Flashback Friday: An Even Pair of Mavericks! :)

Happy Friday!

I wanted to share this uncommon image with you as quickly as I could. This original 1959 photo has just joined the Kellection:

Finally, Jack Kelly's Bart Maverick gets to stand tall next to James Garner's Bret! And, he packs a cigar instead of a pistol.

Here's the image we usually see:

I like the first picture much better, don't you? :)

Well, stay tuned for "even" more fun in TDS! ;)

How About A Nice Belt?

A Maverick belt, that is! :)

Made of "top-grain cowhide", this classic belt would have been a must-have accessory for the mini Maverick back in the day. 

Just look at the buckle:

 

The tooling on the leather is just as impressive:

When I attended the now sadly defunct Gene Autry Days festival a few years ago, one of the vendors showed me a Maverick holster set he'd just bought. It was etched with Bret Maverick's portrait. Well, this belt has portraits of Bret and Bart:

Not the greatest likeness of Bart, but, hey, at least he's on the belt:

This belt even has a pouch which would be handy for stashing things like, oh, a thousand-dollar bill (darn--it's empty):

The belt was crafted in San Francisco by the Keyston Brothers company, which has been around since the days of the real Old West:

I'd love to wear this belt. Alas, however, it was designed for pint-sized buckaroos. Oh well, I'm happy just to have it in the Kellection! :)

Up Next: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with JK! 

Jack Kelly - Have a GREYt Fourth of July! :)

Hi Everyone!

We usually associate the Fourth of July with the colors red, white and blue. However, I noticed that someone on the JK Facebook page said they wanted to see more photos of Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick wearing the grey coat he sometimes donned instead of his customary black jacket. Well, it just so happens that some pictures of a grey-coated Bart have recently joined the Kellection. I hope these "suit" you. ;->

Have a GREYt and safe 4th! :)

JK, ready to start the day! :)

Hey, big spender! ;->


"What happened to my money?"

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.

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt VIII :)

Howdy!

We're coming up on the conclusion of "Cooking of a Storm".

First, though, I have verification of Jack Kelly's age when he enlisted in the Army, since, as was noted on FB, the actual timeline of his schooling and his enlistment in the Army is a bit unclear in the article. JK had in fact just turned 18 before he enlisted on October 25, 1945, at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, CA. This data comes from the World War II Army Enlistment Records at the U.S. National Archives.

And, although I love researching and writing about my favorite subjects, I am not writing a book about Jack Kelly. No, dear readers, I'm only a fan with a blog. Linda Alexander is an accomplished author who is very hard at work on JK's bio, and I'm looking forward to reading her book just as much as you all are.

As I said in the introductory posting, "The Tall Dark Stranger There..." is a way of sharing my enthusiasm for Jack Kelly with other fans. Most of the info I share here is from publicly available secondary sources such as magazines. So, I'm not worried about posting "spoilers" about JK because Linda has access to primary sources such JK's family, friends and co-workers. Therefore, her book will contain insights into his life that are far more informative and enlightening than anything I can post here.

But, I humbly hope you'll continue to visit "The Tall Dark Stranger There...". Jack Kelly lived a life so large that there's always a new JK "nugget", or a photo, or a video waiting to be unearthed. Or, an antiques mall waiting to be scoured for Kellectibles. :) I thrill to the "hunt" and love sharing what I've discovered with other fans. If you keep reading, I'll keep hunting. Thank you!
:->

And, now Part III of "Cooking Up a Storm" from TV's Top Stars - 1961 Edition:

"...A role in a play at the Coronet Theater took him back to Hollywood and, once there, he stayed, making 20 movies before he got into his first TV series, King's Row. The series didn't make the grade, but when an actor was needed to alternate with Jim Garner in Maverick, the studio remembered Jack and he got the nod.

Not as success-hungry as some TV stars, Jack says he likes lots of free time for his many hobbies--golf, boating, water skiing, and, of course, cooking. But he is also aware that he'll probably outlive Maverick. With this in mind, he and Donna (who was an actress under the name of May Wynn when they were married) have set up a production company and plan to make pictures in which Jack will star--if his studio will loan him out to himself. The two, who were practicing togetherness before it was a word, have also worked up an act for personal appearances. To rehearse it with musicians who are to be part of the troupe, they rented a piano. And within weeks Jack had a new hobby--he began taking piano lessons. (The neighbors, it's duly reported, wish he'd stick to cooking.)"

WHAT'S UP NEXT? STAY TUNED.... ;->

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt VII :)

Hello Everybody!

Presenting Part II of "Cooking Up a Storm":

"...'Kelly', as his wife calls him, was born in Astoria, Long Island, on September 16, 1927, and had his first fling in show business when he was just two weeks old--and modeled for a soap company.

