A Virtual "Hong Kong" Affair! :)

Hello!

Well, here we are, over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic started and things still aren't quite back to "normal" yet. I'm still working from home; virtually everything is still "virtual" and anything "live" is socially distanced. Masks are still mandatory when venturing outside one's "bubble".

Thankfully, COVID vaccines have provided a glimmer of hope. Case rates are decreasing and folks are looking forward to finally seeing loved ones again, enjoying undistanced social events and traveling, when it's truly safe to do so. 

While we may not be able to actually travel very far yet, we can take a virtual vacation with Jack Kelly and wife Donna (May Wynn) courtesy of these stupendous stills from Hong Kong Affair which recently joined the Kellection:

JK as "Steve Whelan" and MW as "Chu Lan"

Uh-oh! Trouble as Steve's Triumph is taken (that's Lo Lita Shek w/JK)

A dramatic moment with Chu Lan and Steve

The "Target" boat to the rescue! (Can you spot Chu Lan & Steve?)

Chu Lan is in good hands

"Harboring" hope for the future 

BONUS IMAGE! Here's another one of those magnifico Mexican lobby cards for Hong Kong Affair:

Where will TDS travel to next? Please stay tuned...and stay well. :)

Bart Is Kitty Cornered

Hello Everyone,

On this date in 1958, the Maverick episode "Prey of the Cat" premiered. It's one of the most dramatic and harrowing installments of the series. It's also the closest thing Maverick ever had to a Christmas episode, although the holiday is only incidental to the plot.

When his horse is spooked by a mountain lion, Bart falls and breaks his leg. He's rescued by rancher Pete Stillman (Wayne Morris), who takes Bart into his home to recuperate from the injury. While Bart recovers with the help of Stillman's wife, Kitty (Patricia Barry), the ranch has a Christmas celebration.

The day finally comes when Bart feels he's well enough to leave the ranch. However, Kitty has become obsessed with Bart. Desperate for  him to stay, she suddenly throws herself into his arms. Bart breaks free of Kitty's unwanted embrace, but not before it's witnessed by Bender the ranch foreman.

Pete asks Bart to remain at the ranch long enough to help him and Kitty hunt the puma who caused Bart's accident. During the hunt, the trio spreads out. Bart shoots at the cat. But, instead of finding it, he discovers Pete Stillman's corpse.

Kitty tells the sheriff that Pete's shooting was accidental and that Bart's bullet ricocheted off the rocks. Bart isn't charged. But, Bender blabbed about seeing the embrace, and Bart knows the town has already judged him guilty. 

Then, he's confronted by Pete's former girlfriend, Raquel (Yvette Dugay). She's heard the rumors about Bart and Kitty, and wants to kill Bart. However, he convinces Raquel that he is innocent of killing Pete.

Bart once more lets Kitty know that he's leaving. But, she confesses that she killed Pete so they could be together. Bart realizes Kitty is insane. She further informs Bart that if ever tries to leave her, she'll tell the sheriff that he killed Pete and that she just lied to protect him. 

A shaken Bart reveals Kitty's statements to the sheriff, but Kitty sticks to her original story. The sheriff now thinks Bart and Kitty are in cahoots. He orders Bart to stay at the ranch with Kitty, assuming that one of them will eventually crack and tell the truth.

Although he knows it will make him look guilty, Bart escapes during the night. He's re-captured and returned to the ranch--where Kitty is found with her throat slashed.

Now suspected of both murders, Bart watches helplessly from his jail cell as the sheriff resigns. The vengeful townspeople storm the jail, put Bart on a horse, and slip a noose around his neck. Bender raises a riding crop to strike Bart's mount so the horse will run out from under him. Bart is a hairbreadth away from being wrongfully executed. But, before the crop touches the horse...

You'll have to watch the episode to find out what happens next. It's one of Maverick's best. 

Please CATch the next TDS for more about Jack Kelly. :)

"Savage" Gal :)

Hello Everyone,

I spent part of Labor Day going through some Jack Kelly photos in the Kellection. I came across this incredible still from the Maverick episode "The Savage Hills":

That's lovely Diane Brewster as conniving "Samantha Crawford" with JK.

