Make Room For JK! (Pt. II)

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Here's Part II of Zuma Palmer's 1961 interview with JK, conducted in his plush dressing room at Warner Bros. studios:

JK in a screenshot from "The Golden Fleecing" episode of Maverick, which was filming when this interview was conducted. 

“Jack Kelly is one person who ‘loves his job and thrives on work.’

“’I like television when it on the prestige level it is now,’ he said.

“How does the actor look at Bart Maverick, his role in the Maverick series? 

“’[Bart] is not an outright hero and not a bum,’ he stated. ‘He is not a crook. He legitimately earns his living with gambling devices. He backs off from cheating.’ 

“How does [Kelly] classify the series?

“It is sophisticated, high-style comedy,’ Kelly declared. ‘During the [1960] writer’s strike we had to use straight dramatic material. Some viewers noticed the difference and objected. We did not want to do an anthology, that should be left up to Dick Powell who does it so well.’

“’Casting is basically not a problem,’ he continued, ‘Writing is roughly our only problem because where sophisticated comedy is concerned, it is not easy to pick up acceptable material.’

SITS IN

"Kelly sits in on the Monday story conferences with Arthur Silver, (the supervising producer), the director and the writer. ‘I have five years of Maverickian knowledge,’ he remarked.

“The actor likes all the directors under contract at Warner Bros., but the three with whom he believes he can ‘punch out the work better’ are Irving Moore, Michael O’Herlihy and Les Martinson.

“’They are sympatico with the Maverick idea,’ Kelly explained. ‘They know comedic facial values, for instance, and keep me from going overboard in the matter of grimaces to remarks and situations.’

“The actor has a key group on the set, the same gaffer or head electrician, cameraman, wardrobe and prop man. ‘I don’t have so many questions to answer,’ he said.

FIRST JOB

“The first job of Kelly was as a model in a soap advertisement. He was two weeks old. His pay was ‘a finn’, a five-dollar bill which he still has.

“His father, the late John A. Kelly, was a real estate operator; his mother, Ann M. Walsh, an actress. He was not the only member of the family to inherit acting ability. His sisters, Nancy and Carol, are actresses. Brother William chose to be an art student. He is not the only professional in his own home, his wife being May Wynn (Donna Lee Hickey). 

“Kelly was a law student at UCLA when World War II was declared. Sent to Alaska as a weather observer for the Air Force, he was on the first B-29 to fly over the Arctic Circle.

OPINIONS

“Kelly is of the opinion that ‘producers who don’t have responsibility will not make the kind of pictures people will want to watch’.

“He believes that it is the responsibility of parents ‘to instill spiritual values in their children so that will become the type of citizens they should be.’”

***

OPINIONS: JK DID HAVE 'EM! PLEASE STAY TUNED NEXT TIME WHEN HE SPEAKS HIS MIND ABOUT A WESTERN ICON TURNED DIRECTOR AND AN ACTOR HE DIDN'T (BUT DID) LIKE! 

Make Room For JK!

Howdy!

Previously in TDS, I discussed dresses which appeared in Maverick. Now, let’s take a fun and insightful visit to Jack Kelly’s DRESS-ing room at Warner Bros. 

Columnist Sheilah Graham had reported in early 1961 that since JK was now the top star of Maverick he'd been given "a new plush dressing room on the Warner lot complete with hi-fi, FM radio tape recorder, etc., etc.".  Another veteran newspaper scribe, Zuma Palmer, visited JK in his posh studio digs later the same year: 

“There was a guard at the parking lot, a guard sitting at a desk inside the door to the publicity department and a guard in a covered place at the entrance to the dressing room and stage area. 

“In walking to dressing room suite No. 9, Ted Ashton of the Warner Bros. publicity department, [publicist] Eddie Kafafian and I passed a half-marked tennis court. The other half had been used in a scene in Task Force and was pitted by explosives.