He continued modeling until he was nine, when he landed a job in a Broadway play. By the time the Kelly clan transferred their base of operations to Los Angeles in 1938, Jack had been in four plays and had done some radio work.

It all came about naturally. Though his father, John A. Kelly, was in the real estate business, his mother, Ann, had been on the stage before her marriage. One sister, Nancy, is well known in the theater; a younger sister, Carol, is making a name for herself in television. Only the fourth [child], William, passed up show business in favor of art.

In spite of his early start in the business, Jack didn't plan a career as an actor. While he attended St. John's Military Academy, University High School and UCLA (for two years) he made spending money the way most boys do--by pumping gas, as a car hop, a messenger boy, and a clothing salesman. Inducted into the Army when he was 18, he was shipped off to Alaska as a weather observer and, after his discharge in December 1946, went back to college for one term. By then, the idea of studying law had lost its appeal. Working on radio nights while he went to school days, Jack made up his mind to concentrate on acting, quit school and headed for New York. He stayed there for two years, from 1947 to 1949, working in radio and TV."

MORE NEXT TIME!

P.S. To the fine folks on FB: You're very welcome! :)

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt VI :)

Hi!

As promised, here's a look at what was cookin' with Jack Kelly in 1961. But first, an aside.

JK's fans have the gift of 20/20 hindsight. We know his marriage to May (Donna) Wynn ended in 1964, so the rosy reports of "togetherness" and portraits of an inseparable pair in these fan magazine articles from the "Kellection" don't always ring true.

Actually, though, if you look at other "star" couples spotlighted in these magazines, many of them didn't stay wed forever, either. In the 1960 Silver Screen Annual article, JK and MW are pictured as devoted "Young Marrieds" along with eight other couples. Of the nine couples, only two remain married to this day: the Pat Boones and the James Garners! Like the Kellys, most of the other young marrieds split within a few years after the article was published.

It's not easy being married in Hollywood. Or, in Hoboken, or in Hartford, or in Honolulu, for that matter. I think the Kellys at least tried. JK told TV Guide in 1958, "The only way to keep a Hollywood marriage going is not to go anywhere without each other." Another article I have says JK had a clause in his Warner Brothers contract which stipulated that May be allowed to accompany him on personal appearance tours. I don't think JK would have insisted on such a clause if he didn't care about her.

But, sadly, couples sometimes change as the years pass. Ardor cools, tempers flare--and some marriages fail.

Obviously, Jack Kelly and May Wynn weren't always the astonishingly happy twosome portrayed in the movie magazines. However, I'll continue to post these vintage fan magazine articles because they contain many other intriguing "nuggets" about JK. And wonderful pix like this one:


Thank you for your understanding, dear readers. :)

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:

"COOKING UP A STORM - (From TV's Top Stars - 1961 Edition)

When the wind is right, the neighbors of Jack and Donna Kelly are among the most frustrated people in the world. The Kellys like to cook, know how, and the smells that are wafted about in the air are enough to bring tears to the eyes of food-lovers. To some of them, as well as to relatives and friends, the Kellys cooking is irresistible, and when Jack and Donna cook up one of their Italian dinners (which take three days to prepare) there are usually 18 or 20 hungry people waiting for the bell.

Jack is, of course, one of the stars of Maverick, seen on ABC-TV Sunday evenings at 7:30 pm ET, but there are circles, it's rumored, where he is best known, not as an actor, but as a chef extraordinaire. Jack doesn't mind. He's making enough money so that even a 30-pound roast of beef doesn't dent the budget too badly, and it's good advertising for the cookbook he and Donna are whipping up, titled Love 'N' the Oven.

According to the Kellys, who were married on November 10, 1956, and have been living oh-so-happily ever after, cooking was a big part of their courtship. Neither of them cared much for eating in restaurants, so when Jack would call Donna for a date, she'd usually suggest he bring along a steak for a barbecue. But as Jack tells it, she'd call back later to tell him to make it a steak for eight. 'It got so expensive I finally had to marry her.'"

TO BE CONTINUED.... :)

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt V :)

Hello Again!

Without further ado, here's the rest of the write-up (and more riveting revelations) from Silver Screen Annual 1960:

"Jack is a bug on togetherness. The pair are inseparable. At a recent press party Jack talked about their life together for about ten minutes. Then Donna quipped, 'That's my Kelly...the only entertainer who can do a single on Togetherness!'

The Kelly's are even working on a cookbook together. As do-it-yourself addicts, they've made a gem of the unpretentious little Valley house.

Jack met Donna when they were both at Columbia [Pictures]. 'As for me,' recalls Jack, 'I was always very fickle. I didn't have much interest in assuming the responsibilities of marriage. I felt that I worked too hard for a dollar to just hand it over to a wife. Too, I'd seen so many of my friends marry the wrong type of girl. Being Catholic, I wanted to be sure. I had to figure on marriage once and forever. But six weeks after our first date, I borrowed some money and we got married.'

