Nostalgia's Nothing New :)

Happy Monday!

Here it is 2017, and we still fondly remember Jack Kelly, who would have been 90 years old on September 16. And Maverick, which marked its 60th anniversary on September 22, is currently airing on ME-TV, along with other 1950's western favorites such as Gunsmoke and Wagon Train. Television's vast past can also be revisited on Decades, Antenna-TV and similar "retro" channels.

But, nostalgia is nothing new. Almost 50 years ago, the Chicago Tribune newspaper published a special supplement saluting "Twenty Years of Television":

 

Maverick had ended its original network run only a few years previously, but it was already considered TV history. James Garner appeared on the back cover of the supplement:

And, JG and JK were pictured inside:

Here's the complete image, from an original photo in the Kellection:

 

It's interesting to see how many of the other TV shows pictured on the supplement covers (including I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, and even The Ed Sullivan Show) can still be seen today on the nostalgia networks. 

Well, I look forward to continue looking back at JK with you. Please stay tuned! :)

Kelly On "Call"! :)

Hello!

Sometimes I find Kellectibles, and sometimes they find me. The latter was the case when I serendipitously stumbled upon a stash of vintage original Warner Bros. TV call sheets--including two for Maverick! Naturally, they quickly joined the Kellection.

A call sheet is a document (often prepared by an assistant director) that's distributed to the cast and crew of  a TV or film production. It lists call (start) times, personnel, locations, etc., needed for the next day's shooting. Vintage call sheets can provide a wealth of information for fans, researchers and Kellectors.

I'd seen call sheets for Maverick before, but this group of documents is extra special because they're all for one very busy day (Thursday, October 13, 1960) and they're for nearly every TV series being produced on the Warner lot at the time. Besides Maverick, there are call sheets for Cheyenne, Bronco, Lawman, 77 Sunset Strip, Surfside 6, The Roaring 20's, and Hawaiian Eye (nope, not filmed in Hawaii ;>). TV commercials were also being filmed and cartoons were having dialogue recorded.

The Maverick episode Jack Kelly was filming was "Dodge City Or Bust":

As you can see, JK had a 6:30 am PT make-up call. His poor co-star, Diana Millay, had to come in an hour earlier, probably for hair styling. In addition to his crack-of-dawn call time, JK had to deal with another issue during this episode. He'd broken his hand prior to filming and had to wear a cast, which was removed so he could film his scenes and then replaced. Youch!

The episode's filming locations are at the top of the sheet below (also shown are locations for Hawaiian Eye). All the locations are on the Warner lot:

 

 Sadly, the famous Warner western street set (also known as "Laramie Street") was razed in 2003 and replaced by a row of residential-fronted buildings which can be used as both production offices and sets.

Here are a couple of vintage stills from "Dodge City or Bust", which originally aired on December 11, 1960. The info on the back of the first still says: "ON THE RUN -- Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) helps a lovely girl named Diana (Diana Millay) escape from a posse when both are falsely accused of bank-robbery and murder in 'Dodge City or Bust', the latest episode of Maverick. The Warner Bros. drama airs Sunday, Dec. 11, on the ABC-TV network."

"Dodge City or Bust" was rerun on June 11, 1961, according to the info on the back of the next still: "WANTED -- Jack Kelly and beauteous Diana Millay rehearse a scene for a Warner Bros. Maverick episode in which they find themselves linked both romantically and on the sheriff's wanted list for bank robbery and murder. Titled 'Dodge City or Bust', the segment runs Sunday, June 11, on the ABC-TV network."

The second Maverick episode being filmed on 10/13/60 was "Bolt From the Blue", starring Roger Moore as Beau Maverick. Note the director: Robert Altman, who also wrote the episode and, of course, went on to direct big-screen classics such as M*A*S*H and Nashville. RM had a 7:30 am PT make-up call. If you recall from an earlier TDS post, he had some interesting memories of filming Maverick.

Speaking of memories, ME-TV will remember Sir Roger Moore with a special showing of his Maverick episode "The Town That Wasn't There" later today (Saturday, May 27) at 10:00 ET. Be sure to check your local listings for correct channel and time.

And, be sure to come back and visit TDS--you just never know what other Kellectibles I've found...or have found me. :)

Don't Forget...

