Happy Father's Day 2020! :)

Happy Father's Day!

To celebrate, I present an unusual 1959 photo of Jack Kelly, James Garner and JG's step-daughter, Kimberly:

Kimberly looks like she's saying "Give me your autograph or else!" to JK.

You may be wondering why JK is in costume for Maverick and JG isn't. The caption on the reverse explains: "On a day when he was not required for scenes in Up Periscope, a Lakeside Production for Warner Bros., star James Garner brings his daughter, Kimberly, to the studio for a visit and to watch the filming of scenes for other pictures in production. Jack Kelly, who co-stars with Jim in the Maverick television series, is scared to death of the way Kimberly is handling a gun."

NOTE: This vintage photo has been in the Kellection for a while and I like it because it's a rare glimpse at JK and JG behind the scenes of Maverick. However, I've been somewhat torn about posting it here because it also shows a child pointing a gun at another human being. Yes, I know it's a gag photo, the gun was probably a prop and obviously no Jack Kellys were harmed during the making of this picture. On the other hand, firearm handling is no laughing matter, so here are some basic tips to help ensure that every day is happy for each Dad and child:

• Treat all guns as if they are loaded
• Point guns in a safe direction
• Don’t rely on a gun’s “safety”
• More tips available at Safe Kids Worldwide 

Thanks for reading, and please stay tuned for more about Jack Kelly in TDS. :)

Jack Kelly: "Most Distinguished Guest" :)

Howdy!

On June 1, 1958, Jack Kelly (along with wife Donna/May Wynn) was the "Most Distinguished Guest" at the 45th annual "Fontana Days" celebration in Fontana, California. Fontana was also the location of Kaiser Steel, the largest steel mill on the West Coast at the time. Kaiser Industries was, of course, the primary sponsor of Maverick.

Here are Jack and Donna in the Fontana Days parade, which according to newspaper reports was viewed by 30,000 people:

"MAVERICK DEALS A HAND--'Most distinguished guest' of Fontana [on] Saturday, television's Jack (Bart Maverick) Kelly waves a greeting to parade crowds. Sharing the spotlight was his actress wife, May Wynn." 



As noted previously in TDS, JK was the grand marshal of the Palm Springs Mounted Police Rodeo parade in 1961. So, who was the grand marshal of the Fontana Days parade in 1958?

 

A "talking" basset hound named "Cleo" from the sitcom The People's Choice. She was sort of a distaff, canine "Mr. Ed" who commented on the action and made wisecracks during each episode (via the voice of actress Mary Jane Croft).  

Okay, so Cleo actually accompanied actor Paul Maxey, who played the mayor on the show and was the nominal grand marshal. But, the San Bernadino County Sun reported that the popular pup "nearly stole the limelight from luminaries such as Maverick's Jack Kelly, his actress wife, May Wynn, Grand Marshal actor Paul Maxey...and the honorary Grand Marshal, Santa Claus."

Yes, Santa Claus. In June.

A talking dog, Santa and JK, all in the same parade--I wish I could have seen that! :)

Well, you never know what you'll see next in TDS, so please stay tuned.



More Bart Art :)

Hello!

As promised, here's more "Bart Art":

A drawing of Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick from a 1950's "Eras-O-Picture" coloring book:



Next, here's some very interesting artwork! It's not only Bart art, but Matt Dillon (James Arness), Lucas McCain (Chuck Connors), Chris Hale (John McIntire) and Paladin (Richard Boone) art, too! It's from the cover of a 1962 newspaper TV supplement:

A close-up of a somewhat disheveled Paladin glancing warily at Matt Dillon's gun while holding a card with Bart on it (and, yes, the card is a jack! :>):

 I believe the portrait of Bart on the card is based on the 1958 drawing done to promote the United Appeal tour, which appeared in the previous "Bart Art" post.

Finally, here's a wonderful sketch of JK as Bart created in 1986 by Armand Polverari (1944-2015), an artist known for his pen-and-ink portraits of Roy Rogers and other western stars. Mr. Polverari signed his work as "Mondo", which can be seen on Bart's left lapel:

Well, that's all for right now, but there'll be more "Bart Art" in a future TDS. In the meantime, please stay tuned for more about JK, stay well and please "Love one another" (John 13:34).

