The Kelly Pages - "The Feeling Is Rapture"

Hi Again!

Here's another Jack Kelly klipping (from Movie Stars - TV Close Ups, 2/59) to fan the flames on a frosty night:



The text says: "Jack Kelly's idea of a romantic evening with his beautiful wife May consists of sitting on the floor in front of their fireplace, sipping wine and watching the flames play hide and seek around the logs.

"'Sure we like to go to the movies and parties--but nothing compares to the coziness of our own home,' he's convinced.

"Jack admits he's having one heck of a time pleasing his wife with gifts. 'She doesn't like jewelry, so that's a problem. She has more clothes than she can wear. In fact she's got just about everything she can use. My only solutions are gag gifts--like the loving cup I brought home the other day on which was inscribed, 'You're the greatest.' It's not really a gag--she is.'

"For reasons of his own, he refuses to comment on present conflicts between them, insisting, 'I find it prudent to keep my fat mouth shut on rendering an opinion at this time.' However, generally speaking, he says he and May look on disagreements as a blessing, 'because it's the only way to learn each other's heart, and the more we learn, the more solid will be our lives together.'

"He also won't confess how they make up after a quarrel, grinning only, '....but the feeling is rapture.'"
;->

Here's a better view of the photo of JK and May shown above (I think the other JK photo is probably already familar :->):



NEXT TIME: Another true west moment with Bart Maverick! :)

The Kelly Pages: More New Kellectibles! :)

Hello!

Here are some more klippings from the new Kellectibles to help warm up a winter night:

This pic of an older, more serious Jack Kelly comes from the November 1971 issue of TV Dawn to Dusk, a magazine devoted to daytime television. The article is titled "From Rogues to Riches" and it describes JK as "the debonair quizmaster of Sale of the Century", although by this time I think he'd already left SOTC to return to acting full-time. It also calls him "the former irrepressible bandit-gambler Bart Maverick" (not sure about the "bandit" part...?)

Anyway, the story repeats much of the early Kelly lore most fans are already familiar with (JK appeared in a soap ad at the age of 2 weeks, he acted on Broadway and radio as a child, he served in the Air Force, he achieved TV stardom on Maverick, etc.) However, it also looks at his later hosting duties on SOTC, and some of his off-duty activities:

"In September 1969, after a successful Hollywood career, Jack lassoed in on New York to emcee Sale of the Century. It's a toss-up as to which is a bigger audience drawer--those delicious bargains auctioned off on the show or witty and personable Jack himself. According to the Nielsen ratings, the two are a winning combination.

"Personableness is one quality Jack doesn't have to manufacture from his virtuoso acting ability. He truly measures up to a well-deserved reputation as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. His good-natured Irish humor often smoothes over many difficult situations on the show. And as Christmas time approaches, he is the master Santa Claus, preparing his gift list almost three months in advance and spending weeks on elaborate wrappings.

"In whatever spare time Jack can manage to sandwich in between segments of the quiz show, he spends on outdoor sports--sailing, golfing, camping, to name just a few. Co-owner of a large, luxurious cabin cruiser, Jack often journeys to California for some salmon and striped bass fishing. He's also one of the star golfers on celebrity golf tournaments, including the Bob Hope Desert Classic and the Bing Crosby Tournament. Cooking, be it outdoors or indoors, is another one of Jack's specialties. He often passes out recipes from his original collection that would tickle the palate of any discriminating gourmet.

"Despite his duties as master of ceremonies, acting hasn't left Jack's system, and in the summertime he often stars in stock productions to which he lends his vocal and thespian talents. Among the plays Jack has toured with on the straw hat circuit are The Moon is Blue, Under the Yum Yum Tree, The Music Man, Come Blow Your Horn, Guys and Dolls, Cactus Flower, and The Odd Couple."

Strangely, I don't remember watching JK in SOTC, although I do remember watching Hollywood Squares, which evidently came on right after SOTC. (I think Squares was always on when I came home for lunch in grade school.) And, SOTC never made it to the Game Show Network because, according to Wikipedia, "The original 1969-1973 series is believed to have been destroyed by NBC as per network practices of the era. Only nine episodes are known to exist, held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive." What a waste--and what a loss for JK fans.

Incidentally, at the paper show yesterday, I visited a booth where a couple was selling autographed summer stock programs. The gentleman asked me if I was looking for any actor in particular. I mentioned Jack Kelly. Remarkably, the gentleman recognized the name (I often get blank stares at these shows) and asked me to send him an e-mail so he could look for any JK items he might have. Let's keep our fingers crossed that he finds some. :)

NEXT TIME: What was JK's idea of a romantic evening? ;->

The Kelly Pages: Brrrr--Paper Show Day! :)

Hi All!

I risked frostbite to attend the semi-annual paper (ephemera) show today. See, the parking lot was full, meaning I had to park a few blocks away and walk in 11-degree weather to reach the show's venue, which also hosted a bridal show and a graduation ceremony today (why parking spaces were at a premium).

Don't worry--I was bundled-up, and the wintry walk was well worth it, because I found kwite a few Jack Kelly Kellectibles! :)

Such as a very nice copy of the book Poker According to Maverick, with a great color photo of JK and James Garner on the front cover, for just $1!

