Violet Friday :)

Hello!

Some time ago, I bought an old photo album page containing a Jack Kelly pic and an autograph...with a bit of a mystery thrown in.

The pic isn't a mystery; it was clipped from an early 1950's movie magazine to accompany the autograph. The signature--well, it's definitely JK's. But, the inscription above the signature is a puzzler:

It reads, "First trip to San Francisco--Thank you Violet".

Naturally, I asked the dealer from whom I bought the page if they could shed any light on who "Violet" was or when JK gave this autograph to her.

Unfortunately, all the dealer could tell me was that he'd purchased a large collection of vintage celebrity autographs which were mostly inscribed to a woman named Violet. He knew nothing about her or how/when she obtained the autographs.

I'd love to find out more about this intriguing glimpse into JK's past. Who the heck was Violet? Was it JK's first trip to SF--or hers? Was he thanking her or was she thanking him? Such kwestions can drive a Kellector kwazy. If anyone out there knows anything about the mysterious autograph hound with a flowery name, please let me know! :)

Vintage violet image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

 

I'm thankful for all of you, my fellow Jack Kelly fans.

Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving. :)

 

Vintage Thanksgiving postcard courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

"My First Bull Fight" :)

¡Hola!

You may remember this fantastic photo of Jack Kelly which I posted in 2012. Well, I found "My First Bull Fight", the 1955 episode of TV Reader's Digest in which JK starred as Sidney Franklin, the Brooklyn-born bullfighter. And, I made some screencaps for you to enjoy!

Sidney Franklin is painting bullfighting posters in Mexico. But, his heart really isn't in his work, maybe because he's never seen a real bullfight:

After observing a bullfight and then imbibing a bit too much tequila, Sidney rashly declares that instead of just painting a bull, he will actually fight one. He takes a crash course in bullfighting from a famous torero and then tests his skills at a local ranch:

Sidney decides he's proven himself. He doesn't intend to participate in an actual corrida and kill a bull (and possibly get killed himself). But, news of the "American Torero" has spread and his "manager" demands that he follow through.

 

Finally, it's time for the debut of the reluctant matador. Sidney discovers that facing an angry toro in the actual bullring is a lot different than just practicing at the ranch:

 

 

The amateur torero gathers his courage and stares down his opponent:

 



Then, he takes his sword and prepares for the moment of truth:



 

Sidney bravely watches as the bull charges toward him...

 

 

...And then draws his weapon:

 

 

Moments later, Sidney is stunned to realize that he's vanquished his first bull!

 

"My First Bull Fight" is a wonderful showcase for JK's acting talent. He goes from being an uninspired artist to a tipsy braggart and finally to a courageous matador--all in one half-hour episode! And, he's always in motion so it was hard to get decent screen caps. JK is especially kinetic in the scene where Sidney is drinking tequila. He's also hilarious in this scene--the person who said JK delivered comic lines "like a load of coal" obviously never saw him in "My First Bull Fight". 

Special mention must also go to young George Huerta, who amusingly plays "Manuel", Sidney's pint-sized sidekick.

Needless to say, JK is muy guapo (very handsome) as Sidney Franklin. But, those intense bullfighting scenes? El toro appears in stock footage while JK convincingly makes his matador moves on a set. Probably the closest he came to a real bull was if steak was on the menu in the studio commissary. ;)

UPDATE! Here's the entire episode from YouTube:

What's coming up next in TDS? Please stay tuned and find out! :)



A Veterans Day Salute 2017 :)

Hello Everyone,

In honor of Veterans Day, here's a vintage photo of Jack Kelly (as "Kerrigan") from the 1955 Audie Murphy bio-pic To Hell And Back:

The snipe on the reverse of the original linen-backed still reads: "A BATTLE-MAD SQUAD LEADER AND HIS MEN. Audie Murphy appears in To Hell And Back, Universal-International's great war drama starring Audie Murphy in the Technicolor CinemaScope filmization of Murphys own best-selling biography, chronicling the emotion-packed story of the heroic Texas youth who became the most-decorated soldier of World War II. Rear, 1 to r, Richard Castle, Charles Drake, Murphy. Front, l to r, Brett Halsey, Jack Kelly, Gregg Palmer and Paul Picerni."

Plus, here's an amazing video for U.S. Savings Bonds which opens with scenes from To Hell And Back (keep an eye peeled for JK):

TRIVIA: John McIntire, who appears in the bonds segment of the video with Murphy, also co-starred with JK in the feature film Sally and Saint Anne and in the 1963 Wagon Train episode "The Fenton Canaby Story". Actress Barbara Rush co-starred in Magnificent Obsession (1954) in which JK made an uncredited appearance and later acted alongside him in the 1972 Ironside episode "Cold Hard Cash". Barney Phillips, who is uncredited in the bonds video, acted with JK in the 1955 thriller The Night Holds Terror and in the 1956 film Julie starring Doris Day and Louis Jourdan.

"Thank you" to all veterans for your service to our country. :)

Remembering...

 

JACK KELLY

1927-1992

(detail from original 1964 illustration by John Lopes,
captioned/tinted in 2017 by La Bartista)

Ready For the Weekend! :)

 

Jack Kelly and co-star Madelyn Himes look like they're ready for the weekend to start on this vintage lobby card for Love and Kisses (1965). No matter what your week was like, I hope your weekend is a great one. Please stay tuned for more about JK in TDS!

Life's A Beach With JK! :)

¡Hola!

Well, October's nearly over and it's finally feeling like Fall. You may have turned the furnace on to keep the house cozy. However, you may need to switch back to the air conditioner when you see this muy caliente German lobby card for Canasta de Cuentos Mexicanos (a.k.a. A Basket of Mexican Tales), with Jack Kelly and co-star Mari Blanchard enjoying some fun in the sun:

Have a wonderful weekend and, as always, please stay tuned for more fun with JK and TDS! :)