“Jack Kelly did not answer the knock so we knew lunch break had not yet come for the Maverick cast. 

“Jack L. Warner’s shuttered private dining room was on the way to the soundstage. Kelly, who is Bart Maverick, was stretched out on a settee dozing while Paula Raymond was before the cameras in a riverboat setting.

“’It is easy to go to sleep when you’re up at 6,’ Kelly remarked.

“For a TV set there seemed to be many costumed actors around. Richard Loo was the Chinese [actor]. Kelly later said there were 40 [extras] for atmosphere. ‘The Golden Fleecing’ by Charles B. Smith is the tentative title for this Maverick episode. [B27- Of course, this was also the final title of the ep.]

JK with Paula Raymond as "Adele Jaggers" in "The Golden Fleecing" 

episode of Maverick, which first aired on October 8, 1961

“The first actions of Kelly upon reaching his dressing room were to tune into music and loosen his shirt collar. 

LUNCH

“The lunch, ordered by Ashton from the commissary, was brought by a man in a spotless white suit. Off the main room of Kelly’s suite is a small dining and kitchen area.

“When the actor saw the steak, the peas, French fries, sliced tomatoes and onions and fruit cup, he remarked, ‘I usually just have milk with Knox Gelatine and that gives me time for a nap or to work on a hobby.’

"Beside the amplifier on which he had been working was a rack of plastic handles for tools. On a shelf was model of the ship Essex.

“Upon returning from making a motion picture in Hong Kong, Kelly learned that Warner Bros. was looking for someone to play Bart.

“Kelly said he told William Orr and Hugh Benson, TV head and assistant top man [respectively], ‘There is no use of your spending $5000 on a [screen] test. I played in a series here ("Kings Row") which flopped and I have been in pictures. You know what I can do. I will ad lib on the set with Garner before the cameras.’

HIRED

“’I am 6 feet and Jim is about 6 feet four,’ the actor continued. ‘I was standing in a hole. I was hired. Jim and I worked well together.’

“Some time later there were contractual problems.

“’Jim had some other things in mind he wanted to do,’ Kelly reported. ‘I wanted to stay. I liked the steady salary, the first time in my career I had had one. I came down in my asking price and Jack L. Warner came up.’

“’I have been studying about real estate,’ he said, ‘and buying up acreage, not to develop, someone else can do that. I am not interested in buying houses. I have had unfortunate experiences with them.'”

MUCH MORE IN STORE IN PT. II--PLEASE STAY TUNED! :)

JK At the Tee in 1963 :)

Hello Everyone!

On June 16, 1963, a charmingly tousled Jack Kelly participated in the third annual Celebrity Golf Tournament at March Air Force Base in Riverside, California:

In 1962, JK won a trophy at the same tourney for "the longest drive off the 10th tee" (354 yards). 

Shown in the background is Bob Wilke, famed western bad guy who won the tourney's top prize in 1961 and was competing again in 1963. JK had previously faced Wilke both on the links and on Maverick.

Please stay tuned "fore" more about JK in TDS! :)

Lave--It's Saturday Night! :)

 Hello Everyone!

Original 1961 Maverick publicity still scanned and colorized 

from the La Bartista Kellection 

It's Saturday night, and rub-a-dub-dub, here's Bart Maverick in a tub! He's getting all spruced up for the holiday weekend.  Yaquito (Ref Sanchez) is there to remind him to wash behind his ears.

Of course, this is really a colorized original publicity still for the Maverick episode "A State of Siege", which initially aired on ABC-TV on January 1, 1961. The plot has Bart in New Mexico, where he lands smack in the middle of a political siege at his new amigo Don Felipe Archelata's hacienda. Don Felipe is played by Ray Danton. Lisa Gaye also guest stars as Don Felipe's fiancée Soledad Lazarro:

Original 1961 Maverick publicity still scanned 

from the La Bartista Kellection 

Although it's not acknowledged in the episode credits, "A State of Siege" is based--very loosely--on the Robert Louis Stevenson novella "The Pavillion on the Links", which deals with intrigue in Scotland. According to original Maverick documents in the Kellection, Stevenson's story appeared to be in the public domain in most of the world at the time and Warner Bros. acquired "all rights in the teleplay adaptation without restrictions or obligations."

