The Maverick Walking Man! :)

Who is the tall dark stranger ringing the doorbell there? It might be the Maverick walking man:

And such prizes he brings: Maverick western ties! Transistor radios! Air mattresses! (Just be sure you're watching Maverick or he's liable to go next door instead.)

So, if your doorbell rings this evening, you could see the Maverick walking man on your porch! (But, more likely it'll be something from Amazon or Doordash--this ad is from 1959. ;>)

Happy Heavenly 100th Birthday....

....to Nancy Kelly, Jack Kelly's older sister, who was born on this date in 1921!

Colorization/titles by La Bartista from original B&W early publicity portrait

 (image courtesy UW)

A Virtual "Hong Kong" Affair! :)

Hello!

Well, here we are, over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic started and things still aren't quite back to "normal" yet. I'm still working from home; virtually everything is still "virtual" and anything "live" is socially distanced. Masks are still mandatory when venturing outside one's "bubble".

Thankfully, COVID vaccines have provided a glimmer of hope. Case rates are decreasing and folks are looking forward to finally seeing loved ones again, enjoying undistanced social events and traveling, when it's truly safe to do so. 

While we may not be able to actually travel very far yet, we can take a virtual vacation with Jack Kelly and wife Donna (May Wynn) courtesy of these stupendous stills from Hong Kong Affair which recently joined the Kellection:

JK as "Steve Whelan" and MW as "Chu Lan"

Uh-oh! Trouble as Steve's Triumph is taken (that's Lo Lita Shek w/JK)

A dramatic moment with Chu Lan and Steve

The "Target" boat to the rescue! (Can you spot Chu Lan & Steve?)

Chu Lan is in good hands

"Harboring" hope for the future 

BONUS IMAGE! Here's another one of those magnifico Mexican lobby cards for Hong Kong Affair:

Where will TDS travel to next? Please stay tuned...and stay well. :)

Jack Kelly: Hibernian Screen Star! :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Everyone!

Vintage postcard art courtesy The Graphics Fairy 

On this day in 1960, Jack Kelly was awarded the annual "Hibernian Screen Star Award" at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles during the Ancient Order of Hibernians' St. Patrick's Day festivities:

It's a little hard to read, but the clipping says "Annual Hibernian Screen Star Award Will Be Presented to Jack 'Maverick' Kelly During the Dance." 

Although it was given in 1960, I've seen JK's award called "Favorite Irishman for 1959" in other clippings and described as a statuette of St. Patrick. Wife Donna Kelly (May Wynn) was also on hand for the award presentation:

Reservations for both the St. Patrick's Day dinner and dance were $6.00 per person. If one wished to attend only the dance it cost just $2.00. But, I'm sure we fans would have paid any amount to see JK! :)

Please stay tuned for more about our favorite Irishman for every year in the next TDS.

A TV Spectacular--At the Drive-In! :)

Hello Everyone!

It's still February, but how about spending Saturday night at the drive-in movies? Although it may be a bit chilly outside, this 1962 line-up of TV favorites starring in older feature films (including Jack Kelly in Hong Kong Affair) will warm us up!

(Of course, they could have shown The Night Holds Terror which featured both JK and Vince Edwards.) 

The "Why Settle for Substitutes? Try a Real Saturday Night at the Movies" is probably a dig at NBC-TV's popular Saturday Night at the Movies series which aired from 1961-1978. 

And, speaking of Hong Kong Affair: another look at JK in this film is coming soon in TDS!

PLUS: Also coming soon, two incredibly rare Kellectibles from Jack Kelly's pre-Maverick TV career--please stay tuned! :)

"Four Into Zero"=JK

Hello Everyone!

The temperature where I live is forecast to dip to just four above zero in the next few days, so I thought I'd look at "Four Into Zero", an episode of Kraft Suspense Theatre in which Jack Kelly starred. Not only that, but it was on this exact day in 1965--Thursday, February 18--that "Four Into Zero" first aired on NBC-TV!

JK plays "Charles Glenn", the ski-bum husband of wealthy blonde heiress "Caroline" (Martha Hyer). Charles wants to accomplish something to prove to Caroline that he's his own man. 

Does he run for office? Write a novel? Win a gold medal for skiing?

Nope, he masterminds a convoluted caper involving engraving plates bound for a South American republic by way of a train traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles. Charles plans to pinch the plates from the train's freight car, print a million dollars worth of bills, return the plates to the car and then convert the South American currency to U.S. money for a hefty payday. 

Of course, he can't do all this alone, so he hires three cohorts--a printer, an acrobat and a man (Robert Conrad) whose fiancée works at a bank in Chicago--with the special skills and knowledge needed to get the job done. 

Nothing can go wrong, right? Wrong. 

The acrobat is supposed to slither atop the moving train and slip in and out of the freight car with the plates without attracting attention. However, he's injured and Charles must complete the risky task himself. 

There are other complications as well, such as a nosey little boy and a vacationing railroad bull who almost uncover Charles' scheme while riding the train. And, when Caroline and the fiancée learn their men aren't on a business trip after all, they fly to Los Angeles to find out what's really going on.   

In the end, Charles' wild plan nearly succeeds. Crime doesn't pay, though, and his million-dollar dream adds up to a big fat zero when a sudden coup renders the republic's currency worthless. 

But, he still has Caroline:

Please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS--and stay warm! :)

Happy Valentine's Day 2021 From "TDS"! :)

Maverick still of Jack Kelly and Patricia Crowley

 in "A Tale of Three Cities" 

autographed by 

Ms. Crowley

(colorization and caption added by La Bartista)