I've looked at all three episodes before in TDS, but I'm doing a double-take on Double Jeopardy because of this fantastic photo which recently came into the Kellection:
Of course, that's JK with his lovely co-star, Lauren Bacall. And, there's another side to this photo--literally. On the back is a newspaper clipping with the same image (complete with editing marks) which explains the premise of Double Jeopardy:
The caption reads "'DOUBLE JEOPARDY' is the title of the show, and what Jack Kelly is in as he gets involved with Lauren Bacall playing the dual role of twin sisters on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre. The romantic mystery, co-starring Zsa Zsa Gabor and Tom Poston, airs Friday, 7:30 p.m. [January 15, 1965] on Ch. 3, 2."
I also found a nice article in which Ms. Bacall shares what it was like playing twins:
"All their lives they competed for men. Amanda was the athletic trophier...her sister, Barbara, nabbed the fraternity pins. Noted actress Lauren Bacall captures both on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre in a dual-role portrayal calling for dramatic characterizations of twin sisters, poles apart in personality but in love with the same missing man. "...'The biggest problem in playing a dual role,' notes the husky-voiced beauty, 'is in keeping the characters separated. It's very easy to slip into the mannerisms and speech of the other twin--you have to concentrate on keeping them apart every minute. I've developed a full-blown schizophrenia for the role, but both halves have loved it.'" Earth Day was first observed on April 22, 1970, and perhaps in the spirit of the times, NBC recycled some episodes of The Chrysler Theatre under the title NBC Adventure Theatre in 1971. The six year-old Double Jeopardy aired on Adventure Theatre onJuly 31, 1971:
Adventure Theatre returned in 1972 and Double Jeopardy was repeated on August 17 of that year.
Incidentally, Adventure Theatre was hosted by Art Fleming, who was the emcee of another NBC series at the time: just plain Jeopardy (which is still running in its current syndicated version). And, as noted previously in TDS, Jack Kelly hosted NBCComedy Theatre (a.k.a. NBC Comedy Playhouse) which showcased lighter episodes of The Chrysler Theatre.
Whew! Doing all that research on Double Jeopardy made me double-tired, so I'm going to turn in now. But, I'll be back with more about JK, so please stay tuned! :)
Let's "ring in" 2018 with some ephemera relating to Jack Kelly's 1955 movie Crooked Ring. Don't recognize the title? That's what the film was called in Great Britain. In the US, it was known as Double Jeopardy. Below are scans of the film's British press brochure. It consists of one double-sided sheet. It's also legal-sized, so I fit as much of it as I could in my letter-sized scanner.
Highlights include one small photo of JK and a blurb which says, "UP-AND-COMING STAR IN 'CROOKED RING'--Jack Kelly, handsome six-footer in Republic's story of big-money blackmail, Crooked Ring...has only been in Hollywood since 1950, but from his record it appears he's likely to stay. To date, he has appeared in seventeen feature motion pictures and has been starred in six top-rated TV shows. For those who are superstitious, it might be well to note that Kelly's first Hollywood appearance was in a studio tryout play titled 'All It Takes Is One Good Break.'"
[Of course, this ignores the fact that JK acted in Hollywood films as a child, and thus his "first Hollywood appearance" took place years before he participated in studio showcases at Universal-International.]
Another write-up mentions JK: "TWO VILLAINS STUDIED LAW--Robert Armstrong and Jack Kelly, the two villains in Republic's drama of big-time blackmail, Crooked Ring...both studied to be lawyers prior to embarking upon acting careers. Armstrong studied law for three-and-a-half years at the University of Washington law school, while Kelly pored over legal books for one-and-a-half years before turning to thesping. World wars diverted each from the study of law. Armstrong served in World War I, while Kelly did his duty in World War II. Following their respective bits for their country, each sought a career in the entertainment world."
JK is also described in the brochure as "the believable 'cad' on whom [Gale] Robbins lavishes her extra-marital attentions".
Where in the world will TDS travel to next?Please stay tuned and find out! :)
Time to discuss another great Jack Kelly flick--1955's Double Jeopardy.
This neat little noir could also be titled "Double Cross", because that's what some of the characters do to each other, including slick used car salesman "Jeff Calder" (JK) and his scheming girlfriend "Marge Baggott" (Gale Robbins), who, in their first scene, are unaware they're being observed by Marge's drunken husband, "Sam" (Robert Armstrong).