The info on the reverse of this vintage original press photo says:

"'SAVAGE' GAL --When Bart Maverick (JACK KELLY) is accused of being a member of a counterfeiting ring, he flees the law with the gal, Amantha [sic] (DIANE BREWSTER), who holds the answer to the dangerous game in 'The Savage Hills', a Warner Bros. Maverick drama for ABC-telecasting, Sunday, February 9."

Here's how the photo appeared in a newspaper to promote the episode when it originally aired in 1958:

Please stay tuned for more vintage photo/promo match-ups in TDS! 

Jack Kelly: "Most Distinguished Guest" :)

Howdy!

On June 1, 1958, Jack Kelly (along with wife Donna/May Wynn) was the "Most Distinguished Guest" at the 45th annual "Fontana Days" celebration in Fontana, California. Fontana was also the location of Kaiser Steel, the largest steel mill on the West Coast at the time. Kaiser Industries was, of course, the primary sponsor of Maverick.

Here are Jack and Donna in the Fontana Days parade, which according to newspaper reports was viewed by 30,000 people:

"MAVERICK DEALS A HAND--'Most distinguished guest' of Fontana [on] Saturday, television's Jack (Bart Maverick) Kelly waves a greeting to parade crowds. Sharing the spotlight was his actress wife, May Wynn." 



As noted previously in TDS, JK was the grand marshal of the Palm Springs Mounted Police Rodeo parade in 1961. So, who was the grand marshal of the Fontana Days parade in 1958?

 

A "talking" basset hound named "Cleo" from the sitcom The People's Choice. She was sort of a distaff, canine "Mr. Ed" who commented on the action and made wisecracks during each episode (via the voice of actress Mary Jane Croft).  

Okay, so Cleo actually accompanied actor Paul Maxey, who played the mayor on the show and was the nominal grand marshal. But, the San Bernadino County Sun reported that the popular pup "nearly stole the limelight from luminaries such as Maverick's Jack Kelly, his actress wife, May Wynn, Grand Marshal actor Paul Maxey...and the honorary Grand Marshal, Santa Claus."

Yes, Santa Claus. In June.

A talking dog, Santa and JK, all in the same parade--I wish I could have seen that! :)

Well, you never know what you'll see next in TDS, so please stay tuned.



Bart Art :)

Hello Everyone!

Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, some museums have been offering virtual tours of their collections. So, I'm opening up the Kellection for an online exhibit titled "Bart Art", that is, artwork depicting Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick.

First, here's a striking portrait of Bart from a Dutch Maverick comic book:

Next up, a comical newspaper caricature of Bart promoting a repeat of "The Third Rider" episode of Maverick on July 20, 1958:

"Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) Chases Bank Robber Tonight at 7:30--Tries to Clear Himself of Crime in Maverick on Channel 10

This dandy drawing from the Kellection is dated October 8, 1958, and promotes JK's United Appeal tour:

  

Dated May 1960, this photo shows Bart with his famous arched eyebrow:



Here's how the complete photo with Brother Bret looked when it was published in a newspaper TV log in July 1960:

Of course, the above caricature was based on the same iconic photo that's on the cover of Poker According to Maverick (only Bart is sans cigar on the cover):

This drawing heralded the arrival of Bart's Cousin Beau (Roger Moore) in September 1960:

A September 1960 newspaper ad for "A Bundle From Britain" :



The sketch of Bart is based on one of my favorite JK photos:

More "Bart Art" in the next TDS--please stay tuned and stay well. :)



Jack Kelly - A Real American Boy! :)

Hello All!

I figure everyone is stir-crazy by now, so let's escape to Hong Kong--if only vicariously--with Jack Kelly and May Wynn:

I think this is my favorite Kellectible at the moment. It's a magnifico Mexican lobby card for Hong Kong Affair to which my camera didn't do justice. I can't get enough of its wild colors and crazy fonts, or of course, JK!