Please stay tuned for much more about our amigo Jack Kelly in the next TDS! :)

An Imaginary Trio :)

Happy New Year Everyone!

I've puzzled over Brent Maverick before in TDS. He was the mysterious Maverick brother who suddenly appeared and then disappeared in early 1961. 

As far as Maverick episodes go, Brent's tenure was just two and through. Apparently, though, some folks didn't get the message. Like, the editor of the Chicago Daily Tribune's "TV Week" section:

Yep, that's Brent (Robert Colbert) showing off his $1000 bill to brother Bart (Jack Kelly) and cousin Beau (Roger Moore).  JK, RG and RC posed for a series of goofy pictures like the one above. Which is odd, since this particular configuration of Mavericks didn't exist in the actual series. Beau and Moore had already vanished from Maverick by the time Brent showed up. 

But, that didn't stop "TV Week" from publishing this fantastic photo in July of 1961. Plus, the cover story (titled "Coming Up: One More Maverick") presents Brent as a character who hadn't yet debuted, rather than one who had already come and gone:

"There's another Maverick riding down Channel 7's TV trail this season--name of Brent, relative of Bret, Bart and Beau. His real name is Robert Colbert--and he's the latest substitute pressed into duty for James Garner, who blew the Maverick series amid a flurry of lawsuits. First, there was Roger Moore, who subbed as the Mavericks' British cousin, Beau. But, Roger proved too Piccadilly for TV viewers and is being dealt out of the game.

"Now comes Brent, or Bob Colbert, who bears a striking resemblance to Garner, the original. They even sound alike.

"Bob's introduction to the role came as a complete surprise. One day, after rehearsing for a Lawman episode, he was told to report to Warner Bros.'s wardrobe department for a costume. When the attendants dressed him in fancy dude's outfit, he told them they were making a big mistake. 

"Still in the dark as to what was happening, Bob reported to ABC production bosses. They eyed him up and down.

"'He's perfect,' said one official. 'We can use the same stock footage.'

"The young actor finally got the drift: He was nominated to be the new Maverick brother.

"'I know it's tough to follow the original,' Bob says realistically. 'I don't hope to be as good as Jim Garner. But I think the show can capture the same flavor it had in those early days. We are going back to the original concept of the Mavericks as slightly larcenous and cowardly, instead of playing them as the standard western heroes. There's enough of that on TV.'"

(Of course, Colbert realized all along that Garner's boots were way too big to fill and later admitted he told his bosses, "Put me in a dress and call me 'Brenda' but don't do this to me!")

Here's another fun pic of the imaginary Maverick trio from the Kellection:

"Surprise! I was just pretendin' to be a Maverick--now give me your thousand-dollar bills!" ;)

Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS. :) 

Color Him Ambitious :)

 Hello Everyone, 

In the 1961 feature film A Fever In the Blood, Jack Kelly plays an ambitious district attorney named "Dan Callahan":

Detail from original vintage B&W A Fever In the Blood promo portrait
of Jack Kelly from the La Bartista Kellection. Hand-tinted by La Bartista 

using photo editing software.

Although JK's character isn't mentioned by name in the contemporaneous newspaper review below, the author does provide a cynical but accurate analysis of A Fever In the Blood. In fact, the title of the review sums up the plot pretty well: "All's Fair in Politics and Murder". 

The review begins, "If the men in a movie called A Fever in the Blood had as much blood in them as they have fever, this might be a useful study of professional politicians who have little aptitude for their work."