Sam is blackmailing a former business partner. After Marge shows Calder some of the money, he decides he wants a piece of the action:
Marge convinces Sam to squeeze more money out of his victim so (unbeknownst to Sam) she and Jeff can run off to Mexico. But, unbeknownst to Marge, Jeff actually has other plans. He trails Sam to the blackmail site:
Sam's blackmail gravy train suddenly derails and he ends up empty-handed. Jeff doesn't know this and tries to shake Sam down:
Things go downhill--literally--from there:
Soon, Calder is visited by the blackmail victim's attorney (Rod Cameron), who questions him about Sam and Marge while his unhappy boss "Happy Harry" (Dick Elliott) looks on:
As the noose tightens around Calder and Marge, he assures her that everything will be okay:
But, maybe not for her, it turns out:
I won't give away the ending, but I will say that JK is excellent as the double-crossing Calder in Double Jeopardy.
Three marvelous movie posters recently joined the Kellection. Although they all show Jack Kelly (of course!), are from the 1950's, and two of them are foreign, the trio also has something else in common: the expression on JK's face. Let's call it "Variations on A Grimace".
First, there's this moody Belgian poster for The Night Holds Terror (1955). JK grimaces in anger and fear as he's abducted by three hoods:
Next, we have a French poster for Julie (1956), starring Doris Day. JK (at lower right) grimaces in pain as he's shot by Julie's psychotic husband, a.k.a. "Le diabolique Monsieur Benton" (played by Monsieur Louis Jourdan):
Finally, I've saved the best for last. JK flashes an evil grimace--twice!--on this incredible (and huge) poster for 1955's Double Jeopardy:
You won't find his name on the poster, but JK is pictured more prominently than the film's nominal star, Rod Cameron! I've seen different versions of this poster and most are illustrated with drawings. I like this version the best because it uses photographic illustrations of JK. I think it's my favorite poster in the Kellection so far. :)
I hope JK's grimaces have brought a smile to your face. Stay tuned for more of the expressive Mr. Kelly! :)
Here's the third and final part of "A Pilot, On Stage and Off": "For the past several years, Kelly has been playing in summer stock companies throughout the Midwest. Since many of these stops are off-airlines, he will frequently charter a plane for his wife*, himself and the large wardrobe that is required even when playing a 'modern' role. "'I'll need at least five complete changes of suits on the road," he said, "in addition to what I wear offstage. You never know when or where you'll have a chance for cleaning and pressing. So, there's usually just room for a pilot, the two of us and our baggage when we charter a four-place. However, these short cross-country trips in various areas that are new to me give an excellent background for my own vacation flights.' "Some of the actor's sensitivity to surroundings came to light when he was asked why he liked to fly. "I get a fantastic reaction to being off the ground. My mind crystalizes into clarity when I'm in the air and the earthbound problems disappear. "Just as almost everyone else in the nation, I was glued to the TV set for two days after President Kennedy's assassination. Finally I became so depressed that I drove to the airport and took a Cessna up for two-and-a-half hours. For the short time I was in the air, the whole national tragedy seemed lifted from my shoulders.' "Although he was born in New York City, Kelly is no stranger to southern California. He has spent a large part of his time there for the past several years, working in motion pictures, on TV and on the stage. "Kelly had a clause in his contract that provided the option to drop out of a Broadway** show if the TV aviation film he was working on proved to be a success and was continued as a regular series. 'While I look forward to the Broadway assignment,' he said before leaving for the East, 'it would be most enjoyable to do a regular TV series patterned around aviation. In the trial film, 'Double Jeopardy', I play a happy-go-lucky, girl-chasing executive who uses a light aircraft for business transportation. In the original script, the author came up with a name for the proposed series--Pay the Piper.' "'Naturally, the lead character's name in 'Double Jeopardy' is 'Mr. Piper'. "And naturally, the aircraft used in 'Double Jeopardy' just happened to be a brand-new Piper Aztec C."
Bonus photo: JK not as a pilot, but as a passenger, along with wife Donna (May). The snipe on the back of this fabulous late 1950's TWA publicity photo says: "Idlewild Airport, N.Y. May 24--TV Star of Maverick, Jack Kelly and his attractive wife, actress May Wynn, look lovey-dovey on their arrival from Los Angeles. They will be with us a few days on business." Incidentally, the book Donna is holding says "The Mainstream of America Series". This was a series of 20 books published by Doubleday between 1953 and 1966 which focused on American history.
Where will TDS and JK fly to next? Stay tuned and find out! :) _______________________________ *This interview apparently took place in 1964 when JK was still married to May Wynn.
**Probably a reference to The Family Way, which opened and quickly closed on Broadway in early 1965. Unfortunately, "Double Jeopardy" wasn't a hit, either, and Pay The Piper didn't become a regular series, although JK would play Fred Piper again in "One Embezzlement and Two Margaritas" on Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater in 1966.