Plus, a few movie magazines with JK inside. For example, the Hollywood Secrets Yearbook (published 1961) with this hot shot of JK and wife May Wynn:

The caption says: "It's no casual peck on the cheek for head of the Kelly house when he sets off to work. May Wynn kisses her Jack as though she means it."

Yes, that definitely helped chase the chill away! ;->

Stay tuned--more new Kellectibles next time.

Jack Kelly - Giving Props to Maverick :)

Howdy!

In my kontinuing kwest for Jack Kelly "Kellectibles", I recently found an item that may be an original background prop used in the Maverick TV series.

Not the book, but the bookends. The person I bought them from told me the bookends were purchased at an auction over 30 years ago. They were accompanied by a note from Jerry Welch, who was a set designer on Maverick. I did some checking, and Mr. Welch is credited with the following episodes:

"The Long Hunt" (20 October 1957) - Set Decorator
"Stage West" (27 October 1957) - Set Decorator
"Relic of Fort Tejon" (3 November 1957) - Set Decorator
"Hostage" (10 November 1957) - Set Decorator
"The Jeweled Gun" (24 November 1957) - Set Decorator
"The Wrecker" (1 December 1957) - Set Decorator
"The Naked Gallows" (15 December 1957) - Set Decorator
"High Card Hangs" (19 October 1958) - Set Decorator
"Escape to Tampico" (26 October 1958) - Set Decorator
"The Rivals" (25 January 1959) - Set Decorator
"Duel at Sundown" (1 February 1959) - Set Decorator
"Maverick Springs" (6 December 1959) - Set Decorator
"The Maverick Line" (20 November 1960) - Set Decorator
"Benefit of the Doubt" (9 April 1961) - Set Decorator

As you can see, most of the episodes are either Bart-starrers or Bart/Bret duets, all of which I've marked in red. So, while all of you eagle-eyed Maverick watchers are scrutinizing scenes for wrong-fingered pinky rings or recycled frocks, please be on the lookout for these bookends, too. They could also appear in other episodes besides those listed above. If you spot them, please leave a comment here or drop me a line. I'll look for them, too, and let you know if I glimpse them in the background of a scene or scenes.

Here's a closer look at the bookends, which picture a pioneer family in a covered wagon pulled by oxen, flanked by a rider and a man leading the oxen through tall grass. They kind of remind me of "Passage to Fort Doom". They're pretty cool, so even if it turns out they weren't used in Maverick, I'll gladly use them to korral some of the books in my Kellection. And, if they were used in Maverick, they could have been in a scene with JK!




Now, let the search begin.... :->

Jack Kelly - Back to Jack! :)

Hello All!

I'm finally back to Jack after spending some time with family over the New Year's holiday weekend. It was back to work today, too. Then, it took me over an hour to drive home in "intermittent flurries" (good grief, I'd hate to see what our weatherman's definition of a "blizzard" is!) :0

Thank you for all of the lovely New Year's prayers and wishes. And, "welcome" to our newest follower--the more the merrier! :)

Catching up: I watched and taped the last half hour or so of The Gambler Returns - The Luck of the Draw on New Year's Eve. I didn't watch the whole thing because I knew JK didn't appear until the climactic poker scene. I don't think I could have stood much more of this film than what I saw of it, anyway. As actors, Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire are terrific singers.

I thought The Luck of the Draw was terribly bloated and padded with some of the unfunniest slapstick I've ever endured. I kept yelling at the screen, "Just get to San Francisco, already!" But, no, they had to stop at a rodeo, a prizefight, and even a gas station. (Great Mortimer's mustache!) It was nice to see Brian Keith as "Dave Blasingame" from The Westerner, however, and to hear Paul Brinegar ("Wishbone" of Rawhide) recite a monologue that cleverly included the title of just about every TV western that aired. It was good to see Bat Masterson, too, although I preferred Gene Barry as Amos Burke (that "Bat Masterson" theme song always drove me batty).

Ah, finally, the Hotel Carlton! I wondered how they were going to work Paladin into this mess, since Richard Boone had unfortunately died in 1981. At first, I thought the lady dealing "Mr. Paladin's cards" was the original "Hey Girl" from Have Gun--Will Travel, but apparently it was a different actress.

Of course, everything else fell by the wayside when Jack Kelly at last appeared as Bart Maverick. He looked and sounded good, if a bit frail. He got in a little nod to his political career when Bart asked special guest player President Teddy Roosevelt to confirm that he was playing with his own stake and "not the taxpayers' money". Interestingly, TR was portrayed by Claude Akins, who'd appeared with JK in the Maverick episode "Burial Ground of the Gods" way back in 1958.

The Luck of the Draw couldn't just let Bart stand on his own merit, though. Nooo, the shadow of Bret Maverick and James Garner fell over JK once again as he was given such uninspired dialogue as "Bret would have gotten the cards he needed" and "I'm not the best poker player in the Maverick family!" Sheesh, Bart was even wearing Bret's string tie--and where was his pinky ring?

