I first saw Jack Kelly during a 48 hour Maverick marathon that TV Land ran across one weekend some years ago. I taped several VHS tapes full, and really enjoyed the show - and both of its stars - James Garner and Jack Kelly. Maverick was the main character - a traveling gambler in the Old West who always managed to find trouble no matter where he went. But in this case, there were two Mavericks - and they were brothers - both engaged in the family business - professional gambler.
In order to stay on schedule, it was decided to alternate episodes between the Maverick brothers. One week you'd watch James Garner's Bret, the next week Jack Kelly's Bart. A few weeks after that both would show up.
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| James Garner and Jack Kelly have you covered. |
Both actors were a lot of fun on the show. Garner had seniority as he was hired first, so he got to pick which scripts he did - he always took the ones with the most humor and quirky bits - leaving Kelly the more serious episodes. But whichever Maverick you got - and especially when you got both - the show was a blast.
Jack Kelly acted in lots of other shows as well - starting out in the late 1930's as a child actor - and appearing in scads of movies and TV shows from then until the early 90's. Some movie titles that stand out for this blog: Cult of the Cobra, Forbidden Planet, and The Human Tornado.
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| This 007 fan also loved that during a contract battle with Garner they brought in cousin Beau from England - and he was played by Roger Moore for several episodes! |
Jack Kelly got into politics in the 70's - but also kept his hand in, appearing in episodic television in the 70's and 80's - and did return to the show every time Maverick was revived - which was three times (!) from the late 70's to the early 90's.
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| Jack Kelly's last screen appearance - as Bart Maverick in one of The Gambler TV movies. |
Check out some Jack Kelly when you can - he's fun!
Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!
I remember that show. I wasn't as familiar with Kelly as I was with James Garner. I can totally see Garner choosing funny, quirky scripts. Another great post.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Luana!
DeleteVery cool coverage, I think... he worked well with so many people, he is a cool person.
ReplyDeleteHe is indeed!
DeleteGreat post. I've been doing a MAVERICK episode guide on my blog and find myself appreciating Kelly's episodes just as much as Garner's. Some of the Bart solo outings are surprisingly funny: A Technical Error, The Spanish Dancer, and The People's Friend among them. He also pops up in GET CHRISTIE LOVE!, replacing Charles Cioffi as Christie's Captain halfway through the run.
ReplyDeleteLiking Garner's Mavericks is a given - but like you - I was surprised how much I enjoyed Jack Kelly's episodes. Thanks for coming by and commenting, Hal.
DeleteMaverick was always my favorite western. I would not have been able to recall Jack Kelly's name though, sadly enough. I like your theme and have just read a few others. Showing the actors in their heyday and in the present is a great idea.
ReplyDelete~Visiting from AtoZ
Thank you for the kind words - and for coming by and commenting. Maverick was a standout in the glut of TV Westerns from the time.
DeleteJack Kelly was simply awesome. I'm glad that he got the serious scripts in 'Maverick', because a lot of James Garner's episodes were just plain silly, and I prefer the drama. Jack Kelly's episodes are the only one's I'll watch! Thanks for the article!
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