Now, fasten your seatbelts...because we're going flying with Jack Kelly! An amazing article about JK finally landed (pun intended) in the Kellection the other day after I'd diligently searched for it for several years. When you read it, you'll agree it was worth the wait! Published in an aviation magazine, this profile from the mid-1960s offers a fascinating look at JK's interest in flying. It also reveals information about his military service and about some of his appearances as an actor which involved aviation. Above all, it provides a different perspective on JK than the usual "fan" magazine story. It proves once again that he was far more than just a handsome face. As an introduction, let's watch this clip from "Double Jeopardy", a 1965 episode of Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater in which JK starred as detective Fred Piper.The article explains how the flight scenes in this clip were filmed:
And, away we go: "A Pilot, On Stage And Off
Written and photographed by Don Downie (c) The AOPA Pilot Actor Jack Kelly enjoys flying as an avocation, but he'd also like to be more closely involved with aviation in his television and screen activities.
"While filming a special television show for Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater, actor Jack Kelly shares the cockpit of a Piper Aztec
with Fullerton, CA, pilot J. Tom Brody." (Photo by Don Downie)
"It was quiet on the soundstage at Universal Studios near Hollywood, CA. In front of the cameras was a meticulous 'mock-up' of a new Aztec C. Actually, the motion picture prop was a production Piper fuselage from nose to baggage compartment, opened up like a sliced orange for proper camera angles. "In the pilot's seat was Zsa Zsa Gabor, but her co-pilot knew a great deal more about flying than the Hungarian glamour girl. Flying right seat for Zsa Zsa was actor Jack (John A.) Kelly (AOPA 133779) who starred in the Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater TV film titled 'Double Jeopardy'. In addition to Kelly and Miss Gabor, the film included Lauren Bacall and Tom Poston. "It would have been much more practical from a flying standpoint to have the roles in the cockpit reversed. Actor Kelly is an eager and active member of the Sky Roamers Flying Club of Burbank, CA, and an expert meteorologist. "While he's working in Hollywood, Jack Kelly finds the Sky Roamers an ideal flying club for his purposes. 'There's everything a new pilot needs, including a Link trainer and lots of instruction,' he explained between takes of 'Double Jeopardy'. "In this particular scene, which took 12 retakes, Kelly had to have a makeup artist remove Miss Gabor's lipstick each time. But Kelly is a professional actor who can switch quickly from camera capers to hangar flying. "'I use the Sky Roamers' Cessna 172's and 175's to go golfing at Palm Springs or Borrego Springs, but I like to fly pretty high through Banning Pass,' he said. "The basic idea for the script and lead character for 'Double Jeopardy' was Jack Kelly's. "'I feel if we can keep private flying in the foreground of entertainment, we can influence more people to try it themselves,' he explained. 'At first, we kicked around the idea of having the lead character have the capability to fly himself. However, there seemed to be better plot opportunities to have him as an interested passenger involved with a great deal of flying and, of course, a great number of most attractive gals.' "Even with his relatively brief experience in flying, Kelly doubled in brass as technical director on the set. "'But what am I supposed to do, darlink,' asked Zsa Zsa, 'when I'm supposed to be piloting zis machine?' (Her on-camera accent is for real.) "Kelly explained what the control movements would be to correspond with the rear projection color background that showed a landing at the Monterey, CA, Airport."
STAY TUNED FOR PART II and learn about JK's adventures (and misadventures) with military airplanes and some of his high-flying film roles!
Howdy! A bunch of memorabilia from Jack Kelly's 1954 feature film Drive A Crooked Road has trickled into the Kellection lately, includi...
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Welcome!
Welcome to The Tall Dark Stranger There, a fun and informative blog about that Maverick man, Jack Kelly! You'll find lots of rare photos in TDS. And that's not all--you'll also get in-depth info about the pictures and so much more. Plus, TDS is the exclusive showcase for the Kellection--an ever-expanding treasure trove of Jack Kelly memorabilia "kellected" by the author, La Bartista! So, spend some quality time with the tall, dark stranger here--and don't forget to invite your amigos, too! :)
One thing I respectfully ask, however: If sharing TDS, PLEASE share a link to (http://jackkellytribute.blogspot.com) or to a complete specific post rather than copying/pasting or hotlinking to individual images to share on sites such as Facebook. I'm aware that images from this blog have been copied, altered, and posted elsewhere. I've even seen videos with photos nicked from TDS. It saddens me when TDS is treatedas just a convenient source for "Throwback Thursday" pictures after I've worked so hard to research and write it. I'm all for "sharing"; however, the photos on TDS are meant to enhance the text and vice-versa. I've tried very diligently to discover the factual story behind each image. So, when one of these photos is copied and plopped down on another site without linking back to TDS, people may not get the whole "picture". Thank you for your consideration. :)
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