Jackie Kelk Movies
An actor well known for his role as Homer Brown in the popular television series The Aldrich Family, Jack Kelk also appeared in features through the 1950s. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Kelk got his Broadway break as a child before moving into radio and eventually film with roles on Wrongorilla (1933) and Born to be Bad (1934). Parlaying his role as Brown from the radio series to the television series, Kelk became synonymous with his most popular character during the 1949 television series. Later appearing on The Donna Reed Show and Leave It to Beaver, Kelk's other feature credits include Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) and The Pajama Game (1957). In early September 2002, Jack Kelk died of a lung infection in Rancho Mirage, CA. He was 81. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide- 1957
In order to afford new bicycles, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Wally (Tony Dow) take up a paper route. Thanks to a series of misunderstandings, the boys' parents Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) end up delivering the papers themselves -- and nearly get Beav and Wally fired in the process! This is the first Leave It to Beaver episode to feature a pre-credit "preview" without Hugh Beaumont's narration (a device that would be abandoned after the series' first season). And incidentally, the actor playing Mr. Merkel is former child star Jackie Kelk, best known as Homer on the old Henry Aldrich radio show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Kelk, Alan Reynolds, (more)
The Broadway musical Pajama Game was based on Seven and a Half Cents. a comic novel about labor relations written by Richard Bissell. Doris Day stars as an employee at a pajama factory who becomes the spokesperson for her fellow workers when management refuses to give them a 7 1/2 cent raise. Complicating matters is the fact that Management is represented by handsome John Raitt, who happens to be in love with Day. A subplot involves Day's freewheeling co-worker Carol Haney and her insanely jealous boyfriend, factory-manager Eddie Foy Jr. Many of the cast members from the original Broadway production (Raitt, Haney, Foy, Reta Shaw, Peter Gennaro etc.) are retained for the film version, as are most of the Richard Adler/Jerry Ross songs: highlights include "Hey There", "Steam Heat", "Hernando's Hideaway", "There Once Was a Man". and the title song. The choreography is in the capable hands (and feet) of Bob Fosse. Pajama Game performed so well at the box-office that Warners immediately went to work on the filmization of the second (and last) Adler/Ross Broadway collaboration, Damn Yankees. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, John Raitt, (more)
- 1956
- NR
Once you get past the fact that handsome Paul Newman could never pass for plug-ugly boxer Rocky Graziano in real life, you will be able to accept Somebody Up Their Likes Me as one of the more accomplished movie biopics of the 1950s. Based on Graziano's autobiography (co-written with Rowland Barber), the film accurately depicts the teen-aged Rocky as an unregenerate punk, evidently doomed by his slum environment, and his own lousy attitude, to a life of petty crime. Determining that the only way he'll make a living is with his fists, Rocky becomes a boxer, at first willing to participate in a series of fixed fights. Eventually, Rocky develops a conscience and sense of self-respect, no small thanks to his sweetheart (and later wife) Norma (Pier Angeli). The film ends on an optimistic note after Rocky wins a "clean" bout with Tony Zale (playing himself). Training extensively with Graziano prior to and during production, Newman is quite impressive in his first worthwhile film role (this was only his third film, following the execrable The Silver Chalice and the forgettable outing The Rack). The title song in Somebody Up There Likes Me was written by Bronislau Kaper and Sammy Cahn, and performed by Perry Como. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Anna Maria Pier Angeli, (more)
- 1950
The popular radio show was turned into a successful series of films in the 1940s starring Jimmy Lydon, and this live television production was an attempt to cash in on that popularity. In this episode, Henry Aldrich is upset because he hasn't received an invitation to a costume party. Program sponsors included Jello, Swans Down cake mixes, and Birds Eye Foods. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
Loretta Young, who became known almost exclusively for playing sweet, wholesome roles, is kind of a shocker in this romantic drama as Letty Strong, an unwed mother who survives by living life as a grifter and the next thing to a prostitute -- all for the good of her son Mickey (Jackie Kelk), who, not yet 10 years old, is turning into a street hustler every bit as devious and untrustworthy as she is. Then, one day, he's skating on the street and gets hit by a milk truck, which happens to be driven by Malcolm Trevor (Cary Grant), the owner of the dairy, who was spot-checking his operation. Letty and Mickey try to take Malcolm for a hefty sum in court until their case is blown out of the water, but Malcolm also finds himself appalled by the kind of life that Letty is setting up for the boy. He gets her to agree to let Mickey move in with him and his wife Alice ($Marion Burns), at their estate outside the city. And after some extremely rough patches, Mickey begins to see that there's more to being a boy -- or becoming a man -- than what you can steal or cheat off the next guy. But Letty isn't about to let her son get away that easily, or let Malcolm get away with taking him from her, even if he is right. She tries to wreck Malcolm's home and marriage, all to get her son back and take revenge on him in the process. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Young, Cary Grant, (more)