It continues, "The title of this movie...implies that politics is a disease. But like many films that deal with disease, this one suffers from the symptoms which it seeks to diagnose. Its real conviction is that politics is a fascinating fight for power, that the details of this fight are dramatic and important, that honesty is a doubtful asset which sometimes wins on a fluke, and that 90 minutes in a theater are well-spent if they reveal which one of a group of tricksters finally becomes governor of an unfortunate anonymous state.

"Almost everyone in the movie wants to become governor...In one courtroom scene, during a murder trial, the presiding judge [Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.] is a candidate for governor; the district attorney [JK] is a rival candidate; one of the witnesses [Herbert Marshall] is an ex-governor who is a force in the election; and in the judge's chambers next door is another candidate [Don Ameche] who is waiting for a recess so that he can offer the judge a bribe...Justice fights with politics for the camera's attention and it is hard to say which is more unattractive as presented here. This is a movie divided against itself, as they say in politics. The question becomes whodunnit instead of whowunnit."

The reviewer has several objections to how the trial is depicted, describing it as "bizarre" and noting that "the judge fails to disqualify himself from sitting on the case even though the prosecuting attorney is a close personal duck-hunting friend, and even though their lives are all snarled up in political maneuverings."

He also pinpoints one of the major faults of A Fever In the Blood: "Its style of storytelling seems to be adapted from television. The action always has an indoors and confined feeling, and the shots are tight, close-in, and hurried, as though they must move out of the way of the next commercial...The movie needs more elbow room, and it needs to take a deep breath."

Well, A Fever In the Blood is still worth watching, even if only to see JK.

The original vintage B&W A Fever In the Blood promo portrait 

of Jack Kelly from the La Bartista Kellection from which the color detail above was created.

 Please stay tuned for more about JK in the next TDS. :)

"Sub" of a Gun! :)

 

In tonight's episode of Maverick, Bart misplaces his pistol and must use his hand as a substitute gun. ;)

Seriously, this is a still from the "Substitute Gun" episode of Maverick which recently joined the Kellection. The episode first aired on April 2, 1961. 

Joining Jack Kelly in this still is erstwhile child actor Jack (Jackie) Searle, who portrayed the appropriately named Wilbur Smiley Drake. 

JS and JK would act together again in an episode of The Lucy Show titled "Lucy Makes a Pinch", which originally aired on November 9, 1964! 

Please stay tuned for the next TDS--accept no substitutes. :)

New Season, New Time--But No Brent :)

Howdy!

With the new fall TV season starting, I decided to look back to September 1961, when Maverick was beginning its fifth (and unfortunately final) season. And, I noticed something strange:

Brent Maverick (Robert Colbert), who was never mentioned before, suddenly showed up in Season Four as Bart's brother. He appeared in only two episodes that season and was never mentioned again. So, why is he featured prominently in this newspaper ad for the Season Five premiere?

I thought maybe this particular newspaper made a mistake, but here's a similar ad in a different newspaper from September '61:

"Three B's--Bart, Brent and Bullets--call the tune for a whole shootin' shebang of Western adventure! Jack Kelly, Robert Colbert star", this ad proclaims. But, this season, Bart was actually riding solo. There was no Brother Bret (except in reruns), no Cousin Beau--and no Brent:

This article states that "Jack Kelly won't be sharing his adventures and romances with any relatives while traveling down the TV trail this fall. Bart Maverick will be happily going it alone when Warner Bros.' Maverick series for ABC-TV begins its fifth year at a new time, 5:30-6:30 CDT. The hardy and contented Kelly will be without his former partners, James Garner, Roger Moore and Robert Colbert, who are currently otherwise occupied."

But, JK didn't complain about having to carry the show alone. The article quoted him as saying, "I've no sympathy for actors who declare how tough it is to play [in] a series week after week. I've never enjoyed acting more since I started to portray Bart, a wonderful, gay character whom I understand and like. It's great to be associated with a success. And, that weekly paycheck is a pleasant reminder of how lucky I am."