But, I was content to see JK in his final role. I'm grateful he had more than a 30-second cameo. Still, I wish there had been less of The Gambler and more of THE gambler--Bart Maverick--in this silly film.

Well, keep watchin', because next time, I have a very special assignment for all of you sharp-eyed Maverick watchers. :)

Jack Kelly - A Gambler Returns...

Hello Everyone,

Before we get to the conclusion of "Bart and Bret Running Close Race", I wanted to share this picture with you. (I hope you'll excuse the quality--it's scanned from a slide, and I'm still kind of a novice at that.)

This picture was taken on October 14, 1991, at the premiere party for the television mini-series The Gambler Returns - The Luck of the Draw. The film debuted on TV on November 3, 1991.

I thought it was fitting to share this picture today, since The Luck of the Draw is being shown on the Encore Westerns channel this evening. It marked the last time Jack Kelly would play Bart Maverick.

JK is second from the right in the picture. (It's hard to miss that smile!) Sadly, we lost two of the other TV cowboys in the picture just this year: David Carradine and Gene Barry. The only one remaining now is Hugh O'Brian.

The Luck of the Draw wasn't the first time JK had met up with these hombres. He'd acted with Carradine in the film Young Billy Young; he did a couple of Name of the Game episodes with Barry; and as a young hopeful at Universal he appeared in several films with O'Brian.

Since 2009 is coming to a close, I thought I'd also take a moment to thank all of you for reading "The Tall Dark Stranger There...", and for all of your kind words and support.

2009 started out on a very sad note for me when my beloved mother passed away. I know she's in a better place now and is suffering no more. However, there's an empty place in my life where she used to be. That cruel fact burdened my heart with sorrow. My Christian faith has helped me to bear that burden. And God, in His infinite and creative mercy, also let my spirit be lifted a little by a gentleman named Jack.

I pray that the Lord will abundantly bless you and watch over you all in 2010! :)

####################################

Now, for the conclusion of "Bart and Bret Running Close Race." This part reveals JK's thoughtful analysis of how he differed from Bart Maverick:

"Jack is married to May Wynn, a former Copacabana beauty and sometime actress. She, and a desire for a family, are the reasons that Jack is not openly disgruntled--as Jim Garner has been--about the hard work and relatively modest pay awarded to the Maverick brothers.

'In fact,' he says, "I hope that Maverick runs for 35 years and that God wills we have a child to take over my job.'

People are always asking Jack if his own personality is akin to that of Bart Maverick. And he is always replying:

'No. I'm not as free-wheeling.

'Before my marriage, I probably had the outlook of the Mavericks, without the guts and the talent to live that way. But marriage makes a big difference in your attitude. For instance, we have a standing rule in our house, I don't travel without my wife or she without me.

'I'd cry up a storm if I lost as much money as Maverick does across the poker table. And, there's a spiritual responsibility that we have which is never noticeable in Maverick's life.

'Bear this in mind,' Kelly concludes, 'the Mavericks are great guys, who will grab a girl wherever they can and say let's go--we'll have a good time and that's it. The men in the audience say gee, look what that guy gets away with, and the women can't help liking him.

'But if people were that free and easy, they wouldn't have to go to the theater, watch TV or buy our entertainment.'

Wouldn't wish that on a nice guy like Jack Kelly."

##################################

What's next? Keep watchin'--and have a Safe and Blessed New Year's!

Jack Kelly - Part II of "Bart"...Plus a Bonus! :)

Howdy Folks!

Here's Part II of "Bret and Bart Running Close Race"...and stay tuned for a special bonus story (or stories, I should say):

"'When I [JK] entered the picture (in November 1957), Jim [Garner] had a half-dozen films out and was a well-established hero. The mail came in from the dissenters, saying why give us this guy--we want Garner. If I'd been Warner Brothers, I'd have said, 'Let's get rid of this bum', and fired me.

'But instead, they sent out a form letter telling the audience to have patience. A great snow job. And gradually, as I got over my nerves, I could only improve.'

Jack credits Jim Garner with helping him over his early Maverick nerves, and says they never discuss their rankings or ratings as co-stars on the top ABC show. Because, 'We work too hard even to see each other.'

Kelly was born on the plains of Long Island, and has worked most of his 31 years as a child model and Broadway actor, a student lawyer, an Air Forceman, and actor in TV and Class B movies.

When he won the audition for Bart Maverick, he realized it would mean hard work for less salary. 'I decided to cut my salary in half,' he says cheerfully, 'so that perpetuity might be served. After working at odds and ends most of my life, there's great satisfaction in the knowledge that I may become a success.'"

PART III NEXT TIME!!! :->

Now here's the special bonus. We've been reading about JK's Maverick days above. I've been going through Google again, and I found some fascinating stories about his later career:

• In 1973, JK acted up a Storm with some students in Alabama (great pix here, too, and a review that calls JK "suave and virile". ) ;->
• JK was an international investor in 1975, but he still "Love'd" acting
• JK got back down to business in 1978. But, he still had time to watch some TV--and guess what show he loved to watch? (You probably watched it, too--I did! :->)