Jack Kelly: Hibernian Screen Star! :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!

Vintage postcard art courtesy The Graphics Fairy 

On this day in 1960, Jack Kelly was awarded the annual "Hibernian Screen Star Award" at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles during the Ancient Order of Hibernians' St. Patrick's Day festivities:

It's a little hard to read, but the clipping says "Annual Hibernian Screen Star Award Will Be Presented to Jack 'Maverick' Kelly During the Dance." 

Although it was given in 1960, I've seen JK's award called "Favorite Irishman for 1959" in other clippings and described as a statuette of St. Patrick. Wife Donna Kelly (May Wynn) was also on hand for the award presentation:

Reservations for both the St. Patrick's Day dinner and dance were $6.00 per person. If one wished to attend only the dance it cost just $2.00. But, I'm sure we fans would have paid any amount to see JK! :)

Please stay tuned for more about our favorite Irishman for every year in the next TDS.

60 Years Ago Today...

 ...A "Bundle From Britain" arrived on Maverick!

Yes, it was on September 18, 1960, that Roger Moore debuted as "Beau Maverick", the "white sheep" cousin of the Maverick family.

I was about to ask Beau and his cousin Bart how they felt about this historic anniversary. Unfortunately, they're tied up at the moment:

Please stay tuned for more about Jack Kelly and Maverick in TDS! :)

A Stormy Moment With JK :)

Hello!

Presenting one of my favorite original vintage stills from one of my favorite Maverick episodes:  "The Goose-Drownder", starring Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick and guest-starring Fay Spain as the provocatively named dance-hall girl "Stella Legendre":  

Even in this still image, JK's and Ms. Spain's expressive eyes convey the tense emotions of the scene. 

Here's how the photo looked when it was published in The Columbus Dispatch on May 8, 1960, the date 'The Goose-Drownder' was rerun on ABC:

The caption reads, "Jack Kelly, as Bart Maverick, protects Stella Legendre, played by Fay Spain, from a vicious outlaw in 'The Goose Drownder' on Maverick, Sunday, May 8, on Chan. 6 at 7:30 p.m.)"

(The Dispatch cropped out the deceased character in the background.)

By the way, I'm always baffled when authors, reviewers, etc., claim that when Maverick originally aired in the 1950s, viewers didn't know from one week to the next if they were going to see Bret or Bart Maverick as the star of an episode. Really? Did these viewers not read "TV Guide" or their local newspapers? 

I've found that Maverick was very well-publicized during its 1957-1962 network run, with plot synopses and photos appearing in advance of each weekly episode. I found several different promo photos and write-ups for 'The Goose-Drownder' alone during my perusals of various newspaper databases. 

For example:

The caption: "TIME OF DANGER - Time is running out for Jack Kelly and Fay Spain, who are stranded in a ghost town with a band of stagecoach robbers in 'The Goose-Drownder', next segment in the Warner Bros. Maverick series, to show on Sunday, December 13 [1959], on the ABC-TV network."

Notice it says "next segment". So, viewers shouldn't have been surprised when Bart showed up as the star of "The Goose-Drownder". Unless, of course, they were too busy watching TV to read the newspaper. ;)

Well, please stay tuned for more photographical fun with JK in TDS! :)

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. :)



A Three-Day Special! :)

Bart and Bret are here to welcome the Memorial Day weekend! :)

I hope everyone has a safe and meaningful Memorial Day. 

Remembering...

Edd Byrnes

1933-2020

Edd Byrnes, who passed away on January 8, 2020, was best known for his portrayal of "Gerald Kookson III" (a.k.a. "Kookie"), the slang-slinging parking lot attendant on the popular Warner Bros. TV series 77 Sunset Strip.

Kookie constantly combed his hair. This shtick inspired Byrnes' 1959 hit single (with Connie Stevens) "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)":

It also led to his hilarious cameo in the 1960 "Hadley's Hunters" episode of Maverick with Jack Kelly:

Here's a photo of JK and wife Donna with Byrnes from a 1960 magazine article:

The caption reads: "Edd's an avid listener when veterans in the business want to talk [such as] Jack Kelly (with wife)".

