¡JK Olé! :)

¡Hola!

After what seemed like forever, ël sol (the sun) finally took center stage in the January sky here today. In honor of this enlightening event, here’s a photograph of Jack Kelly costumed in a traje de luces (suit of lights) for his role as Sidney Franklin in “My First Bullfight” which aired on the ABC series TV Reader’s Digest on June 20, 1955.

Franklin was an adventurous American writer and artist who counted Ernest Hemingway and James Dean among his amigos. So, how did this boy from Brooklyn end up as a bullfighter? The episode description for “My First Bullfight" in TV.com says, “An American artist is drawing bullfighting posters in Mexico City. After a little too much tequila, he feels he has what it takes to battle a bull.”

JK certainly cut a dashing figure as the atypical torero, and he really rocks that suit. In fact, I think this is my new favorite photo of JK! :)

Happy New Year from La Bartista & "TDS"! :)

Thanks so much for reading TDS and for your comments and kind words during the past year. And, thanks most of all for being such a great group of Jack Kelly fans. I pray that you all have a blessed and safe 2012. :)

Free Vintage New Year's Clip Art

Merry Christmas to All From La Bartista & "TDS"! :)

Free Victorian Christmas cards

On Guard! :)

Howdy All!

Well, it happened again--while on YouTube, I stumbled upon a Jack Kelly performance I hadn't yet seen. It's in A Double Life. Unfortunately, it's not the 1947 feature film starring Ronald Colman. Nope, this is the 1978 pilot film for a short-lived NBC series called Sword of Justice.

The late Dack Rambo stars as "Jack Cole", a "millionaire playboy" who was unjustly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. But, Cole put his time in the stir to good use. No, he didn't raise birds or earn a law degree. He learned how to become a crook. Not to worry, though: once out of the joint, Cole uses his newfound bad skills for good.

In A Double Life, Cole puts the squeeze on the murderous mastermind (a slightly pre-Dallas Larry Hagman) behind a scheme involving counterfeit wine.

I slogged through 11 segments of A Double Life on YouTube and found the three where JK briefly appears as "Walters", a surly security guard at the winery.

In the first segment, he comes in at about 1:00. As you'll see, he wears a laughably large hat. And, although his character is generally a grouch, JK does get in a funny line near the end of the clip:

In the segment below, JK comes in about 2:23 and yells at one of the winery workers (who is actually Cole's undercover operative):

Finally, JK wraps up his appearance starting at about 4:11:

Since Sword of Justice aired in early 1978 and was produced by Glen Larson, I wonder if perhaps Walters was working undercover, too, and was actually Harry Hammond of the Justice Department who became the boss of the Hardy Boys later that year... ;-)

Viva Maverick! :)

Hola!

A 1965 Chilean TV Guia (TV Guide) recently joined the Kellection, and I discovered that some familiar program titles are a bit different in Spanish. For example, Gunsmoke is La Ley Del Revolver. Bewitched is La Hechizada. The Addams Family is Los Locos Adams. Other titles are a little easier to guess, like El Santo (The Saint), Ruta 66 (Route 66), and Show de Dick Van Dyke (you know).

And, some titles are exactly the same in the TV Guia as they are in the TV Guide, such as Bonanza, Jonny Quest--and Maverick:



This colorful "poster" that's inside the TV Guia shows JK and his lovely co-star Kathleen Crowley in a tender moment (either that, or they're arm wrestling ;>). However, the description for Maverick in the program section mentions only "el actor magnifico James Garner"! (Hey, Linda: you need to get A Maverick Life translated into Spanish, pronto!) :)

FIRST LOOK: "A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story" :)

Hello Everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I sure did. And, I am especially thankful because Linda Alexander, author of the newly released biography A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story, graciously permitted me to have an advance peek at the book. Here's my review:

With A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story, author Linda Alexander lassoes the reader's interest and doesn't turn it loose until the very last sentence as she explores the colorful life of Jack Kelly, who played charming brother "Bart" to James Garner's wily "Bret" on the popular Maverick television series.

Ms. Alexander introduces us to the actor, born John Augustus Kelly, Jr., whose theatrical family roots stretched all the way back to Ireland. Kelly's mother Nan was an ambitious model who pushed all but one of her four children into show biz careers. His older sister was Nancy Kelly, who began acting as a child and matured into an acclaimed leading lady. Jack Kelly himself performed as a youngster in films, in radio, and on stage. Following a grown-up stint in the military, he moseyed back into films and then into television.

After headlining on Maverick for five years, Kelly drifted into perennial TV guest stardom, pausing along the way to appear in movies and in summer stock. He even emceed a game show. Kelly also made successful forays into business and politics. He served as city councilman and mayor in Huntington Beach, California--while still accepting occasional acting roles--before his tragic death at age 65 in 1992.

A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story is a brisk read, but it doesn't skimp on detail or on insight into Kelly's life. In addition to thoroughly researching her subject, Ms. Alexander obtained invaluable input from Kelly's family members (including both of his wives and his beloved daughter) along with memories from his fellow thespians such as Sir Roger Moore and James Drury, star of The Virginian.

The author unmasks the complicated human being inside the ebullient entertainer and pulls no punches. For example, many fans have wondered why Jack Kelly's success on Maverick didn't translate into enduring major stardom. Ms. Alexander traces part of the answer to Kelly's predilection to alcohol. She also reveals that the actor's formative family ties kept him bound far into adulthood. He was deeply affected by upheavals in his personal and professional lives and by events such as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Yet, Kelly remained in denial about his own life-threatening health condition until it was too late.

However, A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story is by no means a "downer". The reader also meets the Jack Kelly who was a loving father, a lively practical joker, an accomplished golfer, an expert cook, a talented writer, a dedicated politician, and a man who geniunely loved--and was loved by--some of the most glamorous gals in Hollywood.

And, once and for all, Linda Alexander busts the myth that Jack Kelly was just the "other guy" on Maverick. Ms. Alexander uncovers the behind-the-scenes intrigue and restores Kelly to his proper place in the Maverick equation.

A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story is generously illustrated with rare black and white photos from all phases of Kelly's life and career. Plus, the arresting color portrait on the cover perfectly captures the handsome actor in his most famous role: Bart Maverick.

As Linda Alexander puts it, "Jack Kelly really LIVED". A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story proves that he did, indeed.

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If you couldn't tell, I really LOVED this book. I'm sure you'll love it, too. If you haven't already reserved your copy, please visit the BearManor Media website. :)

Happy Thanksgiving From "TDS"! :)

"Our old Pappy always says, 'There's nothing better than having the family all together at Thanksgiving...even if Bentley always gets the bigger piece of the wishbone!'"