Happy Valentine's Day 2021 From "TDS"! :)

Maverick still of Jack Kelly and Patricia Crowley

 in "A Tale of Three Cities" 

autographed by 

Ms. Crowley

(colorization and caption added by La Bartista)

Another Valentine's Day Question :)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

A few years back, TDS asked a Valentine's Day question.

Well, here's another Valentine's Day question:

The answer is: "Of course he is!"

Because "he" is Jack Kelly:

"Don't pout if he suddenly decides to have the gang over for dinner--he'll do the cooking and you'll love it. The guy's a whiz at golf, swimming and spear fishing. Easy-going and generous, he'll surprise you with gifts. If you get a kick out of life, Kelly's the boy for you."

No doubt about that! :)

And if you get a kick out of Kelly, please stay tuned to TDS! :)

Happy Valentine's Day 2019! :)

 

Vintage original NBC promo still of Jack Kelly and Joan Caulfield from the "Sally Tries to Say 'No'" episode of Sally, which aired 9/22/1957. Photo scanned, color tinted and framed by La Bartista. 



Happy Valentine's Day from "TDS"! :)

Playing card design courtesy Zazzle

A Valentine's Day Question :)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Last summer, I posted a look at Jack Kelly from a Brazilian movie magazine called Cinelandia. I just added another issue of Cinelandia to the Kellection. This issue not only contains some wonderful pix of JK inside the magazine, but features him on the Valentine-red cover as well (along with Robert Colbert as brother Brent):

 

The banner just above Bart and Brent reads (roughly translated from Portuguese): "Cinelandia Asks: Should Cowboy Heroes Get Married?" Apparently, the question was prompted by a story arc on Bonanza which almost had Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) marrying a widow with a young daughter. Their wedding never happened, supposedly because Bonanza's female fans demanded that Adam remain single.

The cover article begins (again, roughly translated):

"The good guys from the 'Far West' are the only men in the world who need the approval of thousands of people to go to the altar. Marriage may be the aim of many of them, but the 'yes' depends on the TV viewers. Should the cowboys settle down to family life? Or should they keep chasing bandits? This depends on you and Cinelandia wants to know your opinion."
 
On the cover, bachelor Bart's opinion of marriage seems to be "No thanks". But, inside the magazine, he enthusiastically aims some affection in the direction of pretty Karen Steele, while brother Bret (James Garner) seems to second that emotion. Ms. Steele guest-starred on two episodes of Maverick (with JK in the episode "You Can't Beat The Percentage" and with JG in "Point Blank") and was later linked romantically to JK in real-life following his 1964 divorce from wife Donna (May Wynn) Kelly.

 
Below, Bart and Bret are barely visible behind a bevy of potential brides:

Actually, these are some of the many actresses who co-starred opposite JK and JG in Maverick. The photo is a bit grainy, but some of the ladies I recognize are Ruta Lee, Patricia Crowley, Adele Mara, Joi Lansing, Ms. Steele, Marie Windsor, and Arlene Howell. This gathering of glamor gals appears to be from the same shoot as this photo.

Well, Bart Maverick may have escaped matrimony, but he still captures our hearts. :)

Clipart courtesy of Shannon Hatfield

Jack Kelly: A Valentine's Mystery Solved? :)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

On February 14, 1963, the Ocala (FL) Star-Banner reported that Jack Kelly had arrived out of the blue at Six-Gun Territory, a newly opened Wild West-themed attraction near Ocala. According to the news story, the park's PR director, Frank McDowell, was mystified by JK's unscheduled appearance.

Although JK explained that he had dropped by "to see a friend", it still seemed odd to see him unexpectedly strolling the streets of Six-Gun Territory...on Valentine's Day, no less. Had the actor become a real-life maverick? Why had he suddenly appeared in Florida?

Actually, a follow-up story printed in the Star-Banner on 2/17/63 shed a little more light on JK's seemingly impromptu visit to the Sunshine State. This story identified the friend he'd visited--Bob Marks. Marks was a Thoroughbred horse farm owner who later became president of the Ocala Jockey Club. (Trivia: In 1972, a colt born on Marks' farm ran in the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. The colt's name? Smiling Jack--but he wasn't named after JK.) 

Betty Wardlow, the writer of the 2/17 story, noted, "Jack Kelly, who looks very much at home at Six-Gun Territory, is a tall, good looking gentleman, much better looking in person than on television, who likes to hunt and fish. No, I didn't ask him if he had any money pinned inside his coat, but I was tempted."

JK told Ms. Wardlow that this was his first visit to Florida and he was quite taken with the Ocala area and its beautiful horse farms. The article even included a photo of JK showing card tricks to Marks. It also added that JK had gone on from Ocala to "Crystal River on business".

Thanks to a 1963 press photo which recently joined the Kellection, I think I know what that "business" was:

Yes, that's JK blissfully piloting a golf cart with his lovely wife Donna (May Wynn) smiling beside him.

The photo caption says, "RIDING GOLF RANGE--Maverick star, Jack Kelly, and wife saddled golf cart during vacation at Florida's newest resort, Paradise Plantation Hotel and Country Club at Crystal River on Florida's west coast. Kelly broke from work developing a new western series to vacation at hotel's opening weekend."

And, guess when that opening weekend was? Articles in the Star-Banner, Lakeland Ledger and the St Petersburg Times announced the $1.5 million resort's grand opening would occur on February 15, 1963--one day after JK made his surprise appearance at Six-Gun Territory.

Well, the mystery behind JK's visit to Florida may be solved, but it's no mystery now that his marriage wasn't really all that sunny in 1963. He and Donna divorced in 1964. The Paradise Plantation resort also went through some rough patches, but it still exists today. It's now known as The Plantation On Crystal River.

And, that "new western series" JK was reportedly developing? In early 1963, there was mention of a possible TV series based on the 1940 film Boom Town which would have paired JK with his former Warner Bros stablemate Clint Walker. That may have been the series the photo caption was referring to, but, unfortunately this Boom was a bust and never came to fruition.

Happy Valentine's Day from JK & La Bartista! :)

Happy Valentine's Day From JK & "TDS"! :)

Jack Kelly: Happy Valentine's Day! :)

"Hello, Acme Florists?

Could you please deliver

four hundred dozen roses for me?

The card should read
'Happy Valentine's Day to:

Jo, Nicole, Linda, Sue, Janet,

Sharon, Julia,

Liz, Geri, Betty, Debbie

--are you getting all this?--

oh yes, and Cindy Lou, and Samantha,

and Clover, and Nancy, and Stella, and...'"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

TO ALL JK FANS

EVERYWHERE

FROM LA BARTISTA :)