Byrnes and JK would cross acting paths again nearly 20 years later in the "Defection to Paradise" episode of The Hardy Boys:

 Rest in peace, Mr. Byrnes.

Happy Halloween 2019! :)

I love this "boo"-tiful still from "The Witch of Hound Dog" episode of Maverick, don't you? :)

Here's how it looked in the Cincinnati Enquirer when this kooky, spooky episode originally aired on November 6, 1960:

"A Kiss A Week - Jack Kelly finds himself an almost unwilling captive of Anita Sands, who thinks of herself as 'The Witch of Hound Dog' tonight on Channel 9's Maverick at 7:30. (Did you ever notice that each week one of the Mavericks puts in several moments of osculation time--Ed.)"

An ad for this episode:

Now, don't forget to come back and see what's next in "TDS"--right, Pappy?

 Raven portrait courtesy of www.vectorstock.com

Bart Maverick Gets My Vote! :)

Hello!

Since today is Election Day in the U.S., a look at Jack Kelly's Maverick episode "The People's Friend" is in order. Below are some vintage newspaper ads which publicized the episode when it originally aired in 1960. Enjoy! :) 



"FAVORITE SON? MAVERICK - Pappy's boy Bart gets nominated for state senator--as a reform candidate. Poker, romance and other pleasures appear taboo--but trouble's a running mate on the ticket!"

 

"Give up poker for politics? It seems next to impossible, but see the reformed Bart Maverick in a campaign story rich in comedy and cutthroats."

 

 

 

BONUS IMAGE:

 

JK and Merry Anders in "The People's Friend", courtesy of the Internet Movie Database:

 



The Retiring Mr. Redford :)

Hello!

Robert Redford recently announced that he's retiring from acting. It turns out his first television role was a small part ("Jimmy Coleman") in the "Iron Hand" episode of Maverick opposite Jack Kelly in 1960. MeTV took note of this and posted an interesting article on their website:

Redford's first big scene came while sitting around the campfire during a cattle drive with Bart Maverick:

Of course, Redford later went onto big screen stardom in films such as The Sting which was apparently partially inspired by the Maverick episode "Shady Deal at Sunny Acres". 

Please stay tuned for more about JK in TDS! :)

Wake Up and Read! :)

Hello!

Some vintage magazines and a book featuring Jack Kelly recently joined the Kellection.

In one of those magazines, I found this brilliant ad:

1959 ad promoting "National Library Week" (more here)

So, let's do just that: wake up and read about JK! :)

First up, here's a short but sweet write-up about Mr. K from a column in a 1960 newspaper TV magazine:

"STAR CALLING: Things are restless at the Warner [Bros.] corral again. Clint 'Cheyenne' Walker is threatening another walkout. Jim 'Maverick' Garner is still holding out even though 10 of the new season's shows are already completed. Ty ['Bronco'] Hardin has suddenly but so sincerely got religion he is giving Bible readings on the set between scenes.

Only Jack 'Bart Maverick' Kelly is content. He has a new contract. He's bought himself a stylish new house in the most expensive section of Sunset Boulevard, where he's pushing out walls, installing a swimming pool and right now living surrounded by packing boxes. Donna, his wife, who as a movie starlet called herself May Wynn, does all the cooking and housework since no maid would submit to the clutter everywhere and eating off a two-foot coffee table while seated on old camel cushions, which so far are the Kellys' only chairs.

'Clint Walker can really live in the wilds,' Jack told me. 'He likes it. The last time he walked out on the studio, he took his family with him and they were really free people, not dependent on the comforts like most of the rest of us are for happiness. Wayde Preston, if he really quits, could make a fine living flying. Ef Zimbalist is talented in a dozen ways, but me, I'm just an actor. It's all I've ever wanted to be--a good actor, preferably in light comedy.

'Oh, I know. I work those impossible TV hours, usually seven A.M. to seven P.M. I never can go away because even over the weekends I'm studying scripts. I spend whatever free time I have at home, when I'm not making like an amateur chef, or watching TV--studying performances. I'm the kind of goof who cried at Father Knows Best, and all the time behind everything else I'm thinking about how I can be a better light comedian.

'That's why I miss Jim Garner being out of the series. We work together like a right and left hand. The first time we ever met we had to make a [screen] test together. We weren't even introduced. I asked him why he was standing up so tall, trying to top me, and Jim took it from there.