With a happy marriage assured, now all Jack Kelly has to do is convince himself that there's room at the top for all the Warner television stars."

[B27: Unfortunately, it sounds like the people who really needed convincing were the idio...er, the ignor...er, I mean, the intelligent men who ran Warner's... >:-0 ]

NEXT TIME: What was cookin' with JK in '61--whoa, this might take a few chapters--and my favorite photo from these new additions. See you then! :->

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt IV :)

Hello!

Today, in a lovely photo from Silver Screen Annual 1960, we see Jack Kelly and May Wynn reading a newspaper. (Probably Variety, with a good review of Maverick. :->)

The caption for this pic says, "Jack Kelly is not too happy with his TV career, but his marriage to May Wynn is togetherness, plus!"

The magazine explains why JK is "not too happy with his TV career":

Jack Kelly has a beautiful actress wife whose stage name is May Wynn but who is Donna Kelly to him. He has a top TV show as that smooth card sharp, Bart Maverick, stage brother to Jim Garner. And, he has a house in the San Fernando Valley and a weekend hideaway house in Palm Springs.

Yet handsome 32 year-old Jack isn't a truly happy guy. And the whisper over the grapevine is that Jack's brown eyes have turned a Kelly green because he hasn't been given a feature film, as have practically all the other guys in the Warner television stable.

Jack complains to his pals, 'Jim's getting feature films like the top-ranking Cash McCall; why not me?'

It's rumored, too, that Jack has refused to go out on personal appearances for the studio--for free--as he willingly did in the past. In order to corral more publicity he has hired not one, but two press agents, to ensure for himself the recognition his fans feel he so richly deserves.

One thing Jack does concede--he has a truly good marriage. In a town built on love, Jack and Donna are probably the most romantic couple in Hollywood. Married almost three years, Jack still brings Donna a present every Saturday night. It might be an Italian glass decanter, antique silver, an old painting, or it might be a ten-cent store potato peeler..." [B27 - What a sweetie!]

...TO BE CONTINUED!!! :->

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt III :)

Howdy!

Sorry I couldn't post Pt. III sooner. My internet connection was acting up--grrr, I hate when that happens! It's behaving pretty well now, so on with the show! :)

Here's a wonderful pic of Jack Kelly from Silver Screen Annual 1959:



He's determinedly learning his lines for Maverick (the script is for the episode "Seed of Deception" ) as May Wynn and their pet poodle keep him company. The caption for this cozy scene is "Jack Kelly and May Wynn have just one rule for matrimonial success--be very very much in love."

The write-up reveals another factor JK thought was crucial for marital bliss:

"While Jack Kelly has no formula for a happy marriage, he has one concept which, he feels, has a good deal to do with how well two people can get along together. And this point of view dates back to an experience he had when he was 11 years old and one afternoon got the bright idea of how to get a bicycle he had wanted for so long.

In return for his promise to pay it off in weekly installments, he talked the owner of the bicycle shop where he worked after school into letting him have a shiny new two-wheeler.

Soon Jack realized he couldn't meet his payments. After worrying about it for a couple of weeks, during which he made himself and the rest of his family pretty miserable with his brooding, he had no choice but to give it back.

Even his father had turned down his request for financial assistance. 'He wanted to teach me a lesson about finances, and he certainly did,' Jack recalled. He said never get anything you can't afford. It causes nothing but trouble.'

Consequently, when Jack, who plays Bart Maverick in the ABC-TV series, married actress May Wynn at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in 1956, he was so firmly convinced that the cornerstone of every successful marriage is to be free of financial worries that he and May agreed never to buy anything in installments. The only exception was their house, and even then they didn't put it in escrow till they had enough money in their bank account to equal the loan they took out on the property."

Hey, JK sounds like a regular Dave Ramsey! :->

Coming up next: What was so special about Saturday night at the Kelly's home? (No, it wasn't bath night.) ;->

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection!--Pt II :)

Greetings! :)

And off to the antiques show we go...

This particular show is held about four times a year and is especially well-attended during the holidays. I think that's because a lot of people are visiting from out of town and are looking for unique gifts.

Many dealers had vintage Christmas decorations for sale. One even had a silver tree with a rotating spotlight that projected colors onto it! (That brings back memories.)

My quest for JK memorabilia led me to a booth where a man was selling TV western DVDs. I asked if he had anything relating to Maverick. He said he wished he did, because he loved it. He'd taped the entire series from the Westerns Channel. I ended up buying two non-Maverick DVDs from him.

