Jack Kelly in "State Trooper"

Hi!

Here's a yummy YouTube find: Jack Kelly in "Jailbreak at Tonopah", a 1956 episode of the syndicated TV series State Trooper, starring big ole (6' 5") Rod Cameron as Nevada lawman "Lt. Rod Blake".

JK plays small-time hood "Johnny Bledsoe". Apparently taking a cue from "Cody Jarrett" in White Heat, Bledsoe gets a splitting headache whenever he's stressed out. He gets really stressed out when he drops his box camera in a diner and a concealed weapon pops out. Lt. Blake just happens to be in the diner and suspects that Bledsoe wasn't going to "shoot" only pictures. He puts Johnny in the pokey when it turns out the hood doesn't have a permit for the gun.

Blake also checks Bledsoe's rap sheet and discovers he's tied to a robbery in Philadelphia. He visits Johnny in jail to grill him about the crime. Johnny isn't a model prisoner--the elderly guard tells Blake, "He [Bledsoe] doesn't have a headache--he is a headache".

Blake also notices a bulldozer moving earth next to the jail. The operator gives Blake a story about leveling the ground for a new drugstore, but the lawman thinks something else is afoot. He's right: the operator is actually one of  Bledsoe's cohorts and he and Bledsoe's wife (K.T. Stevens) plan to use the dozer to break Johnny out of jail. But, perhaps Mrs. Bledsoe isn't acting solely out of wifely concern...

Will Johnny get sprung from the hoosegow? Will he reveal the whereabouts of the robbery loot? Will he finally get some Excedrin? Watch the video and find out! :)

Incidentally, Tonopah NV is still a tourist attraction today. It's famous for its mining history. Because of its distance from city lights, it's also known as a perfect place to stargaze. "Jailbreak at Tonopah" is a perfect place to gaze upon our favorite star, Jack Kelly. He gives a great performance as "Johnny Bledsoe". He looks great, too.

Please stay tuned for much more about JK in TDS. :)

JK Saturday Night Noir: "Double Jeopardy"

Hello Everyone!

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.

Lights! Camera! Grimace! :)

Happy Friday Everyone!

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! :)