'It's been like that with us ever since. I think the best Mavericks have been the ones in which we were together. All Jim and I have to do in a scene is turn and look at one another and we know just what to do to make it funnier. If I had anything to do with it, which unfortunately I don't, Jim would be back tomorrow.'"

Please stay tuned and read more about JK in TDS! :)

"The Kook-Krazy Kellys" :)

Howdy!

My neighborhood looked like a wintry wonderland this weekend after a storm left a few inches of snow on the ground, with more flakes forecast to fall.

The Bartistamobile's doors were frozen shut (thankfully, I finally got them open) and the snow plow made it only half-way up my street. So, it was a good weekend to just stay indoors, keep warm and nosh on comfort food. I whipped up a big pot of chili on Saturday afternoon and made a pork roast on Sunday evening.

Speaking of cooking: I've written about Jack Kelly's culinary skills before, and here's a wonderful 1960 newspaper story about "The Kook-Krazy Kellys":

"To Sunday night western TV fans, he's Bart 'Maverick', but to his lovely wife Donna Kelly, he's 'Jack the Giant Cooker'. Jack and Donna, known to their friends as 'the cooking Kellys', live in a small honeymoon cottage in the Hollywood hills, the kitchen of which is a his and her's workshop for their at-home hobby--cooking.

But cooking for the Kellys is actually more than a hobby. Jack and his wife qualify as 'gourmets' in the absolute definition of the word. 'We don't cook for just ourselves,' says Donna, 'we practically run a small restaurant'.

The More The Merrier 

Hardly a weekend passes at the Kelly home that they don't serve dinner for ten, or more often, twenty people. Friends, calling on the phone, who ask Jack 'what's cooking?' mean it literally.

'Although we're both Irish,' says Jack, 'we love Italian food. Donna called me one Friday at the studio and said she was in the mood to start cooking up an Italian dinner for Sunday and asked if I would call my mother and ask her to come. We had planned for just three people but every time somebody called and found out that we were cooking our 'Italian-special' they somehow got an invitation. It started a chain reaction and at two o'clock Sunday afternoon, sixteen people sat down to a meal it had taken us three days to prepare.'

The twelve-course feast took almost eight hours to eat. At eight that evening everyone was full and there were still two courses to go.

'We don't eat like this all the time,' Jack told his friends when they had finished. 'We go on a health-food kick about once a month. If we didn't, I would get so fat I couldn't fit into any of my Maverick clothes.

On the other hand, Donna, known professionally as May Wynn, tips the scale at a delicate 105 and doesn't worry about gaining weight. 'I grew up in an Italian-Irish section of New York. I was the most famous kid in the neighborhood because I could eat more than anyone else in my family. To my Italian friends that was the best compliment one could give them.'

Culinary Courtship

Jack and Donna are currently writing a cook book which will be published in the near future. All of the recipes are original and since cooking for each other was, and has been, an important part of their courtship and marriage, they are writing their own love story around the different dishes. Appropriately, they have titled the book, 'Love 'N' Oven'.

'When I was dating Jack,' recalls Donna, 'we didn't like to go out for dinner very much. It was more fun to cook for each other and when he would call I'd tell him to bring a steak and we would have a bar-b-que.'

'This was great', retorts Jack, 'but more often than not she would call me back and tell me to bring enough steak for eight people. She was always having friends drop by unexpectedly. It got so expensive I finally had to marry her. Now I'm lucky if we get away with serving only eight.'

According to Jack there is only one drawback to their three-day Italian cooking sprees. Being Catholics, they don't eat meat on Friday so they can't taste the sauces while they are being prepared. The aroma really tortures them.

'But you should see us on Saturday morning,' says Donna. Kelly and I race for the cooking pot to be the first to taste our concoction.'

The Kelly kitchen, which is very large considering the smallness of their one-bedroom cottage, is well-equipped for their cooking artistry. But in the space meant for a large modern range, there stands a small stove. 'There are only four burners on top,' explained Jack, 'but take a look at that 30-inch oven. We used to have a seven-hundred dollar range but we gave it away to charity because it had a normal-sized oven. We picked up this 30-inch job on sale for a hundred and fifty bucks.' This little-big oven, which is their pride and joy, has seen the lion's share of use. Last year, Donna cooked a 30-pound roast beef in it.

