Jack Kelly's Universal Appeal :)

Hello!

Jack Kelly and his pals definitely aren't practicing social distancing in the photo below. But, they have a good excuse--this pic was snapped in 1953:

The info on the back of the photo reads: "THEY"RE INTERNATIONAL--WITH A UNIVERSAL APPEAL! - It's a young people's movie world at Universal-International Studios, noted for development of young talent for the screen. Herewith is a mixed group of Hollywood hopefuls and winners of the second annual 'Miss Universe' bathing beauty contest, now under contract to U-I. Left to right: Lisa Gaye; Brad Jackson; Maxine Morgan ('Miss Australia'); Lance Fuller (currently in Taza, Son of Cochise); Alicia Ibanez ('Miss Uruguay'); William Leslie; Christiane Martel ('Miss Universe' and in costume for her first movie, Yankee Pascha); Jack Kelly; and Emita Arosemena ('Miss Panama')."

A close-up of Hollywood hopeful JK:

 

Of the other U-I contract players pictured above, few besides JK went onto notable careers, although Lance Fuller did appear in "The Island in the Swamp" and "The Cats of Paradise" episodes of Maverick, portraying a character ("Faro Jack Norcross") in the latter episode which spoofed Richard Boone's "Paladin" from Have Gun--Will Travel.

 

And, Lisa Gaye (sister of actress Debra Paget) appeared with JK in the 1961 Maverick episode "State of Siege", which also guest-starred Ray Danton:



Caption: "Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly, left), Soledad (Lisa Gaye), and Don Felipe (Ray Danton) make up a happy household before 'A State of Siege' hits their Spanish hacienda, forcing them to fight for their lives on MAVERICK."


Incidentally, JK was part of another line-up of talent in 1975, this time to publicize an episode of the Ellery Queen series in which he guest-starred:

 

Well, "hopefully" this post "appealed" to you. Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS and please stay well. :)

 

Yet Another Postcard Post :)

Hello Everyone!

Yet another Jack Kelly postcard has joined the Kellection, and it's an absolute doozy! It's also the earliest (and best) one I've seen so far:

The front of the card shows a young JK  during his pre-Maverick days as a Universal-International contract player. Just look at that smile! :) There's also a facsimile signature.

 

The reverse of the card (addressed to a fan in Kansas) has a 2-cent postmark and a plug for the U-I film Mississippi Gambler, which was released in 1953.

The message says:

"Dear Friend: Thank you for your letter. I am only too happy to send you a photograph in response to your request. In the event you wish a larger photograph, I am listing below the various sizes available. You will note a small charge is made to cover printing and mailing cost. Thanks again for writing me."

The charges are $1.00 for a 11" x 14" photo, $0.25 for an 8" x 10" photo, $0.10 for a 5" x 7" photo and $.05 for "snapshots". How I wish photos of JK were available at those prices today--I paid a lot more than $1.00 for this postcard. ;)

Well, I hope this post has your "stamp" of approval. TDS is the address for all things JK, so please stay tuned! :)

Oh Snap! :)

Howdy!

Here's a provocative pic of Jack Kelly and Valerie Jackson from a 1953 issue of Picturegoer, the long-defunct British film magazine:

The text says, "Jack Kelly--he's to be seen in It Happens Every Thursday, one of next week's releases--finds Valerie Jackson's frontier-style garter packs an extra loud snap in Law And Order, due here soon."

Actually, JK wasn't seen in It Happens Every Thursday--he broke his leg in a skiing accident shortly before filming began and was replaced by another actor. However, he is definitely in Law And Order. 

I have an original still of the image above, so we can get a better look at JK as "Jed" as he lusts after Ms. Jackson as saloon girl "Clarissa" (yes, that's a holster on her garter and she's clutching a derringer):

That's a posed promo still--this scene doesn't actually appear in the film. Clarissa can be glimpsed in the background as a drunken Jed helps to shoot up the saloon's fancy chandelier (JK is directly in front of the bartender below), and that's about the closest they come to being seen together:

Like everyone else in town, Clarissa must surrender her little bitty gun for the sake of, yep, law and order:

Law And Order isn't bad...how can it be when it features not only JK but a real-life President (Ronald Reagan), "Chester"/"McCloud" (Dennis Weaver), "The Professor" (Russell Johnson), plus the ever popular Chubby Johnson? I'll definitely have to take a more in-depth look at it in the future here in TDS.

In the meantime, please stay tuned for more fun with JK! :)

JK at the "Finnish" Line! :)

Howdy Everyone!

Now, here's something you don't see everyday--a Finnish poster for an American western!

This amazing addition to the Kellection advertises the 1953 Audie Murphy oater Gunsmoke (no connection to the famous TV series). I love the swirling pistol smoke motif. And, of course, I love the fact that Jack Kelly (as "Curly Mather") occupies a pretty fair chunk of the poster, although his name appears nowhere.  Here's a close-up:

The image of JK on the poster came from a still which can be viewed here.

Well, please stay tuned--I'm not "Finnished" sharing JK treasures with you! :)

Klowning Around With Jack Kelly :)

Hello!

When we think of clowns named "Kelly", Emmett would probably be the first person who comes to mind.

But--no fooling!--that's Jack Kelly under the greasepaint in this incredible still from 1953:

 

The caption on the reverse of the photo says this is a scene from "Here Come The Clowns", with Lori Nelson. I believe this was presented as part of  "Inside U-I", which was staged annually by Universal-International during the early 1950's to show off young players such as JK, Ms. Nelson, Tony Curtis, Rock Hudson, and many others who were enrolled in the studio's talent development program.

 

Sophie Rosenstein, U-I's talent coach, explained the importance of the yearly show in a 1951 newspaper story: "You see, when a player is signed his fight just begins. Then, he has to sell himself to the directors and producers on the lot. By putting on this annual show, we can show the movie makers what our young people can do. Also, it gives the youngsters a set of values they wouldn't otherwise have. In the theater there is a great deal of tradition and loyalty. But actors who start their careers in the movies lack this background. They don't realize that they are part of a great industry. By putting on 'Inside U-I', the youngsters develop a sense of loyalty to the show."

 

Here's another 1953 pic of JK and Lori Nelson, this time in street clothes:

 

 

Even on crutches, JK is still clowning, although he'd seriously injured his leg in a skiing accident in late 1952, leaving him unable to work for over a year. He made only three more films for Universal in the mid-1950's (Magnificent Obsession, Cult of the Cobra and To Hell and Back) but, the lessons he'd learned at U-I served him well as he went on to a successful career in films and television.

 

 No foolin'--there's much more coming up in TDS. Please stay tuned! :) 



Another JK Friday Funny! :)

"Vamoose, varmints--we bought the last 

Hatchimal at the general store and

you ain't a-gettin' it!"

 

(Original linen-backed still from 1953's Law and Order, with Ruth Hampton, Russell Johnson, Preston Foster, Barry Kelley, and young JK as henchman "Jed")