...to watch Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick in the "Diamond In The Rough" episode of Maverick at 10:00 ET on Saturday, May 6, on ME-TV (check local listings for correct time/channel).

Here's a sneak peak pic with JK and lovely Jacqueline Beer. The official Maverick info sheet on the back of this vintage original 1958 still reads: "POLISHED PERFORMANCE -- When Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick gets slugged and shanghaied by henchmen working for a crooked San Francisco financier, he's determined to polish off the gang in 'Diamond in the Rough', a Maverick drama for ABC-telecasting, Sunday, January 26. Aiding Maverick in his plan for revenge is Jacquline Beer, playing a French countess."

Below is another original still of JK as Bart after he's shanghaied. That's Sig Ruman as "Captain Steeger"; Ruman would later make four more appearances on Maverick:

Remember...

...to watch Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick in "The Jeweled Gun", today's episode of Maverick on ME-TV (scheduled for 10:00 AM ET; check your local listings for correct time/channel in your area).

"Hand over the remote, Bart--it's time to

watch Maverick with me, on ME-TV!"

 

And remember to "spring forward" at 2:00 AM this Sunday, 3/12!

 





Don't Forget...

 

...to watch Jack Kelly make his "explosive" debut as Bart Maverick  in "Hostage!" on Maverick at 10:00 am ET today on ME-TV (check your local listings for correct time/channel for your area).

And, don't forget to come back to TDS. You'll get a "kick" out of the next post!


JK And "Jealousy"! :)

Howdy!

As you may know, Maverick is now airing nationally Saturday mornings at 10 AM ET on ME-TV (although local ME-TV stations sometimes substitute their own programming--check your area listings to be sure). As the Maverick episodes seem to be running sequentially from the beginning, that means Bart hasn't shown up yet. Sit tight: he makes his debut in "Hostage!", coming soon (February 25, to be exact).

That's not the only Jack Kelly treat we have to look forward to on ME-TV. Since the network is also airing the original half-hour length episodes of Gunsmoke, we'll also be seeing "Jealousy", the 1957 episode written by Sam Peckinpah in which JK guest-starred. It will be coming up soon as well (February 23).

I recently found a Gunsmoke DVD with "Jealousy", so here are some dreamy screen caps of JK from the episode as a preview.

Smilin' Jack (as "Cam Durbin") introduces big (6'7") Jim Arness ("Marshal Matt Dillon") to his wife, "Tilda" (Joan Tetzel). Cam is an old friend of Matt's.

 

Cam has come to Dodge City to deal faro at the Longbranch Saloon. While he and Tilda are chatting with Marshal Dillon, a shady character named "Lonnie Pike", who was the former dealer at the saloon, comes to plead his case with the Marshal. Pike was stabbed in the hand by a card player he tried to cheat and can no longer ply his trade as a gambler.

Cam decides to help Pike by offering him a job as a back-up dealer. Marshal Dillon tells him he's making a mistake, but Cam stands firm.

He should have listened to Matt. Pike holds a grudge against Dillon because he wouldn't shoot the man who stabbed him. He plots to get rid of the Marshal by convincing Cam that Matt is trying to steal Tilda away from him. (You see, Cam is the jealous type...and he used to be pretty good with a gun.)

Cam begins to have his doubts:

Is Tilda really cheating on him with his old friend?

The evidence seems to be mounting. Cam catches Matt and Tilda together in a restaurant (not the restaurant Tilda was supposed to meet him at):

 

Finally, he angrily confronts them on the street, and threatens to shoot Matt:

He doesn't, but it turns out someone else in the Durbin family is good with a gun. Tilda blasts Pike at the saloon for feeding false rumors about her and Matt to Cam.

Cam tries to  stop Matt from arresting Tilda, but is knocked out cold by the Marshal.

At the Marshal's office, Cam tries to reason with Matt and Tilda: 

When it appears that Pike will recover from the shooting, Matt releases Tilda:

And, the Durbins decide to get out of Dodge:

JK's role as gamblin' man Cam was good practice for when he took on the role of Bart Maverick later in 1957!  

COMING SOON: A look at another pre-Maverick JK performance, plus a post-Maverick JK performance, and a different view of Gunsmoke--stay tuned! :)