"Maverick" + "Bonanza"= MeTV! :)

Howdy!

MeTV has posted an article about the 1961 Maverick episode "Three Queens Full", the hilarious send-up of Bonanza starring Jack Kelly:

It even has an animated .gif of JK getting comically cold-cocked by "Moose Wheelwright". Enjoy! :)

The "Road" to JK - Pt II :)

Howdy!

Here's another fantastic behind-the-scenes glimpse of Jack Kelly and Mike Road on the set of Maverick. MR shows his "Pearly" whites as smilin' JK takes matters in hand during a break from filming "Dade City Dodge" on June 12, 1961:

The couple standing between JK and MR is identified on the back of this photo as "Mr. and Mrs. Phil Krasney (neighbors)". I presume the Krasneys were MR's neighbors, since he wrote the description.

A non-Maverick candid of JK and MR will be coming soon--please stay tuned! :)

The "Road" to JK :)

Hello!

You may have seen character actor Mike Road on TV or in films. More likely, you heard him, since probably his best-remembered role was one in which his own face was never seen: "Race Bannon" in the original Jonny Quest animated television series.

Fans of  Maverick will also remember Mr. Road as smooth-talking con man "Pearly Gates", who bedeviled Bart Maverick in the episodes Dade City Dodge and The Troubled Heir.

MR kept a large collection of photos as mementos of his many roles. Recently, I was able to purchase some of the photos with Jack Kelly from his collection and add them to the Kellection.

Thankfully, MR wrote information on the backs of the photos, thus saving us from having to guess "Who is that woman?" or "What episode is this still from?" nearly sixty years later. 

Below is a fabulous candid pic of JK and MR on the set of Dade City Dodge. MR noted that it was taken on June 12, 1961, and added the description "On Maverick set (as Pearly Gates) - Jack Kelly, star":

As you can see, this photo is extra special because it's signed by JK! It's also extra large (11" x 14"), meaning not all of it fit in my scanner at one time. So, here's a separate close-up scan of the signature (you can also see the shadow of JK's wedding ring on his left hand, since he'd switched the ring to his right pinky to play bachelor Bart):

The inscription reads "Mike - If we ever do this again, perhaps 'Pearly' will keep score!!--Jack Kelly". (Maybe he was referring to the lunchtime poker games on the Warner Bros. lot?)

You can read more about the talented Mr. Road here on the fascinating "Yowp" blog. And, you can see another fantastic pic of MR and JK, coming up next in TDS. Please stay tuned! :)

Happy 4th of July! :)

Vintage Clipart Courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Sci-Fi Saturday Night :)

Hola!

Here's another magnifico Mexican lobby card for Jack Kelly's 1957 feature film She Devil:

Please stay tuned to TDS--there's more sci-fi in store and JK's WB candids are coming, plus lots of other goodies, too! :) 

JK The "Mistrot" Tot :)

Happy Monday Everyone!

In keeping with the accent on Jack Kelly's youth, I now present a Kellectible which is so rare I didn't even know it existed, until it joined the Kellection:

A 1930 casting directory for "Mistrot".

 What is Mistrot? It was a modeling agency in New York City. I was able to find almost no other information about it, except for this 1932 ad in a New York City newspaper:

But, look who I found inside the directory:

Yep, it's JK as a toddler! :)

I know we've seen this charming image many times before--even in this blog--but here it is, nice and clear and in its original context.

This is JK's Mistrot page:

 

("Lackawanna" was a telephone exchange in NYC.) 

 

JK's little big sis, Nancy Kelly, is in the directory, too. Flashing her winsome smile, she was already a seasoned child actress with film credits at Paramount, Fox and Universal Studios:  

 



 Plus, I believe this is the Kelly kids' mom, actress and model Ann Mary "Nan" Kelly:

What a fascinating artifact from JK's early days in showbiz!

 

There are some other famous names in the directory as well, such as Natalie Schafer (later "Lovey Howell" on Gilligan's Island) and Vilma Ebsen (sister and one-time dancing partner of Buddy Ebsen).

 

Please stay tuned for much more in TDS! :) 



...And Jack the Dad :)

Happy Father's Day!

Here's a photo of Jack Kelly's pop, John A. "Jack" Kelly, Sr., dancing with JK's younger sister, Karolee, in 1939:

 

According to the caption, Mr. Kelly was called "Jack" even by his children. And although it states that Karolee would make her screen debut in Gone With the Wind, I'm not sure if she actually appears in the film. She did go on to play minor roles in movies and on TV, but GWTW isn't among her credits on the Internet Movie Database.

Please stay tuned for more about JK (Jr., that is!) in TDS. :)