Bart Art :)

Hello Everyone!

Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, some museums have been offering virtual tours of their collections. So, I'm opening up the Kellection for an online exhibit titled "Bart Art", that is, artwork depicting Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick.

First, here's a striking portrait of Bart from a Dutch Maverick comic book:

Next up, a comical newspaper caricature of Bart promoting a repeat of "The Third Rider" episode of Maverick on July 20, 1958:

"Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) Chases Bank Robber Tonight at 7:30--Tries to Clear Himself of Crime in Maverick on Channel 10

This dandy drawing from the Kellection is dated October 8, 1958, and promotes JK's United Appeal tour:

  

Dated May 1960, this photo shows Bart with his famous arched eyebrow:



Here's how the complete photo with Brother Bret looked when it was published in a newspaper TV log in July 1960:

Of course, the above caricature was based on the same iconic photo that's on the cover of Poker According to Maverick (only Bart is sans cigar on the cover):

This drawing heralded the arrival of Bart's Cousin Beau (Roger Moore) in September 1960:

A September 1960 newspaper ad for "A Bundle From Britain" :



The sketch of Bart is based on one of my favorite JK photos:

More "Bart Art" in the next TDS--please stay tuned and stay well. :)



Memorial Day 2020

Vintage Memorial Day image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

A Three-Day Special! :)

Bart and Bret are here to welcome the Memorial Day weekend! :)

I hope everyone has a safe and meaningful Memorial Day. 

"Double Jeopardy", Double Image :)

Howdy!

Jack Kelly appeared as private eye "Fred Piper" in three episodes of Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre: "White Snow, Red Ice" "One Embezzlement and Two Margaritas" and "Double Jeopardy".

I've looked at all three episodes before in TDS, but I'm doing a double-take on Double Jeopardy because of this fantastic photo which recently came into the Kellection:

Of course, that's JK with his lovely co-star, Lauren Bacall. And, there's another side to this photo--literally. On the back is a newspaper clipping with the same image (complete with editing marks) which explains the premise of Double Jeopardy:

The caption reads "'DOUBLE JEOPARDY' is the title of the show, and what Jack Kelly is in as he gets involved with Lauren Bacall playing the dual role of twin sisters on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre. The romantic mystery, co-starring Zsa Zsa Gabor and Tom Poston, airs Friday, 7:30 p.m. [January 15, 1965] on Ch. 3, 2."

I also found a nice article in which Ms. Bacall shares what it was like playing twins:

"All their lives they competed for men. Amanda was the athletic trophier...her sister, Barbara, nabbed the fraternity pins. Noted actress Lauren Bacall captures both on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre in a dual-role portrayal calling for dramatic characterizations of twin sisters, poles apart in personality but in love with the same missing man.

"...'The biggest problem in playing a dual role,' notes the husky-voiced beauty, 'is in keeping the characters separated. It's very easy to slip into the mannerisms and speech of the other twin--you have to concentrate on keeping them apart every minute. I've developed a full-blown schizophrenia for the role, but both halves have loved it.'"

Earth Day was first observed on April 22, 1970, and perhaps in the spirit of the times, NBC recycled some episodes of The Chrysler Theatre under the title NBC Adventure Theatre in 1971. The six year-old Double Jeopardy aired on Adventure Theatre on July 31, 1971:

Adventure Theatre returned in 1972 and Double Jeopardy was repeated on August 17 of that year. 

Incidentally, Adventure Theatre was hosted by Art Fleming, who was the emcee of another NBC series at the time: just plain Jeopardy (which is still running in its current syndicated version). And, as noted previously in TDS, Jack Kelly hosted NBC Comedy Theatre (a.k.a. NBC Comedy Playhouse) which showcased lighter episodes of The Chrysler Theatre.

Whew! Doing all that research on Double Jeopardy made me double-tired, so I'm going to turn in now. But, I'll be back with more about JK, so please stay tuned! :)