JK was indeed lucky to find a role he loved and be paid for it. However, in September 1961, Warner Bros. did not need to pay the Brent. ;>

Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS.

Jack Kelly Japanese Style :)

Hello!

We've seen Jack Kelly featured in Japanese magazines here, here and here in TDS.

Now, let's have a look at JK (and James Garner & Robert Colbert) from the pages of yet another Japanese periodical. Nearly all of this 1961 magazine was devoted to the Old West and to US TV westerns such as Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Bronco, Rawhide and of course Maverick: 

As we say sayonara to today's post, please stay tuned for more fun with JK from the pages of the past, including a 1950's scrapbook all the way from the UK and a couple of other interesting books recently added to the Kellection. :)  

More "Mavertising" :)

Hello!

In a few past posts in TDS, I've looked at some of the companies which sponsored Maverick during its original US network run, such as the Ideal Toy Corporation and Peter Paul.

I just stumbled upon yet another Maverick sponsor--The Keystone Camera Company. Not only did Keystone advertise on Maverick, they used a pic of Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick on the back of the playing card shown below to promote their sponsorship:

 According to Sponsor magazine, Keystone advertised on Maverick and other series such as Adventures In Paradise in the months leading up to Christmas in 1961. Their prime-time campaign was Keystone's first foray into network advertising and targeted 125 major TV markets. 

Keystone joined Ideal, Peter Paul, Maytag, Brillo and Schick in sponsoring Maverick  during the Fall of 1961. Of course, the primary sponsor of Maverick remained Kaiser Industries, which plugged its aluminum and Jeep products throughout the show's run.

What's next in TDS? Please stay tuned and find out! :)

"Boyfriend" Bart (And Bret!) :)

Howdy!

Remember our date with the Maverick brothers, courtesy of a British fan magazine in the Kellection?

Well, another smashing view of Bart and Bret recently arrived from across the pond:

 

It's a two-page poster from a 1961 issue of Boyfriend magazine. Notice that the caption says "BRET and BART - Stars of ATV's Maverick". ATV was one of the networks on which the series aired in the UK. As you may recall, Maverick and other imported TV westerns were very popular in Britain.

Here's a closer look at Jack Kelly as brother Bart:

 

Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS. :)

JK Sunday Funny :)

"You had just one job to do...just one thing you were supposed to take care of...so tell me: How on earth did you forget to buy our tickets to Hamilton?!"



JK Loves A Parade Pt. V :)

Hello!

There's already snow on the ground where I live, so let's hurry back to Jack Kelly and Barbara Nichols in sunny Palm Springs, California:

 Something's still holding their attention...

 

"The horses are going faster than we are!"

 

"I think he found the accelerator."

 

More fun to come--please stay tuned! :)

JK Loves A Parade Pt. IV

Hello Everyone!

Make way for more pix scanned from the Kellection of Jack Kelly and Barbara Nichols at the 1961 Palm Springs Mounted Police Rodeo:

JK & BN stop to greet two of the Crosby brothers, who were the parade marshals. The brothers also had a gig going at the "Chi Chi" nightspot in Palm Springs. And, JK had played in their dad Bing's annual golf tournament the previous weekend. Plus, JK, BN & the Bros all appeared in What About Linda?, a TV appeal for the March of Dimes which was airing in syndication in January 1961.

 

JK starts signing autographs again and BN smiles at the kids. The lady onlooker seems caught up in it all.

 

Finally, BN gets to sign an autograph! Incidentally, about two weeks after the parade and rodeo in Palm Springs, she would be seen in probably her best-remembered role: As hospital patient "Liz Powell" in the Twilight Zone episode "Twenty Two" (with its creepy catchphrase "Room for one more, Honey").

 

JK's still busy, so BN makes the best of it.

 

What's everyone looking at?

