monterey Highway in San Jose. It's almost 2:00 pm, and there's a pretty big crowd gathered on this Sunday afternoon. A large sign proclaims, "Hidden Valley Grand Opening." Hmm--although this looks like ranch land, I don't think salad dressing is involved. This Hidden Valley is actually a new housing development with a panoramic view of the Edenvale hills. We can see the wooden frames of the first homes under construction. Oh, it looks like the grand opening festivities are beginning. Someone's starting to speak... I'm standing behind a guy with a little boy sitting on his shoulders. The little boy is wearing a cowboy hat. "Can you see him, buckaroo?" "Yes, Daddy!" I wish I could see him. But, the speaker sounds very familiar. Could it be--is that who I think it is? "Here, maybe he'll autograph this for you!" someone whispers, handing me a newspaper ad:
Wow! JK's 85th birthday was celebrated in a big way on the internet, including this insightful interview with our pal Linda J. Alexander, author of A Maverick Life--The Jack Kelly Story. The interview continues here. The fun continues on TDS, too. Be sure to visit TDS on Tuesday, September 18, when the Wayback Machine will whisk us back 52 years for a special "meet and greet" with JK! You won't want to miss it. :)
