Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Happy Birthday Dad!
Today (10/30/12) would be my dad's 85th birthday. He was born on October 30, 1927, just a few weeks and a few hundred miles apart from Jack Kelly. Their lives took different turns--my dad was a salesman; JK was a famous actor. But, they both loved golf and are both beloved dads who are now fondly remembered and missed. Happy Birthday Dad! :)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
BREAKING NEWS: Look What I Just Found! :)
Hello All!
We'll return to 1960 and Hidden Valley shortly, but in the meantime, here's a fantabulous Jack Kelly performance from 1963. It's "Shadow of a Man", an episode originally broadcast on Kraft Mystery Theater which co-stars Broderick Crawford, Ed Begley and many other recognizable faces. By the way, if the names of JK's and Crawford's characters sound familiar, they were also used by Fred McMurray and Edward G. Robinson in the 1944 Billy Wilder film Double Imdemnity. Apart from the insurance investigator angle, though, "Shadow of a Man" has little in common with that famous film noir. It's still a blast to watch--enjoy! :)
BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE!!!
Bloodhound Bartista is on a hot streak tonight. I also found JK's segment ("La Canasta") from the episodic 1956 Mexican film Canasta De Cuentos Mexicanos (A Basket of Mexican Tales). In "La Canasta" ("The Basket"), based on a story by B. Traven of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre fame, a clever Mexican basketweaver outsmarts a gringo couple. JK's wife is played by Mari Blanchard, with whom he later co-starred in She Devil. The clip is in Spanish without subtitles, but JK is muy bueno in any language. :)
We'll return to 1960 and Hidden Valley shortly, but in the meantime, here's a fantabulous Jack Kelly performance from 1963. It's "Shadow of a Man", an episode originally broadcast on Kraft Mystery Theater which co-stars Broderick Crawford, Ed Begley and many other recognizable faces. By the way, if the names of JK's and Crawford's characters sound familiar, they were also used by Fred McMurray and Edward G. Robinson in the 1944 Billy Wilder film Double Imdemnity. Apart from the insurance investigator angle, though, "Shadow of a Man" has little in common with that famous film noir. It's still a blast to watch--enjoy! :)
BUT WAIT--THERE'S MORE!!!
Bloodhound Bartista is on a hot streak tonight. I also found JK's segment ("La Canasta") from the episodic 1956 Mexican film Canasta De Cuentos Mexicanos (A Basket of Mexican Tales). In "La Canasta" ("The Basket"), based on a story by B. Traven of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre fame, a clever Mexican basketweaver outsmarts a gringo couple. JK's wife is played by Mari Blanchard, with whom he later co-starred in She Devil. The clip is in Spanish without subtitles, but JK is muy bueno in any language. :)
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Jack Kelly and the American Dream :)
Howdy!
You're just in time. The Wayback Machine is almost finished boarding.
Our destination: San Jose, California, USA.
The date: September 18, 1960.
Hold on tight now--and away we go!
Wow, that was fast. We've landed on Roeder Road, just off Monterey Highway in San Jose. It's almost 2:00 pm, and there's a pretty big crowd gathered on this Sunday afternoon.
A large sign proclaims, "Hidden Valley Grand Opening." Hmm--although this looks like ranch land, I don't think salad dressing is involved. This Hidden Valley is actually a new housing development with a panoramic view of the Edenvale hills. We can see the wooden frames of the first homes under construction.
Oh, it looks like the grand opening festivities are beginning. Someone's starting to speak...
I'm standing behind a guy with a little boy sitting on his shoulders. The little boy is wearing a cowboy hat.
"Can you see him, buckaroo?"
"Yes, Daddy!"
I wish I could see him. But, the speaker sounds very familiar. Could it be--is that who I think it is?
"Here, maybe he'll autograph this for you!" someone whispers, handing me a newspaper ad:
You're just in time. The Wayback Machine is almost finished boarding.
Our destination: San Jose, California, USA.
The date: September 18, 1960.
Hold on tight now--and away we go!
Wow, that was fast. We've landed on Roeder Road, just off Monterey Highway in San Jose. It's almost 2:00 pm, and there's a pretty big crowd gathered on this Sunday afternoon.
A large sign proclaims, "Hidden Valley Grand Opening." Hmm--although this looks like ranch land, I don't think salad dressing is involved. This Hidden Valley is actually a new housing development with a panoramic view of the Edenvale hills. We can see the wooden frames of the first homes under construction.
Oh, it looks like the grand opening festivities are beginning. Someone's starting to speak...
I'm standing behind a guy with a little boy sitting on his shoulders. The little boy is wearing a cowboy hat.