 

You'll want to keep looking at TDS as the fun goes on. Please stay tuned! :) 



JK Loves A Parade Pt. III :)

Howdy Again!

I hope everyone shook off their turkey coma and survived the stampede of holiday shoppers, because it's "Black (and White) Friday" here on TDS!

Let's swing back to 1961 again and see what Jack Kelly and Barbara Nichols are up to as we continue our visit to the 21st Annual Palm Springs Mounted Police Rodeo.

It looks like JK is still signing autographs:

"'Thanks for being my friend...Er, is that 'Philomena' with a 'Ph' or with an 'F'?"

"I'm starting to get writer's cramp..."

So much is going on here: The ladies to the right are like, "I just got Bart Maverick's autograph!"; JK & BN are like, "Let's go!"; the gentleman to the left is busy reading the program; and the driver is like, "This is Jack Kelly's pen...I'll keep it so my grandkids can sell it some day on eBay!" ;>

"Drink your milk, young man, and you'll grow up to be big and strong like me."

The fun continues next time in TDS--please stay tuned! :)  

JK Loves A Parade Pt. II :)

"More autographs, Jack?

C'mon, I wanna go to the rodeo!"

JK Loves A Parade :)

Howdy!

As promised, more images of Jack Kelly at the parade for the Palm Springs Mounted Police Rodeo in 1961 are coming up.

But first: what exactly was the Mounted Police Rodeo?

An editorial from a Palm Springs newspaper explains the serious reason for the festivities:

 

"This is Rodeo Week in Palm Springs, with two top days of action scheduled this weekend at the Polo Grounds, plus a Rodeo Ball Friday night and the traditional parade down Palm Canyon Drive on Saturday morning. And it's all for a good cause, with proceeds used by the Palm Springs Mounted Police to purchase additional rescue equipment, which is used in the pursuit of the organization's volunteer work as an auxiliary force of the Palm Springs Police Department. Their rescue work is well known, with members called upon day or night to travel hazardous mountain trails to locate missing or lost hikers. Without such a volunteer organization, this community would be forced underwrite a trained rescue crew. Let the community show its appreciation by supporting the 21st annual Rodeo this weekend and make it the biggest ever."

JK was announced as the parade's Grand Marshal on January 14:

 

An ad on January 26 drummed up more excitement:

 

As noted here before, Dorothy Provine was originally scheduled to serve as "Rodeo Queen", but had to drop out at the last minute due to an eye infection. So, Barbara Nichols became the substitute Queen.

On Saturday, January 28, literally thousands of people viewed the parade as it made its way down Palm Canyon Drive:

"A glittering star-studded Mounted Police Rodeo parade moved down Palm Canyon Drive at 10 a.m. sharp today, with one of the largest crowds ever attending...The parade was headed by Palm Springs Mounted Police color guard...The Marine Band from Twentynine Palms preceded a caravan of cars holding Grand Marshal Jack (Maverick) Kelly, Queen Barbara Nichols...and Palm Springs' own Joan Davis," read a newspaper account.  

So, now that we know the story of the parade, here's the star of the parade: JK! :)

All of the following images were scanned from original negatives in the Kellection:

 Here's a charming shot of JK and BN.

Gentleman Jack steadies Barbara's arm as she turns to give the photographer a saucy grin.

 

Let's zoom in for a close-up! :)

 

JK glances in the direction of some fans. I think the convertible is a 1961 Cadillac. 

(Note: For privacy purposes, I've blurred the clearly visible faces of bystanders who were not celebrities or parade officials.)

 

A killer close-up (sigh...)

 

JK is greeted by a group of young autograph seekers

 

I wonder what JK is saying?

 

"Hang on to this autograph--it'll be worth big bucks one day on eBay!" ;>

 

Babs waits patiently as JK signs more autographs

 

"Hey, who put invisible ink in my pen?"

 

 

Please stay tuned for much more fun with JK in TDS! :)