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!

The First Kellectible of 2015! :)

Howdy Everyone!

I finally captured a Kellectible I've been chasing since I first became interested in Jack Kelly and Maverick :

It's a cardboard display box which once held 24 "Mounds" and "Almond Joy" candy bars. I've actually had several chances to buy items like this one, but the cost was always pretty steep for an empty box. I finally found one for a "sweet" price. :)

Why is Bart Maverick on the box? Because the Peter Paul company sponsored Maverick during its 1961-'62 season. A blurb in the 6/26/1961 issue of Sponsor (a TV/radio advertising trade publication) explains:

Here are a couple of Mounds and Almond Joy commercials from 1961:

 

Can you believe these candy bars were only $.10 back in the day? The last time I got a Mounds out of the vending machine at work it cost $.95!

But, they are still "indescribably delicious":

By the way, the gal on the box with Bart is "Pinky Pinkham" (Dorothy Provine) from The Roaring 20's series. You may remember Bart and Pinky dancing a mean Charleston in this previous TDS post.

The Gambler and the Flapper! :)

Howdy!

Bet you never thought you'd see Bart Maverick doing the Charleston--but here he is:

The feisty flapper hoofing it with Bart is Dorothy Provine, who was about to star as "Pinky Pinkham" in a new (1960) Warner Brothers TV series called The Roaring 20's.

It seems Ms. Provine was a bit of a gambler herself. In fact, according to an item in a 1961 issue of TV Radio Mirror, foxy Dot regularly outfoxed Jack Kelly and other Warner Brothers stars at the poker table. And JK smelled a rat: 

"The male contingent of TV stars far outnumber the female on the Warners' lot, and, for relaxation during lunch breaks, they've been having a few friendly rounds of poker. It was strictly stag until wide-eyed Dorothy Provine asked to be taught the game. 'Sure,' said Jack Kelly with a tolerant wink at the others. 'We'll let you in.' By agreement, stakes were low for the first session and Dot was given every opportunity. As a result, she won. But when she continued to win with ease and cunning, the boys began to suspect they were being suckered. So, at this writing, Warners' big problem with its he-man stars is not higher salaries but how to keep one pip of a blonde from getting in the card game and diverting her toward something feminine like knitting. [B27 -!] Groans Jack, 'That gal's hands are faster than our eyes and I don't like the smooth way she rakes in the pots--no beginner was ever that smooth.' As for Dot, she is as wide-eyed as ever. But, if one looks hard enough, there is a knowing gleam in her innocent gaze." ;-)

COMING SOON IN TDS: A German view of a movie made in Hong Kong with two American stars; the story behind JK's "boot"; and more! :)