Jack Kelly - "I'm a Home-Stayer, Course-Charter, a Follow-Througher" :)

Hi Again!

Before continuing with our 1958 tour of the Kelly home, let's pause for a quick cup of joe with Jack:

Oops! Looks like JK just lost a game of Chinese checkers to Donna. And who's that sitting on the TV? Our old friend Mr. Clown Doll! Glance just past him and you can see into the Kellys' backyard:


The caption to the pic below says that JK "cuts his own firewood, and he himself has made most of the improvements around the honeymoon cottage, just big enough for two."


And, of course, he was handy in the kitchen (and at the grill), too!


The article also gives some details about how the Kellys became a couple. Although they'd acted in two films together (They Rode West and The Violent Men) and socialized at various functions, they didn't really start dating until after Donna decided to visit JK at the Warner Brothers Studios one day. She found him on Stage Nineteen, and "there was Kelly, looking as handsome and dashing as her memory of him, in his period costume for King's Row, the teleseries then being made at Warner Brothers."

JK, as Donna might have seen him,
in costume for King's Row

The couple soon became an "item" and decided to marry. Reportedly, their first choice for a wedding location was Mexico. However, there was too much international red tape involved. Then, they considered having a formal ceremony, but there were too many guests involved.

Finally, a friend steered them to Quartzsite, a marrying mecca located in the Arizona desert. Although the couple arrived in the middle of the night, they were able to have a $75.00 wedding ring fashioned on the spot before being married by a justice of the peace. The Kellys also had a church wedding a month later.

The Kellys made a pact to never be apart during their marriage. JK claims in the article, "This is a motivating factor in our happiness. If a plane crashes or a train wrecks or a ship sinks, we will be together. Whatever happens to one of us will happen to both. This has worked a hardship, financial and career-wise, more than once...since signing on for the role of Bart in the Maverick series at Warner Bros., I've run into countless difficulties--obligations for personal appearances and business trips which I steadfastly refuse unless my wife can go along."

In fact, this "togetherness" pact may have almost cost JK his guest role in the TV series Gunsmoke. According to the article, while in the middle of enjoying a delayed honeymoon in Mexico four months after they were married, Jack got word about the Gunsmoke part. However, the plane home was overbooked and there was room for only one Kelly on the flight! The tearful decision was made that JK would go on to Los Angeles for the job while Donna would stay in Mexico.

JK was about to board the plane, but he looked back and saw Donna crying. He ordered his bags off the plane and the whole airport cheered his gallant, romantic gesture. And, the Kellys were able to leave Mexico together the next day, just in time for JK to play "Cal Durbin".

So, it's no wonder maverick Jack said of his married life at the time, "I used to be a fence-walker...now, I'm a home-stayer, a course-charter, and a follow-througher."

And, here's a bit of JK nickname trivia for you: We know that Donna called JK "Kelly". The article says JK called her "The Big M" or "Kukie". He hated the name "May Wynn" because it "wasn't real" and called her "The Big M" until he married her and "... I knew her well enough to call her 'Donna'".

Plus, they had a poodle named "Hickey"--since Donna's full real name was "Donna Lee Hickey".

Well, until next time, have a blessed and safe Easter. :)

Jack Kelly - "These Are Our Old Masters" :)

Hello Everyone!

I guess something strange happened with this blog on April 1. I heard some of the pictures and links were acting funny. Must have been sunspots or something. ;->

Anyway, I hope everything's working okay today, because you'll definitely want to see this:

It's a pic of Jack and Donna/May Kelly from a wonderful 1958 TV Radio Mirror article I found which ties right into my earlier posts about the Kelly's home. Unfortunately, none of the pix are in color, so we can't see any of the watermelon pink. However, they do give some fascinating peeks into the home and provide more clues about the Kelly's unique flair for decorating.

The article states, "The Kellys live in a picturesque farmhouse that hugs a cliff on one of the hills of Hollywood. The rooms all flow together, and are filled with the implements of their joint projects, and souvenirs and symbols of their lives together. Two unusual oil paintings dominate the living room. [The Kellys] bought them in a junk shop for $1.50 apiece; then spent over $90.00 having them cleaned and framed. 'These are our Old Masters,' says Kelly. There are also assorted paintings of clowns and horses.

"Everywhere about are souvenirs of their travels. There is a carved man with delicate hands, bought in Hong Kong because Donna likes delicately carved hands. And there is the bolo knife, brought from the Orient as a gift for a friend, but rejected by him because it looked too 'murderous'. On every nook and cranny there are curious objects of all sorts that have significance only to the Kellys. And everywhere, on shelf and on chair, there are books, books and more books.

"There is a den with a low, round table which is always cluttered. It generally contains half-filled coffee cups, a half-played game of Chinese checkers, and reams and reams of typing paper. For the Kellys collaborate on writing projects of all sorts, chiefly television scripts. Their creative efforts dovetail beautifully. Donna does research and collaborates on plotting, and each is an excellent critic of the other's ideas."

The Kellys are hard at work on a script, or maybe a cookbook.