"Can you see him, buckaroo?"
"Yes, Daddy!"
I wish I could see him. But, the speaker sounds very familiar. Could it be--is that who I think it is?
"Here, maybe he'll autograph this for you!" someone whispers, handing me a newspaper ad:
TO BE CONTINUED!!! :)
Monday, September 17, 2012
Come and Meet Jack Kelly on September 18! :)
Wow!
JK's 85th birthday was celebrated in a big way on the internet, including this insightful interview with our pal Linda J. Alexander, author of A Maverick Life--The Jack Kelly Story. The interview continues here.
The fun continues on TDS, too. Be sure to visit TDS on Tuesday, September 18, when the Wayback Machine will whisk us back 52 years for a special "meet and greet" with JK! You won't want to miss it. :)
JK's 85th birthday was celebrated in a big way on the internet, including this insightful interview with our pal Linda J. Alexander, author of A Maverick Life--The Jack Kelly Story. The interview continues here.
The fun continues on TDS, too. Be sure to visit TDS on Tuesday, September 18, when the Wayback Machine will whisk us back 52 years for a special "meet and greet" with JK! You won't want to miss it. :)
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Of Cats, Dogs, Horses...and Kellys :)
Hello...
Yesterday, my sister lost her beloved 15 year-old cat, Tiger, to cancer. Tiger's passing reminded me of how much pets enrich and enliven our lives. I have a dog and cat of my own. Their antics always make me smile (except when the antics involve mud on the carpet or shredded furniture. ;->)
Jack Kelly and his first wife May Wynn owned a pet poodle named "Hickey". His handle came from May's real name, which was Donna Lee Hickey.
Hickey had an unusual hobby. The caption for this sweet 1959 photo explains:
"The Jack Kelly Poodle, 'Hickey', Gets the Best Seat in The House - The cute little pup particularly enjoys watching horses, an unusual pastime for a pooch nowadays. He manages by having Mrs. Kelly (May Wynn) take him to watch Jack at work on the Maverick TV series at Warner Brothers. Upstaging both of his professional 'parents', Hickey has spotted a horse. This studio visit is part of the Kelly's 'Be Kind to Animals Week' contribution in honor of the week, May 3-9."
[I wonder if Hickey spotted Goldie?]
Be Kind to Animals Week is still observed today. Of course, we should be kind to animals every day. Let's all give our "fur babies" an extra treat and hug today, in memory of those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Yesterday, my sister lost her beloved 15 year-old cat, Tiger, to cancer. Tiger's passing reminded me of how much pets enrich and enliven our lives. I have a dog and cat of my own. Their antics always make me smile (except when the antics involve mud on the carpet or shredded furniture. ;->)
Jack Kelly and his first wife May Wynn owned a pet poodle named "Hickey". His handle came from May's real name, which was Donna Lee Hickey.
Hickey had an unusual hobby. The caption for this sweet 1959 photo explains:
"The Jack Kelly Poodle, 'Hickey', Gets the Best Seat in The House - The cute little pup particularly enjoys watching horses, an unusual pastime for a pooch nowadays. He manages by having Mrs. Kelly (May Wynn) take him to watch Jack at work on the Maverick TV series at Warner Brothers. Upstaging both of his professional 'parents', Hickey has spotted a horse. This studio visit is part of the Kelly's 'Be Kind to Animals Week' contribution in honor of the week, May 3-9."
[I wonder if Hickey spotted Goldie?]
Be Kind to Animals Week is still observed today. Of course, we should be kind to animals every day. Let's all give our "fur babies" an extra treat and hug today, in memory of those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Tiger
1997-2012
Saturday, August 11, 2012
It's Your Move JK :)
Hello!
Watched by young actor Michael Kearney, Jack Kelly is deep in thought as he kontemplates his next move on the checkerboard:
Watched by young actor Michael Kearney, Jack Kelly is deep in thought as he kontemplates his next move on the checkerboard:
This is a rehearsal pic from the ill-fated play The Family Way, which ran for just five performances on Broadway in early 1965. As the info on the back of the photo says, the story takes place in a Hollywood apartment house and "concerns a young widowed actress, her man-about-town theatrical agent and her little son whose desperate search for a new father seems to get the whole town involved."
JK played the theatrical agent, and Kearney--in his Broadway debut--played the widow's son. Young Kearney also played important roles in two poignant productions: the 1963 feature film All the Way Home, which starred Robert Preston and Jean Simmons; and The Thanksgiving Visitor, an Emmy-winning 1967 TV holiday special starring Geraldine Page.
Click here to learn more about JK's "checkered" play. ;-)
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