Jack Kelly - Best of the West! :)

Howdy!

Spring has finally sprung, and it was such a lovely day today, I thought I'd go antiquing.

There was an antiques show about 40 miles away. I made the pleasant drive in no time, but was disappointed by what I found when I arrived.

This recurring show is typically packed with sellers all around the grounds. Today, however, the selling area was smaller (maybe because another event was being held on the grounds) and there were far fewer sellers than usual.

I did manage to find a booth that looked interesting. The guy had a ton of old paper stuff, including comic books. I asked him if he had any Maverick comic books. No, he didn't, but my inquiry sparked a lively discussion of Warner Brothers TV westerns between the vendor, myself, and a chatty bystander.

Fellow Kelly fans, I'm afraid we may have an uphill battle in our efforts to obtain more parity as a Maverick for JK.

When I confessed I preferred JK and Bart, the seller winced and shook his head dismissively.

"Nope, James Garner is Maverick. That's all there is to it."

The chatty bystander wasn't much help.

"Is Kelly still around? Boy, he sure got heavy after Maverick."

Well, you're not exactly Mr. Svelte yourself, buddy!, I thought as I walked away. >:(

But, not to worry. After I left the antiques show, I visited a nearby antiques mall where I found a 1958 TV Guide with a very interesting story about the beginnings of the movie western. It also touches on the TV westerns of the day.

The story opens with a two-page color photo of some top sagebrush celebrities. And, guess who is featured on the first page of the photo:

Yep, that's Jack Kelly--not James Garner--who is standing next to John Wayne while surrounded by other Western royalty such as Gary Cooper, Gene Autry and James Arness.

It's the best of the west, and JK is literally right in the middle of it! :)

And, that wasn't the only Kellectible I stumbled upon. Next time, I'll share some helpful home decorating tips from Jack and Donna Kelly (which, strangely, don't mention clown pictures). ;->

Jack Kelly - Maverick is His Name, Too! :)

Hello Everybody,

I noticed that Linda Alexander, author of the forthcoming Jack Kelly biography, has proposed a campaign on Facebook to "rebrand" Maverick in the public's mind so that they'll think of Jack Kelly as well as James Garner whenever the show or role is mentioned.

And I'm all for it! :)

In fact, that's one of the reasons I started this blog, to help people remember--or perhaps learn for the first time--that James Garner wasn't the only Maverick.

Now, I have nothing against Jim Garner. He's a well-loved actor who's had a long, successful showbiz career. I grew up enjoying Garner in The Rockford Files and those Polaroid commercials like everyone else. And, if he doesn't devastate you at the end of The Notebook, well, then you'd better make sure your heart hasn't turned to stone.

However, when it comes to Maverick, usually James Garner is all you hear about. It's as if Jack Kelly has been mysteriously edited out of people's memories of Maverick.

Believe me, I've received plenty of blank stares at antiques shows when vendors ask me if I'm looking for anything in particular and I tell them I collect JK memorabilia. Then, I mention Maverick.

"Oh, I have lots of Maverick stuff with James Garner, but, sorry, nothing with Jack Kelly."

About a year ago, when I first became aware of JK, Encore Westerns was running Maverick promos where present-day poker players gushed, "Maverick is James Garner!" There was nary a mention of JK, or even Roger Moore. One would have thought that Garner was the lone star of the show.

Shortly before that, John McCain and Sarah Palin branded themselves "mavericks" during the 2008 presidential campaign. Blogs and newspaper op-ed columns were filled with references to the "real Maverick", and as shorthand they usually showed a still of James Garner in his black Bret costume. Bart never made it to the primaries.

However, what irks me even more than Jack Kelly's contribution to Maverick being forgotten is when it's simply ignored, or summarily dismissed. Like when people say,"Jack Kelly was the other guy. James Garner was Maverick."

Or, "Jack Kelly was the guy we put up with to see James Garner in Maverick."

Even JK once said, "James Garner was Maverick--I was his brother."

Someone on Facebook wondered if such statements actually bothered Jack Kelly.

Apparently, they did.

I found an excerpt from a 1985 James Garner biography by Raymond Strait which quotes JK:

"...So far as I was concerned, the only negative aspect of Maverick, which I learned to understand and worked very hard to overcome, was being known as Bret Maverick's brother.

"Jim Garner was Maverick. The public always saw him bigger than me and that hurt because it diminished my posture. I was painfully aware of it."

Strait says that JG and JK never discussed this disparity, but both were aware of it. JK concluded:

"As the winner of the battle of the Mavericks without having to lift a finger, Jim didn't need to say anything...but I regard that man with genuine appreciation."

I don't think Jack Kelly knew how really good he was as Bart, or how much he was appreciated. He stayed with Maverick from 1957 until it ended in 1962. His last words on screen were spoken as a Maverick in 1991.

Yet, James Garner is still the default Maverick.