The wording on the right side is Google-translated as: "Opium smuggling threatening great fortunes of crime and mystery! He was going to recover a fortune and discovered the fatal intrigue! Mysterious China exposed as it is!"

Unfortunately, audiences weren't too intrigued by Hong Kong Affair, even though it starred JK, "That Bart Maverick Guy!" Less than a year after its release in 1958, it ended up in towns like Magna, Utah, where it was relegated to Saturday matinee status:

"Hong Kong Affair - That Bart Maverick Guy, Jack Kelly, his first starring picture. Filmed against the mysterious background of Hong Kong. See Jack Kelly as a real American Boy, first time on screen!" the ad for the Gem Theatre proclaimed. It added: "Hey Gang! Want to take a trip with that Bart Maverick Guy, Jack Kelly, to Hong Kong and get in on the surprise! Then see Hong Kong Affair."

The film was accompanied by cartoons, Captain Video and two feature comedies, promising fun for all.

Not surprisingly, Hong Kong Affair quickly hit the small screen. It was a "First-Run Movie" on WMAL-TV (now WJLA-TV) in Washington D.C. in 1960:

"That Bart Maverick guy [again] leaps into action in the seething Orient. Filmed hot in Hong Kong!"

Nowadays, Hong Kong Affair seems to have vanished from screens completely. Maybe it will turn up on Turner Classic Movies someday?

Well, until then, keep travelin' with TDS & keep well. :)

It's Auld Lang Syne Time - Pt. IV

Happy New Year's Eve Everyone!

Finishing up our visit to 1958 and bidding farewell to 2019, here is one more festive pic of Jack and Donna Kelly:

They look like they're having a wonderful time!

I've had a wonderful time blogging about JK in TDS for the past 10 years. I hope you'll stay with us as the fun continues into 2020.

I wish everyone a blessed New Year, and if you're out celebrating tonight, please be happy and safe. :)

It's Auld Lang Syne Time - Pt. III

Howdy!

Continuing our look at the This is Your Life after-party in 1958, below is another image scanned from an original negative in the Kellection. I'm positive you'll love it! ;)

 

 In fact, this is my new favorite pic of Jack Kelly. :)

Stay tuned--there's more fun to come with JK in TDS!

It's Auld Lang Syne Time--Pt. II :)

Hi!

As explained in my previous post, James Garner was the (sort of) surprised guest of honor on the TV series This is Your Life in June of 1958. After his segment wrapped, JG was feted with a banquet at the legendary Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA.

You'll be happy to know, however, that although it was JG's party, the images in this series of posts prominently feature Jack Kelly, who was there with his then-wife May Wynn (Donna Kelly) to help celebrate.

So, let's visit the party, shall we?

James Garner is in the upper left corner and JK has swapped his Bart jacket for a more contemporary coat. Donna seems deep in conversation.

But, JK gets her attention:

I love the intimacy of these candid shots, which I personally scanned from original negatives in the Kellection. Looking at them is like sitting at the table with Jack and Donna! The unknown photographer really captured the playful side of JK's personality.

Please stay tuned for more fun photos of JK in TDS! :)

It's Auld Lang Syne Time :)

Hello Everyone!

The New Year is almost here, along with a new decade. It's a time to look forward, but also back over the years...as Ralph Edwards did on his famous TV series This is Your Life.

Each week, a clueless celebrity guest was delivered to the studio under some clever pretense and was suddenly greeted by Mr. Edwards with a shout of, "_____, this is your life!" Then, a parade of friends, associates and family members would share their memories of the guest of honor.

In June 1958, Mr. Edwards surprised James Garner. Well, not really. JG revealed in his autobiography The Garner Files that he was at home when a car arrived to take his wife Lois and their daughters to the This is Your Life set. JG adamantly insisted to Lois that he didn't want his past rehashed on TV. He changed his mind when she informed him that most of his relatives were being flown in from Oklahoma and he wouldn't want to disappoint them, would he?