'It was a monster,' Donna remembers. 'I could hardly lift it and it was bigger around than I am. We took a picture of it.'

So, in the evenings after a day on the golf course together, when Jack isn't working, Jack and Donna are usually busy before their huge fireplace compiling recipes, checking ingredients or experimenting in the kitchen with new ideas.

All of their recipes include one thing, says Jack: 'Taste frequently and season with lots of love.'" :)

It's a shame that Jack and Donna's cookbook was never published. Oh well, there's always something cookin' in TDS--please stay tuned! :)

Kelly On "Call"! :)

Hello!

Sometimes I find Kellectibles, and sometimes they find me. The latter was the case when I serendipitously stumbled upon a stash of vintage original Warner Bros. TV call sheets--including two for Maverick! Naturally, they quickly joined the Kellection.

A call sheet is a document (often prepared by an assistant director) that's distributed to the cast and crew of  a TV or film production. It lists call (start) times, personnel, locations, etc., needed for the next day's shooting. Vintage call sheets can provide a wealth of information for fans, researchers and Kellectors.

I'd seen call sheets for Maverick before, but this group of documents is extra special because they're all for one very busy day (Thursday, October 13, 1960) and they're for nearly every TV series being produced on the Warner lot at the time. Besides Maverick, there are call sheets for Cheyenne, Bronco, Lawman, 77 Sunset Strip, Surfside 6, The Roaring 20's, and Hawaiian Eye (nope, not filmed in Hawaii ;>). TV commercials were also being filmed and cartoons were having dialogue recorded.

The Maverick episode Jack Kelly was filming was "Dodge City Or Bust":

As you can see, JK had a 6:30 am PT make-up call. His poor co-star, Diana Millay, had to come in an hour earlier, probably for hair styling. In addition to his crack-of-dawn call time, JK had to deal with another issue during this episode. He'd broken his hand prior to filming and had to wear a cast, which was removed so he could film his scenes and then replaced. Youch!

The episode's filming locations are at the top of the sheet below (also shown are locations for Hawaiian Eye). All the locations are on the Warner lot:

 

 Sadly, the famous Warner western street set (also known as "Laramie Street") was razed in 2003 and replaced by a row of residential-fronted buildings which can be used as both production offices and sets.

Here are a couple of vintage stills from "Dodge City or Bust", which originally aired on December 11, 1960. The info on the back of the first still says: "ON THE RUN -- Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) helps a lovely girl named Diana (Diana Millay) escape from a posse when both are falsely accused of bank-robbery and murder in 'Dodge City or Bust', the latest episode of Maverick. The Warner Bros. drama airs Sunday, Dec. 11, on the ABC-TV network."

"Dodge City or Bust" was rerun on June 11, 1961, according to the info on the back of the next still: "WANTED -- Jack Kelly and beauteous Diana Millay rehearse a scene for a Warner Bros. Maverick episode in which they find themselves linked both romantically and on the sheriff's wanted list for bank robbery and murder. Titled 'Dodge City or Bust', the segment runs Sunday, June 11, on the ABC-TV network."

The second Maverick episode being filmed on 10/13/60 was "Bolt From the Blue", starring Roger Moore as Beau Maverick. Note the director: Robert Altman, who also wrote the episode and, of course, went on to direct big-screen classics such as M*A*S*H and Nashville. RM had a 7:30 am PT make-up call. If you recall from an earlier TDS post, he had some interesting memories of filming Maverick.

Speaking of memories, ME-TV will remember Sir Roger Moore with a special showing of his Maverick episode "The Town That Wasn't There" later today (Saturday, May 27) at 10:00 ET. Be sure to check your local listings for correct channel and time.

And, be sure to come back and visit TDS--you just never know what other Kellectibles I've found...or have found me. :)

"Give The Boots The Stars Wear" Pt IV

And the "boot" goes on... :)

This slick 1960 ad is probably the best known Acme Boot ad featuring the Maverick boys--it appeared in popular large format magazines such as Life and The Saturday Evening Post, and it turns up for sale as a standalone Kellectible now and then:

The photo from which the images of JK and JG down in the left corner were taken recently became a part of the Kellection.