Back to the Kelly quest (Kwest?). I found a Saturday Evening Post containing an advertisement for Acme Golden Angus Boots (The most beautiful western boots ever created!). There's a very small pic of JK and James Garner and other Warner Brothers westerns stars at the bottom of the ad, because "Acme Boots are worn by stars and featured players of Warner Bros. western television and motion picture productions." Wow, the mens' boots could be had for only $16.95 a pair, and kids' boots ranged from $5.95 - $10.95. I guess grown-up cowgirls were out of luck, however. There are no boots shown in womens' sizes.

After more meandering up and down the aisles, I finally reached Valhalla. Or, at least its equivalent for the JK fan at an antiques show:

A booth with nothing...but...boxes...and...boxes...of...MOVIE MAGAZINES.

"Can I help you find something, hon?" the lady running the booth asked.

"Um...I like Maverick."

The lady's husband piped up: "Look under 'G' for 'Garner.'"

(See, these sellers categorized their magazines not by title, or year, or anything like that. They grouped them by what stars were inside. But, they didn't label each issue, so a magazine listed under "G" might have James Garner, or Greta Garbo. The mags were in snug plastic bags, too, so I couldn't skim the table of contents.)

Then, I threw the husband a curveball.

"Actually, I'm looking for Bart Maverick, you know, Jack Kelly?"

"Oooh, that's a toughie. I don't think we have anything with him. Gosh, we had a magazine with him, I think it had just him on the cover, too. But, look under 'K'. And, look under 'G' anyway, too, because he might be in there with James Garner."

O-kay.

I started thumbing through the "K"'s, but the filing system drove me Koo-Koo. I knew JK wasn't in a 1930 issue of Photoplay or a 1981 issue of Tiger Beat. I ditched the alphabetical method and let my instincts do the driving. I began looking for annuals and yearbooks from the Maverick era.

Passers-by probably wondered about the lady going though the magazines a mile a minute and pulling out titles like TV's Top Stars and Silver Screen Annual. But, I found six magazines with JK in them. :)

The sellers may have had an unorthodox filing method. However, they were very nice and even gave me a discount since I bought a bunch of magazines.

Now, here are some of the highlights from those JK magazines, starting with a small pic and blurb from Movieland and TV Time 1960 Annual (published in 1959):



Again, if the blurb doesn't read clearly, it says:

"Jack Kelly's real life started when he eloped with brunette actress May Wynn and married her, three years ago. That's what he says as he gazes romantically at May and thanks his lucky stars for the good fortune that has come his way.

His career boomed when he was cast in the already-going series Maverick. Catching up with James Garner's build-up was not easy, but Jack is doing fine.

He's a veteran actor who has played many types of roles and he's perfect as the casual, romantic, amusing Bart Maverick.

'Bart is Jack, playing himself', says May admiringly.

Among Jack's many hobbies are reading history, making model ships and cooking. When he gets outdoors, he is often found on the water sailing, or down below with his skin diving equipment. He also likes golf, riding and flying, too. Quite a busy man, this 'Maverick'!"

Wow, so many nuggets of JK knowledge gleaned from that little blurb! :)

Stay tuned for a glimpse of JK's unusual (and cozy) way of studying a script. ;->

The Kelly Pages: Additions to the Kellection! :)

Hello!

Home at last.

I had a wonderful time visiting with my relatives for Thanksgiving. I also got to visit an antiques mall and the antiques show. And--ta da!--I did find some Jack Kelly-related goodies for the Kellection. :)

First, on Friday, I stopped at an antiques mall that is a genuine antique. Located in a rustic converted warehouse, it's complete with creaking wood floors and the aroma of old books. It's the kind of place where people browse the shelves with their dogs in tow and no one raises an eyebrow. And, where the proprietor "rings" up orders on a battered adding machine.

I scoured the building (no, not with Ajax ;->), and, alas, was about to leave empty-handed. Then, I turned a corner and spied a rack full of magazines. Some of them were movie magazines from the early 1960's. I grabbed all that I could find.

I'm glad I did, because one of them was the TV Star Annual for 1960, and it turned out to have this inside:

If the blurb isn't clear, here's what it says:

"ABC's Bart Maverick, now 33, 6'1", 180 pounds, was a child stage actor, hit films in '50. He'd planned to be slow to marry and stalled when pal tried to throw him at May Wynn. She, disliking actors, stalled too. But four years ago they dated--wed in six weeks! Both rein in Irish tempers, love cooking. They have song-dance act to tour rodeos; will co-star and produce Trouble with Paradise."

Of course, JK really hit films back in the 1930's as a kid actor, and then hit them again as an adult. Also, I don't think Trouble with Paradise came to fruition. I'm not sure about the song-dance act. Maybe they performed it at the rodeo where Jack was grand-marshal? So many questions from one little paragraph!

Next time, I'll regale you with the tale of my adventure at the antiques show and the JK items I found there. :)