On the Maverick set that afternoon, director Richard Bare became "ill" and filming was halted for the day. Since JG was still in costume, he was asked to pose for some publicity photos. The photos were to be shot at NBC, where there supposedly was some new lighting that Warner Bros. wanted to check out. Naturally, JG played along.

Lo and behold, when he arrived at NBC, Jack Kelly was there waiting for him, along with Ralph Edwards. JG said in The Garner Files that he may have looked shocked, but he was only acting.

Below is an image of JG, JK and Ralph Edwards which I scanned from an original negative in the Kellection. Note JK's hair, which was curled to make him look more like JG's brother:

James Garner also said that he actually enjoyed his This is Your Life experience, and he enjoyed the after-party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles even more. Stay tuned to TDS for a very special look at that party. :)

A Maverick Merry-Go-Round! :)

Hello Everyone!

Here's a blast from the pages of Christmas past featuring Jack Kelly and James Garner. It's not the clearest image, but I wanted to share it here since it promotes the 1958 Southern California "Toys For Tots" campaign, which began on December 1 and ended on December 19--exactly 61 years ago today!

 "Campaign to Open - Jack Kelly, left, and James Garner, stars of Maverick television series, open 11th annual Marine Corps Reserve 'Toys for Tots' drive with donation of miniature merry-go-round to Marine Sgt. Lillian Hagener. Drive is Monday to Dec. 19."

 

Please stay tuned for more merry memories coming up in TDS! :)

JK Saturday Sillies :)

"Say, Bart old boy--do you know what you'd be if you moved to Norway and lived on a rocky cliff near a deep sea inlet?"

 

"No, Dandy Jim--what would I be if I moved to Norway and lived on a rocky cliff near a deep sea inlet?"

 

"A fjord Maverick!"

 



61 Years Ago Today :)

10/5/1958 newspaper ad for "Alias Bart Maverick" episode of Maverick, starring Jack Kelly and Arlene (Eurlyne) Howell:

The Maverick Brothers Tell All...

...about each other! :)

Here's Jack Kelly and James Garner in a fabulous photo on the cover of "TV Radio Life", which is dated May 10-16, 1958 (almost exactly 61 years ago):

Inside is a fun two-part article about JK and JG. Each part is hilariously "as told to" about one Maverick brother by the other; that is, JG spills the beans about JK, and vice versa, like so:

Please stay tuned for more fun with brother Bart and his brother in "TDS". :)

Wintervention! :)

Hello!

Much of the Midwest has been in the bone-chilling grip of a "polar vortex" for the past couple of days. Sub-zero temperatures and record-low wind chills have closed schools and even caused mail delivery to be temporarily suspended in some states.

As January comes to an icy end, I think we need a "wintervention" to help warm us up. So, here are some pix from the Kellection of Jack Kelly and his first wife Donna (May Wynn) frolicking in the California sun. 

These first pix are from a 1958 fan magazine feature titled "Just The Jack For Jim":



"They had tested dozens of young actors to play opposite

 James Garner in the ABC Maverick series...Then somebody decided to try Jack Kelly..."

  

"Handsome TV cowboy actor Jack Kelly is shown

 with his bride of a little more than a year, pretty actress May Wynn."





"Jack and May pose in the garden of their new house.

Jack is from an acting clan--sister Nancy Kelly is a screen star."

 

"In the living room of their comfortable ranch-style home

in Studio City, the Kellys relax a bit.

Jack loves California."

 

"Jack, who has proved a perfect foil for James Garner as the brother in Warner's ABC Maverick,  helps with the cooking." [B27--Um, JK was more than just "the brother" in Maverick. And, I bet he's using Kaiser foil here. ;>]

 

Finally, here's an actual United Press photo taken at the same time as the shot above (notice May/Donna's shiny leather slacks!):

 

The snipe on the back reads: "CARRYING ON (Studio City, Calif): Providing a pick-me-up for his pretty wife, actress May Wynn, actor Jack Kelly bears up well under the burden outside of the pair's home in Studio City, Calif. Jack appears as Bart Maverick in the ABC Television Maverick series." And, the photo is dated 1/29/58--almost exactly 61 years ago!  