Speaking of images, after poring over all these wonderful vintage Acme ads, I got to thinking about the different products that Maverick and its stars were used to advertise. "Mavertising", as it were. :)

The connection to Jeep automobiles and to Kaiser aluminum foil and siding is a no-brainer: they were owned by the show's main sponsor, Kaiser Industries.

Peter Paul was also a Maverick sponsor at one point.

And don't forget the Topper scooter.

In the case of Acme Boots, author Jane M. Gaines reveals in her book Contested Culture: The Image, The Voice and The Law how Acme became the boots the stars wore: "But it is also important to see merchandising as a part of scientific management strategy, in which the principle was to turn star property into capital wherever possible. Control of the star image gave studios certain leverage with other industries with which they may have had many other kinds of cooperative arrangements. And in fact, studios even traded star images for free supplies of props such as automobiles, wild animals and cowboy boots. The Warner Bros. merchandising contract with Acme Boot Company, for instance, gave the studio a $2500 cash advance and fifty-four dozen pairs of western boots each year for two years in exchange for the use of the stars of Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Lawman and Maverick in their advertising."

By the way, I haven't seen Roger Moore (cousin Beau Maverick) in any of these Acme ads, maybe because of some candid remarks he made while filming Maverick. He recounted to a Reuters reporter in 2008, "At Warner Bros. I was doing (the 1950's TV series) Maverick and sitting on the back lot and it was hot and my feet were pinched in these bloody cowboy boots. I was doing an interview and said the reason there were so many killers in the Old West was the boots--they pinched their feet and they got bad-tempered and shot one another. About a month later, I was sent for by Bill Orr, who was the head of Warner Bros. TV and he said: 'You know, the Acme Boot Company are very upset. They supply our boots and you'd better stop saying these things.'"

UPDATE! I found RM's original comments in a 1960 Australian "TV Week"

Well, I'm sure you won't complain when you see what's coming up next in TDS.  ;->



RIP Leslie H Martinson

Hello All,

On Monday 9/5 I posted a lobby card from Jack Kelly's film FBI Code 98. This film was directed by Leslie H. Martinson, who also helmed 18 episodes of Maverick.

Sadly, the talented and prolific Mr. Martinson passed away on 9/6, at the age of 101. His obituary in the New York Times includes a great photo of JK and Roger Moore with Mr. Martinson. This photo also appeared in a article about JK which was published in TV Weekly in 1960 and which I blogged about in 2011.

Roger Moore shared some interesting tidbits about working with JK and Mr. Martinson in his autobiography My Word Is My Bond. You can read them here.

BTW, Mr. Martinson wasn't the only long-lived Maverick director. Richard Bare, who directed 11 episodes of the series, was also 101 when he passed away in 2015!

A Blast From the Pages of the Past :)

Hello Everyone,

I love delving into vintage magazines and books to learn more about Jack Kelly. I've also enjoyed countless hours scrolling through various newspaper archives to research posts such "All the World's A Stage With JK".

While wandering around these archives, I've also found some great, rare pictures of JK to share. They're PDF images scanned from old newspapers, so they're not the clearest pictures, but I'm sure you'll enjoy them, nonetheless.

Remember my 2009 post about "JK Goes To Rodeo", with photos from a Japanese magazine showing JK at a rodeo? For years, the date and location of this rodeo was a mystery (at least to me--I don't read Japanese). Then, I finally learned that JK was the grand marshal of the annual Palm Springs Rodeo parade on January 28, 1961. The "queen" of the rodeo was actress Barbara Nichols, who'd co-starred with JK in "The Third Rider" episode of Maverick.

But, Ms. Nichols was actually a replacement rodeo queen! Thanks to a newspaper archive, I discovered that the original 1961 queen was none other than Bart Maverick's Charleston partner, Dorothy Provine, pictured here with JK putting a rodeo bumper sticker on a vehicle at the Warner Bros. studio:

Ms. Provine had to abdicate at the last minute due to an eye ailment. So, Ms. Nichols assumed the crown--er, cowboy hat. Below, she's clowning with JK. (He's plugging his ear because she's pretending to shoot at the photographer.) The newspaper story says that "thousands" of spectators were on hand to watch the Palm Springs parade and rodeo.