So, let's follow Linda's lead and spread the word: Jack Kelly is Maverick, too! :->

Jack Kelly - Happy St. Patrick's Day from JK!

"Mr. Muldoon, I wished for 'more green'

--not 'Moore green'!"

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY ;->

On the Wings of Recovery :)

Hello Everyone,

Well, I'm feeling (and looking) much better after my run-in with "Cat the Ripper" last weekend. ;-> A change in medication helped speed up my healing and I'll be returning to work tomorrow.

I want to thank everyone for their get-well wishes and especially for their prayers. I know those prayers lifted me on the wings of recovery.

Since I'm flyin' high again, I thought I'd post this wonderful photo of Jack Kelly and May Wynn at an airport as a special "thank you".

I love this pic, and I'm sure it will brighten your day, too! :->

Paging Dr. K....

Hello All,

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day here. The temperature went up into the 40's and while I was driving in my car, I popped open the sunroof just for fun.

I had lunch, got some housework done, and was even able to take my dog for a walk for the first time in weeks (the sidewalks were about 99% clear of snow).

Yes, it was a great day, until about 8:00 pm. That was when my cat, who is usually very docile and sweet, started acting up. She'd been looking out the window and suddenly jumped down and began running all over the room. Then, she jumped back in the window, thumping her tail. Something outside obviously had her spooked. I glanced out the window to see what it was.

BIG mistake...

My kitty, in her agitated state, didn't appreciate my intrusion and swatted me in the mouth.

With her claws out.

My mouth quickly filled with something warm and raw, which ran out when I screamed in pain. Not to get too graphic, but that swat from my little pussycat pugilist resulted in a trip to the emergency room, a tetanus shot, six stitches on my upper lip, and a very swollen lower lip. My mouth looks like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson rather than one round with a tabby cat.

I was prescribed antibiotics and assured that once the swelling goes down, everything should heal nicely.

Now, there's really not much funny about all this. I'm probably going to have to drink my meals and miss work for at least the next couple of days. But, you'll never guess who treated me in the emergency room:

Dr. Kelly.

No, not Jack Kelly, although I was hoping that would be his first name so this story would have an incredible twist ending. As it was, though, I got to talking (well, mumbling) with the doc and told him that one of my favorite actors was named Jack Kelly. I mentioned Maverick, but Dr. Kelly looked to be only about 25 and he replied, "That must have been a little before my time". Yeah, it was a little before my time, too, but suddenly I felt like I was about 100 years old.

I'm doing okay today. I'm just very thankful that my injuries weren't more severe and that only my mouth (and not my eyes and nose) was involved. I'm resting in bed. Fortunately, I have a nifty little netbook that I can use to blog and catch up on my other computing when I'm not napping.

And, yes, I did forgive my kitty, who is back to her usual placid self. However, the declaw discussion will be on the agenda during her next visit to the vet...

Jack Kelly - 'Tis a Puzzlement :)

Hello Everybody,

We've all seen a "tie-in". This is a book, toy, game, etc., that's based on a movie or TV show.

The original Maverick series generated plenty of tie-ins, some of which (e.g. comic books) you've seen on this blog. There were also Maverick vests, string ties, cowboy hats, cap guns and holsters, wallets, school-bags, coloring books, plastic figurines, phonograph records, paint-by-number sets, and even Halloween costumes.

Most Maverick merchandise was popular--and profitable. Reportedly, at least a million dollars worth of Maverick-themed items had been sold by the end of 1958.

Jigsaw puzzles were another tie-in. I've seen a few Maverick puzzles, including a couple printed with photos of JK and James Garner as Bart and Bret. I've also seen one with a painting of Bart riding a wildly bucking black bronco.

Here's another jigsaw puzzle I hadn't seen before. It's now part of the Kellection:

It depicts Bart on a leopard Appaloosa (where's Goldie?) galloping through the hinterland, with Cousin Beau following closely behind on a bay.

A label on the puzzle says it's "For Developing Coordination and Motor Control". Gee, I'd better practice putting it together several times a day, then! ;-> No, I'll just stare at it instead. :)

JK on TV - You're My Inspiration :)

Howdy!

Well, it looks like winter may be loosening its grip a little. Yesterday, the thermometer hit 40 degrees. The carpet of white on the lawn has shrunk a bit. The huge piles of snow the plows pushed to the curb are slowly shriveling into sooty mounds of slush.

This morning, I thought I saw a crocus trying to poke through the frost in the garden. And, the weatherman said it's supposed to be 50 by the end of the week! :->

Another day brightener: I got to see a tiny bit of Maverick today before I left for work. I noticed Bart was wearing his dotted vest. The vest and JK's curly hair reminded me of a photo in the Kellection, one of my favs:

When I first saw that pic, it looked very familiar. That's because I had this Maverick newspaper ad from 1960:

Here's a closer look at Bart:

It's clear where the artist got the inspiration for the ad. :)

But, that's not surprising...JK is always inspiring my work, too. ;->

More about the Maverick ad here.