 

Well, I hope these sunny pictures have picked you up. Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS--and stay warm. :)

Those "Mercury"-al Mavericks! :)

Howdy Everyone!

Just about this time 60 years ago, the Maverick boys--Jack Kelly and James Garner--were crisscrossing the country making personal appearances.

Many of these appearances were in support of the United Appeal charity. For example, according to newspaper accounts, JK promoted the UA campaign mainly in western cities while JG did the same in the east. While JK paused for the cause in Cincinnati, JG visited Cleveland, and they eventually met up in Chicago to wrap up the promotion. Then, they returned to Hollywood to resume filming Maverick.  

So, how did Bart and Bret accomplish this whirlwind trek? Certainly not on horseback or by stagecoach. Nope, they traveled via the latest mode of luxury air transportation for 1958: a non-stop, all first-class American Airlines DC-7 propliner! It was part of AA's service dubbed the "Mercury" because of its speed (7 hours and 15 minutes from Los Angeles to New York City). 

And...well, I'll just let these vintage newspaper ads for the Mercury--starring the Mavericks!--explain the rest:

  
"Millions of viewers follow James Garner and Jack Kelly as Bret and Bart Maverick each Sunday night on ABC-TV in Maverick filmed by Warner Bros.", the text reads. "And when they set forth across the country to meet personal appearance commitments, both Mavericks follow the trail of other knowing travelers aboard American's famous Mercury. Once you've been aboard, the reason's obvious. You fly the radar-equpped DC-7, fastest airliner coast-to-coast. You enjoy reserved seats, spacious lounge, the marvelous Mercury menu and and exceptionally attentive service every minute of your flight. Make your next trip East on American's Mercury. You'll be glad you did."

There were variations of the ad tailored to different cities:

    

 

To get an idea of the Mercury "experience" for yourself, here's a fascinating video from the archives of the San Diego Air and Space Museum:

 

 

Well, I hope you enjoyed our flight through time with JK and JG. Where will TDS travel to next? Please stay tuned and find out! :)  



A Maverick in the Queen City :)

Hello!

A wonderful book recently joined the Kellection. Titled The Trouble Is Not In Your Set, it examines early television history in general and the TV scene in Cincinnati, OH, in particular. What makes it especially interesting is this fantastic photo of Jack Kelly--and Jack Kelly:

The caption reads "JACK KELLY AND JACK KELLY! -  The one on the left played James Garner's brother in the western TV series Maverick. Bret and Bart! And the one on the right is the former WCPO producer-director who drew a bead on TV shows for WCPO including the Maverick series..."

The photo isn't dated, but the feather on JK's hat is a clue as to when it was taken. This October 1958 story from the Cincinnati Post explains the significance of the feather and shows JK wearing the same vest:

"Brother Bart Maverick--Jack Kelly--rode into town on one of those new-fangled airplanes last night, with a red feather on his Western hat and his beautiful wife, actress May Wynn, on his arm," the article begins.

"The red feather was in honor of the United Appeal fund drive which Kelly is in town to boost and Mrs. Kelly was there because she always goes along on her husband's personal appearance tours..."

JK also visited the Convalescent Hospital for Children, a United Appeal agency, during his stop in Cincinnati:

 

"Fast draw" contests at children's hospitals were actually a recurring part of the Maverick's United Appeal tour:

 


The United Appeal is generally known as the United Way today. And, the Terrace Hilton, where JK is shown dealing a "winning hand" is still in existence, but just barely. Once one of Cincinnati's poshest hotels, the Terrace is now a long-derelict structure whose future--like its famed Gourmet Room Restaurant--is up in the air.

And, if you recall from a previous TDS post, Maverick aired on WCPO until 1961, when station WKRC became the ABC affiliate in Cincinnati.

Finally, The Trouble Is Not in Your Set was authored by Mary Ann Kelly. No relation to JK, though, whose mother was named Ann Mary Kelly!

Stay tuned for more about JK and the Queen City, coming soon in TDS!