Now, here's a cute shot of JK getting a friendly smooch from one of his poodles in 1958:

I'd read that JK was a guest at Sammy Davis Jr.'s November 1960 wedding to Swedish actress May Britt. What I didn't know was that JK and James Garner had presented a humanitarian award from the Los Angeles chapter of the Shriner's organization to Davis earlier that same year. (That's JK second from right with his hand on Sammy's shoulder; singer Arthur Lee Simpkins is next to JG.) Strangely, the photo caption IDs JG as "Bart" and JK as "Bret"!

Finally, here's JK (at right) in 1969 presenting another award, this time to an amateur actor in Akron, Ohio. JK was appearing at the Canal Fulton Summer Arena at the time.

  
Coming up in TDS:

• Forget "Black Friday". You don't want to miss "Black Tuesday"! :)
• Part III of "All the World's a Stage With JK".
• And more--stay tuned!

Bon Appetit, JK! :)

Hello!

When researching Jack Kelly, it quickly becomes obvious that the man loved cooking and food. Mentions of his culinary interests are peppered throughout old newspaper and magazine stories, such as this tasty tidbit from 1961:

"...But a real Irishman, Jack Kelly, the Bart of Maverick fame, passes up such things as Irish stew for Mexican dishes. He is a real lover of enchiladas."

Here's a rare color shot of JK and wife Donna (a.k.a. May Wynn) whipping up something yummy at the kitchen stove:

Learning more about JK's love of cooking has also helped me to discover other interesting foodies. For example, below is a 1959 press photo of JK demonstrating how to slice Italian bread length-wise (and, as Crocodile Dundee would say, "Now that's a knife"). There's Donna again, and the woman in the center is identified as Mary Hart.

Obviously, that's not the Mary Hart who used to host Entertainment Tonight. A bit of research revealed that this lady was actually named Mary Sorensen. She was a food columnist for the Minneapolis Tribune/Star-Tribune for over 40 years and "Mary Hart" was her pen name. Celebrities such as JK were featured in her column from time to time. (A photo at this link shows her in 1961 with famed TV emcee Art Linkletter.) Incidentally, Ms. Sorensen's husband was a food chemist who helped invent the instant version of Cream of Wheat cereal!

I've also learned a little bit about the Los Angeles restaurant scene in the 1950's, since when he wasn't cooking, JK frequented establishments such as the Valley Casa D'Amore in North Hollywood (dig those prices!):

Now, how do I know JK ate there? Because he signed the back of the menu above. I have no idea who the "Greene girls!" (to whom he wrote, "I sure hope we'll always be friends") are, however:

Trivia: The original Casa D'Amore opened on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood in 1939. It was the first pizzeria in Southern California and was owned and named for brothers Franklyn and Pasquale "Patsy" D'Amore, immigrants from Southern Italy. Patsy D'Amore later opened the Villa Capri, a favorite hangout of stars such as Frank Sinatra. (Franklyn D'Amore's daughter, Connie Ruel, has a very nice blog here.) 

More Los Angeles-area restaurants visted by JK:

A pre-Maverick JK at a French bistro in Santa Monica, CA, in 1956.

JK and wife May Wynn (Donna Kelly) enjoy "a leisurely Sunday brunch" in 1957

This last photo below, dated March 1960, shows Donna and JK about to enjoy a home-cooked meal (and, yes, that is a poodle on his lap!) The snipe on the back of this vintage photo reads, "THE COOKING KELLYS--Jack Kelly, he's Bart Maverick of the television series, and his wife Donna prepare to sample a bit of their own kitchen handywork. The Kellys, who are good cooks, frequently cook the dinner when entertaining guests at home in Hollywood."

 

 

Well, I hope this post whets your "appetite" for more about JK, because there's lots more to come. I'm working on a series about some of JK's stage roles. Recently, I was fortunate enough to find a truly rare (and maybe even one-of-a-kind) document which provides a behind-the-scenes peek at one of JK's Broadway appearances. I also found a similar document for one of JK's television appearances, so, please stay tuned! :)