Jack Kelly's Other Job - Pt. IV :)

Hello Again!

 Photo inscribed by Jack Kelly to Eunice Alter

 ("To Eunice--Because you are my friend I'll always have a good one!!")

Here's the amazing story of how Jack Kelly, mayor of Huntington Beach, came to sign a cache of first-day covers. This wonderful write-up (penned by the covers' artist Eunice Alter) comes from a JONAL Artcovers newsletter dated September 1985. It was kindly provided to me by Eunice's daughter, Amie, and is shared here with her permission:

"[This] cover honors the first civil settlement in California at Alta. Last year [1984] the mayor of Huntington Beach was Jack Kelly. Some of you may remember him as Bart Maverick, from the TV series. Mr. Kelly has retired from acting, and has devoted himself to his home in Huntington Beach and serves on the city council.

"I thought HIS autograph on my Alta, CA, cover would be very meaningful to me, and wrote to him asking if he would autograph one for me, sending one for him in return. I also asked if he might consider autographing 25 of the covers also.

"I received a call from his secretary, who told me he would really be thrilled to receive the cover, and yes, he would be delighted to sign the 25 covers for my friends.

"We made an appointment for last Friday morning, and I went to City Hall to see him. Mr. Kelly was so gracious, and so excited about the covers! We had a wonderful visit--almost an hour--[and] he asked about the cancellations, and about the paintings.

"I brought my album of snapshots of my autographed cover collection, and he looked through the album, reading each signature or asking me to read some of the 'unreadable' ones. He commented on those he had worked with, or met, or admired. He seemed to especially enjoy the connection between each person and the cover signed by him/her.

"And then he asked if I would please personalize his cover with MY autograph? He wanted to have it mounted in Lucite(R), so he could keep it on his desk (beside the photograph of him with James Garner, both portraying Bret and Bart Maverick). So there I sat actually autographing a cover for the person I had asked to autograph mine!

"When it was time for me to leave, he got up and shook my hand. Then, this big teddy bear of a man gave me a special hug, and thanked me once more for including him in my very special hobby. As soon as I came home I framed my autographed cover with the autographed picture of Jack Kelly."

This write-up truly touched my heart. The photo JK autographed for Ms. Alter is shown above and is now in the Kellection, as is a second cover he signed which was also signed somewhere along the way by James Garner! (And the post office delivered both of these items to me on September 16--which would have been JK's 92nd birthday.)

 Double-autographed PNC created by Eunice Alter/JONAL Artcovers

 

I can't thank the Alter family enough for allowing me to obtain these precious items and share them here with you. I love the fact that Eunice took the time to research the story behind each stamp before creating a cover. That's what I tried to do with these Kellectibles. If I hadn't been curious about the original PNC signed by JK, I would have never reached out to the seller. And, I wouldn't have learned how a request for an autograph--and JK's gracious response to the request--led to a meeting which revealed his inquisitive mind and generous nature.    

After serving as mayor, JK continued his civic involvement in Huntington Beach, while also accepting occasional acting and voiceover work. He won his final berth on the Huntington Beach city council in 1990. His term was scheduled to expire in 1994. Sadly, JK's council seat was left open by his passing at age 65 on November 7, 1992.

He definitely made waves in "Surf City", and his candid shoot-from-the-hip political style didn't always endear him to critics. But, no matter how people felt about him, they'll never forget Jack Kelly in HB.

***
What's next in TDS? Please stay tuned and find out! :) 

Jack Kelly's Other Job - Pt II :)

Continuing with our Labor Day look at Jack Kelly's role in Huntington Beach politics:

In November 1983, JK was elected to a one-year term as HB's mayor by the city council. The position was largely ceremonial and pretty much a given because JK had served as vice-mayor since April of that year.
But, JK was thrilled. He told the LA Times, "I always thought that old actors just faded away, but my peers have given me the chance to re-debut in what may prove to be the finest act of my career." 

An unusual memento of JK's term as mayor now resides in the Kellection:

I know very little about this beautifully-crafted badge--which is actually miniature-sized--except that the seller remembered buying it at a badge collector's show in the 1990's and at the time didn't connect the name on the badge to the actor in Maverick. They suggested I e-mail the manufacturer for more info. (I did, but never received a response.)

So, I don't know if JK actually wore this badge or if it was created as a keepsake. If anyone out there knows the facts behind the badge, please let me know! :)


COMING SOON: Some incredible autographed items and the story behind them--the story of a very gracious man and mayor named Jack Kelly. Please stay tuned--you will not want to miss this! :) 

Jack Kelly's Other Job - Pt. I :)

Hello Everyone!


In honor of Labor Day, I'm sharing some extra special items from the Kellection which relate to Jack Kelly's tenure (1980-1992) as a local politician in Huntington Beach, California.


First, here's how JK's involvement in HB politics came about, straight from the man himself. He told a Los Angeles Times reporter in 1984 that he had been asked to run for city council in the late 1970's after working on the campaign of David Baker, who ultimately lost his bid for county supervisor. JK said that he was "flattered" but also "flabbergasted" by the request. Nevertheless, he accepted the challenge.


"I said 'yes' before I knew it," JK explained. "I had never thought of doing something like that. I had never been active in politics, except the usual thing in Hollywood in those days--like supporting Adlai Stevenson and John Kennedy."


Not surprisingly, JK attracted a lot of attention when he tossed his Stetson into the ring. And, he ruffled some political feathers when he insisted on being listed on the ballot as "Jack Kelly - Businessman/Actor (Maverick)". His opponents didn't mind the businessman/actor part, but groused that the Maverick designation would give him an unfair advantage publicity-wise.


The association with Maverick certainly didn't hurt: JK's candidacy was heralded by headlines such as "JACK KELLY GAMBLES ON BALLOT LISTING" which played off of his role as poker-playing Bart. In April 1980, he breezed onto the HB city council with nearly 7000 votes.


On 6/2/1980, only two months after being elected, JK penned a note to a man named Bob. Whether Bob was an educator or a youth club leader, I don't know. But, JK demonstrated his civil-mindedness and concern for the future of the local electorate when he wrote:

"Dear Bob - Try to get your young men and women interested in local politics! Best Wishes, Jack Kelly"


Yes, you've seen this note pictured elsewhere, but I am honored to now own the original, the piece of paper which was handled, written on and signed by Jack Kelly himself. :)


COMING NEXT: A golden reminder of Jack Kelly's time as mayor of Huntington Beach--please stay tuned! :)