Speaking of hard work, JK is crafting a fountain that will go outside their bedroom window, because "Donna thought it would be romantic".

But, all work and no play makes JK a dull boy (never!),
so here he strums the guitar. As the caption says, "Jack believes in serenading his fair lady, Donna, even after he's won her."

The story also provides a sweet look at the Kellys' courtship and elopement, and JK explains how married life changed this maverick. That, and more pix, next time! :)

Jack Kelly - Ga-Ga Gals Strike Again! :)

The Gazette, March 30, 1876

"'THEY JUST WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE',
Says Beleaguered Bart Maverick

by Bobbie Belle Boze

Mr. Bart Maverick, the roving gambler who recently caused riots in a nearby town simply by stepping out of his hotel, must now resort to playing cards outdoors. So many admiring females show up during his poker games that no saloon or gambling hall can contain them.


'They just won't leave me alone', Maverick sighed, 'So, as my old Pappy used to say...'

Whatever Mr. Maverick's old Pappy used to say was drowned out by girlish giggling.

When asked why women find Mr. Maverick so overwhelmingly attractive, a Miss L. A. Bartista replied that the answer could be found in her 'blog' (which apparently is some sort of foreign word for 'journal').

Another lady opined, 'Why, he's so much better looking than his brother, what's-his-name...Brit? Brat?'

Then, another woman, who identified herself as Mrs. Alexander, strode up to Mr. Maverick with pen and paper in hand. She said she was writing his biography and wanted to ask him a few hundred questions. Such as, did 'Mammy' Maverick ever say anything, where did Brent come from, and did Bart really love Stella the saloon girl or did he just say that because she was holding a gun on him.

Mr. Maverick replied that he would be delighted to answer Mrs. Alexander's inquiries just as soon as his poker game was finished.

This reporter asked Mrs. Alexander why she is writing Bart Maverick's biography.

She answered, 'Because his face belongs on a book.'" ;->

Jack Kelly - "Choose Accessories Carefully" :)

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

And "Welcome" to our newest follower. It's alway great to meet another Jack Kelly fan! :->

Now, here are the rest of the Kellys' home decorating hints from Photoplay:

"'Carpet,' the Kellys suggest, 'as many rooms as you can afford to, in the same carpeting.'

"'Pull furniture away from walls,' say the Kellys, 'and arrange it for easy conversation.' Jack and May wisely placed their living-room pieces around their fireplace, just as we have done in our composite sketch [below]. If you haven't a fireplace as a focal point, try grouping furniture around a window with a view, a painting or picture grouping, or a handsome music piece--piano, TV, phono.

"'Choose accessories carefully,' the Kellys urge, 'because they can make all the difference between a distinguished and run-of-the mill decorating job.' For their early-American home, they scoured antiques shops for a pair of wonderful old Spanish andirons, a fine old Boston rocker, and their prized find--two beautiful old still-life paintings.

"The Kellys believe that 'if you choose these small things because you love them and can see their value, others seem to, too, and treat them as you do--with T.L.C. (tender loving care).'"

Very interesting, and very inspiring! I think it's time to lose the milk crates and futons and redecorate Casa Bartista the Kelly way. ;->

Jack Kelly - "Be Brave With Color" :)

Hello Again!

Continuing with my adventures in antiquing:

I stopped at another antiques store before driving home, and, wouldn't you know, it was right before closing time. So, I scrutinized each aisle as quickly as I could. Nothing of interest seemed to appear.

However, bloodhound Bartista finally found a booth with some vintage Photoplays tucked away. I snatched up the ones that looked the most promising and made the trek home.

Later, I thumbed through my purchases. Hmmm...no JK in this Photoplay. How about this one? Nope again.

It looked like a strikeout, until I picked up a 1959 issue. Let's see, what's in this one?

"Has Debbie Reynolds Gotten Over Eddie?" (Apparently.)

"Will Connie Francis Get Bobby Darin Back Again?" (Nope.)

"Edd Byrnes Quazy Love Quiz: Are You Kookie, Too?" (Probably.)

I was just about to toss this one aside, too, when I saw this:

Hey! A picture of JK and May Wynn! They weren't listed in the table of contents.

So, I flipped back a few pages to the beginning of the article:

"Add a Touch of Hollywood to Your Home - 13 Decorating Ideas."

JK and May were part of "Photoplay's first decorating panel", comprised of "young Hollywood couples whose ideas are realistic enough to work within your budget, too." The panel gave their decorating advice on two rooms, the living room and the bedroom.

Here are the Kellys' recommendations:

"'Be Brave With Color,' advise the Jack Kellys, who acted on their own advice--using Jack's favorite and remembered-from-childhood color, watermelon pink, generously in their home.

"'Coordinate Color,' add the Kellys. "Let the color flow from one room to another, so that your home looks all of a piece instead of cut up.' Jack and May used some of their favorite pink in living room, dining room, and kitchen--and coordinated fabric colors throughout their home."

Next time: The Kellys' thoughts on carpet, furniture and accessories!

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! :->