Sci-Fi Saturday Night :)

Hola!

Here's another magnifico Mexican lobby card for Jack Kelly's 1957 feature film She Devil:

Please stay tuned to TDS--there's more sci-fi in store and JK's WB candids are coming, plus lots of other goodies, too! :) 

JK The "Mistrot" Tot :)

Happy Monday Everyone!

In keeping with the accent on Jack Kelly's youth, I now present a Kellectible which is so rare I didn't even know it existed, until it joined the Kellection:

A 1930 casting directory for "Mistrot".

 What is Mistrot? It was a modeling agency in New York City. I was able to find almost no other information about it, except for this 1932 ad in a New York City newspaper:

But, look who I found inside the directory:

Yep, it's JK as a toddler! :)

I know we've seen this charming image many times before--even in this blog--but here it is, nice and clear and in its original context.

This is JK's Mistrot page:

 

("Lackawanna" was a telephone exchange in NYC.) 

 

JK's little big sis, Nancy Kelly, is in the directory, too. Flashing her winsome smile, she was already a seasoned child actress with film credits at Paramount, Fox and Universal Studios:  

 



 Plus, I believe this is the Kelly kids' mom, actress and model Ann Mary "Nan" Kelly:

What a fascinating artifact from JK's early days in showbiz!

 

There are some other famous names in the directory as well, such as Natalie Schafer (later "Lovey Howell" on Gilligan's Island) and Vilma Ebsen (sister and one-time dancing partner of Buddy Ebsen).

 

Please stay tuned for much more in TDS! :) 



...And Jack the Dad :)

Happy Father's Day!

Here's a photo of Jack Kelly's pop, John A. "Jack" Kelly, Sr., dancing with JK's younger sister, Karolee, in 1939:

 

According to the caption, Mr. Kelly was called "Jack" even by his children. And although it states that Karolee would make her screen debut in Gone With the Wind, I'm not sure if she actually appears in the film. She did go on to play minor roles in movies and on TV, but GWTW isn't among her credits on the Internet Movie Database.

Please stay tuned for more about JK (Jr., that is!) in TDS. :)

Jack the Grad...

Howdy!

'Tis the season for high school graduation ceremonies, with each student garbed in a colorful gown and proudly sliding their tassel from one side of their cap to the other after receiving their diploma. 

Well, I assume they still do that. That's how I remember it from my graduation, anyway. It seems like it happened only yesterday, but...good golly, was it really that many moons ago? Doesn't seem possible! ;>

Speaking of graduation, I have a copy of the 1945 Chieftan yearbook from University High School in West Los Angeles, California.

 University High has had a number of its students go on to fame and fortune, including one Norma Baker...better known as Marilyn Monroe. 

In 1945, a particularly handsome young lad was pictured as a senior in the Chieftan. You may recognize him:

Of course, it's Jack Kelly. (There's no mistaking that fabulous face!) :>

Years ago, I found a pic of JK in his cap and gown in an old magazine:

JK wasn't the only member of the University High class of '45 who would achieve stardom. There was also this fellow:

Yes, that Andy Williams:

The Moon River crooner was born in Iowa and began high school in Ohio. He graduated from University High after his family moved to California.

And, a member of the "Uni" class of 1947 would also make his mark on the entertainment world, plus have a connection to JK:



 Merv Adelson co-founded Lorimar Television and was the third husband of Barbara Walters. He also created the Rancho La Costa resort and country club (now the Omni La Costa) near Carlsbad, California. JK was a member of La Costa.

'Tis also the season to celebrate dad, and we'll do just that...next time in TDS! :)

Coming Soon in "TDS"! :)

• Rare candid photos of Jack Kelly at Warner Bros., including one signed by JK himself. Formerly in the personal collection of a Maverick guest actor, these incredible pix are now in the Kellection.
• Other rare JK photos from film & TV
• Much more
• So please stay tuned! :)

"Taming" Tuesday :)

Howdy!

In addition to a time for reflection and remembrance, I'd planned to use Memorial Day weekend to scan some Kellectibles and create some new posts for this blog.

What's that saying about "best laid plans"? On Friday evening after I returned home from work, the Bartistamobile suddenly got a flat tire--and I mean, pancake flat. It wouldn't hold air after being pumped back up (I could hear the air defiantly hissing out as the tire deflated again). So, the automobile club came over on Saturday morning and installed the "donut" spare as a temporary fix. 

I called my go-to tire place. Unfortunately, they didn't have any appointments open until Monday afternoon, Memorial Day. And, since one of my other tires has had a slow leak for a while, I knew this wasn't going to be just an inexpensive patch job. Sure enough, the Bartistamobile is now $porting a brand-new $et of four tire$. (We'll be back at the tire place on Friday for $ome brake work, as well.) ;)

Aside from the tire drama, temperatures were in the humid 90's over the weekend. Heat and I don't mix very well, and after spending Saturday afternoon running errands with my sister, traipsing back and forth between the muggy outdoors and chilly air-conditioned stores, I felt like a wrung out washcloth. My schedule was full on Sunday, too.

My weekend plans may have gone awry, but I'm hoping to tame Tuesday as I return to work.

Speaking of taming: here's a rare poster from Taming Sutton's Gal (a.k.a. Back of Beyond), the 1957 feature film in which Jack Kelly co-starred with May Wynn (Donna Kelly), his real-life wife at the time. JK portrays a backwoods bootlegger named "Jugger Phelps", who is married to Donna's character in the film.

 

A close-up of JK and DK from the poster

 



Plus, a fantastic still from the film:

Well, I hope your Tuesday is terrific. Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for more fun with JK in TDS! :)

Memorial Day 2018

Vintage postcard image courtesy Little Birdie Blessings