JK Goes "Commandos" Again! :)

Ciao!

Direct from Italy, here's a fantastico fotobusta for Commandos which just joined the Kellection:

A close-up of Jack Kelly:

Yikes--that's probably the scariest pic I've ever seen of JK! So, here are some much nicer views of our man as "Captain Valli", courtesy of my Commandos DVD: 

 

  

 

Please stay tuned for more movie (and TV) moments with JK in TDS! :)

 

COMING UP NEXT: A bundle from Brazil!



Saturday Night "Fever"! :)

Well, it's actually Saturday morning, but I'm sure you won't mind seeing these stills of Jack Kelly in A Fever In The Blood any time of day!

In this 1961 feature film JK plays ambitious district attorney "Dan Callahan", who throws an innocent murder suspect under the bus during a ruthless bid to become a gubernatorial candidate.

Callahan listens intently to Senator Alex Simon (Don Ameche), who also intends to seek the governor's office. (That's actor Parley Baer behind JK.)

Accompanied by the press, Callahan himself arrests the murder suspect, Thornwall (Rhodes Reason):

The same scene seen in color (detail from an Italian fotobusta):

Callahan grills the real killer (Robert Colbert) on the stand as Judge Leland Hoffman (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) looks on.



BONUS: A lurid 1961 newspaper ad for Fever which mentions Bart Maverick and Stu Bailey (Zimbalist's character in 77 Sunset Strip):

 

TRIVIA: A Fever In the Blood was referenced in the recent miniseries Feud: Bette and Joan. Director Robert Aldrich tries to convince Warner Bros. chief Jack Warner to let him hire Bette Davis and Joan Crawford for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? by bluntly pointing out that WB films such as A Fever in the Blood flopped because they had no "stars". 

But, JK will always be a star to us. To read (and see) much more about him in A Fever in the Blood, please click here and here.

Cult of the Fotobusta! :)

Ciao Again! :)

As promised, I have some more Italian fotobustas for you. These are especially timely, as well, since Me-TV is airing JK's classic Cult of the Cobra this evening (July 16 - check local listings for time).

These 'bustas blend two scenes from the film. First, here's JK and his GI buddies "snaking" into trouble:

Next, here's another double scene, with JK on the right taking aim at an alarming intruder:

Here's a close-up of JK's throwing technique:

Another close-up, just because:

Sally and Some Fotobustas! :)

Ciao!

Here's another look at Sally and Saint Anne--with an Italian accent! :)

The title SALLY... e i parenti picchiatelli on these vintage fotobustas (Italian lobby cards) roughly translates into English as Sally and Her Crackpot Relatives. And, the "cards" are actually more like posters since they're huge and printed on thin, fragile paper, which made it a challenge to handle and photograph them.

The fotobustas range in condition from fair to fairly terrible. However, they're an incredible find in any shape. And sometimes, it's not only the subject matter that's important in movie memorabilia, it's the preservation factor, as well. This ragged bit of JK ephemera will have a safe place in the Kellection.

Now, back to Jack! He appears on all four fotobustas. I hadn't seen three of these images and none of them in color before.

First, here's JK as bird-brained magician Mike O'Moyne with his sister, Sally (Ann Blyth):

 
Next, a wide-eyed Mike (dig that crazy tie!) and a smiling Sally:
 

The gang's all here with yet another variation on the cast photo:

How about a close-up of jovial JK:

Finally, Mike seems to be daydreaming as he and Sally watch their boxer brother Danny (Hugh O'Brian) spar with his manager (King Donovan):

One more close-up of that dreamy JK:

Have a wonderful Wednesday and stay tuned for more fun with fotobustas! :)