Jack Kelly: Kings Row - The Rest of the Story Pt. II

Howdy Everyone!

I'm sorry for not posting Part II of the Kings Row photo feature sooner. I've been having some problems with my router. It appears the router problems have been routed for the time being, so let's go on with the show:

The natty gentlemen pictured above are
"Doctors Mitchell (L, Jack Kelly) and Tower (Victor Jory)" who
are enjoying "a light moment in the mail order romance
between a lonely small-town widower and a scheming young
woman in the Kings Row story to be presented on Warner Brothers Presents, Tuesday, November 15 (1955), 7:30 p.m., EST, over ABC-TV."

JK in a tense scene from "Lady in Fear".

Dr. Mitchell appears puzzled by the unusual present a
young couple receives in "Wedding Gift". That's Dennis Hopper
as "Tod" and Natalie Wood as "Renee".


This is dialogue for the scene shown above,
from the actual script of "Wedding Gift".

*****************************

Stay tuned for a birthday tribute to another talented member of the Kelly family.

Jack Kelly on TV: I Love Parris... ;->

Hello!

I've added another intriguing artifact to the Kellection. It's an original script written by Muriel Roy Bolton titled "Wedding Gift", an episode of Kings Row, the short-lived TV series in which Jack Kelly starred from September 1955 to early 1956. The script is dated October 1, 1955, with revisions listed inside dated October 4, 1955.

In Kings Row, JK played small-town psychiatrist "Parris Mitchell". His friend "Drake McHugh" was played by Robert Horton, who later starred in Wagon Train:


Kings Row was one of three rotating shows presented under the umbrella title Warner Brothers Presents. The other two shows were Casablanca and Cheyenne, and all three were based on old Warner Brothers feature films.

Guess which show clicked with audiences and went on to stand-alone status? Yep. Kings Row and Casablanca quickly bit the dust, and Cheyenne quickly became a big hit.

But, Jack Kelly must have made an impression. When Bret Maverick needed a brother a couple of years later, someone remembered that fellow from Kings Row...and the rest is TV history. :)

The description given for this script said that "Wedding Gift" was never filmed. However, the Internet Movie Database lists "Wedding Gift" in its entry for Kings Row. And, it shows up in TV Guides and newspaper TV listings from the late 1950's and early 1960's, usually as part of the syndicated series TV Hour of Stars:

• "Dr. Parris Mitchell (Jack Kelly) reunites two young lovers when a
  Spanish-American War veteran returns to Kings Row in 'Wedding Gift.'"


• "'Wedding Gift', with Jack Kelly. A man who has just returned from army duty is resentful that his future wife has planned their life."

"Wedding Gift" guest-starred Natalie Wood as "Renee" and Dennis Hopper as "Tod" (both seen in the still below), two immature youngsters who are about to get married...or perhaps not.

Dr. Mitchell uses a clever wedding gift to reunite the couple:

Incidentally, I've seen a still from Kings Row with Jack Kelly holding a shaggy dog, and the script says that Dr. Mitchell has a pup named "Little Doc".

Of course, I have no idea which actor used this actual script, but its fun to think it might have been JK. It would be even more fun if we could actually view Kings Row with JK some time. Until that happens, I posted some lobby cards from another Kings Row episode a while back so we can see JK as Parris.