MovieChat Forums > Maverick (1957) Discussion > TALES OF THE MAVERICK FAMILY ???

TALES OF THE MAVERICK FAMILY ???

posted 17 years ago by NickKitt
8 replies | jump to latest

I personally would love a release of a Maverick "mega-set" entitled "TALES OF THE MAVERICK FAMILY",releasing EVERY Maverick production made for TV. It would also be a hoot to have Garner sitting by a fireplace introducing each episode. In a few weeks Garner will be 80 years old and to have an old Bret telling us about the old days would be like a Maverick fan had died and gone to heaven.
Hopefully,Mel Gibson will get his MAVERICK sequel off the ground and we can,again,see the Master James Garner as Maverick.

"Keep listening--you'll learn something"

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] NickKitt 17 years ago

As I have ALWAYS said-- I dislike Roger Moore as Bond PERIOD. Actually Beau Maverick was mentioned in the pilot for THE NEW MAVERICK which became YOUNG MAVERICK with Charles Frank as Ben Maverick,Beau's son. There was even talk of bringing Beau back as well as Bart if there was a second season to the prematurely cancelled,yet great series,BRET MAVERICK.

But to answer your question--Sure he would be !! In fact, you could have both Garner AND Moore introduce the TALES OF THE MAVERICK FAMILY set. After all,they are both 80 years old.

What a hoot that would be !!

"Keep listening--you'll learn something"

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] joehrobertsjr 17 years ago

If a sequel to the film version of Maverick is ever filmed I hope they have the decency to include the character of Bart Maverick. Jack Kelly is too often overlooked and he did fine work during the final two years of the series trying to keep it afloat. If only as a tribute to Kelly, Bart Maverick deserves to ride again.

[–] NickKitt 17 years ago

It would interest you to know that during MAVERICK's original run,the Kelly episodes were equal to the Garner episodes ratings wise and sometimes surpassed them,so Kelly was never "overlooked".
Garner appreciated him and whenever a MAVERICK project was discussed, "Slick" (Garner's nickname) would always want Kelly aboard,even when Kelly never wanted to work. Also,if BRET MAVERICK got the second season it deserved,Bart AND Kelly were to be deeply involved.

"Keep listening--you'll learn something"

[–] joehrobertsjr 17 years ago

When I say overlooked I'm referring to the critics and TV historians who always laud Garner's work on the original series but either dismiss or pan Kelly's work. Too often, Kelly was indeed overlooked mainly for two reasons: 1. He never had the post-Maverick career of Garner and 2. Maverick creator Roy Huggins never liked Kelly and always denigrated his work on the show. On Bret Maverick, Kelly wanted to be a part of the series from the beginning but the studio executives thought he was a has-been and didn't want him. Garner, to his credit, did want Kelly on board and later said that his absence (except for a brief cameo in the final scene of the final episode) was the biggest mistake they made.

[–] NickKitt 17 years ago

"1. He never had the post-Maverick career of Garner and"

And Kelly never wanted one. After MAVERICK,he acted on and off for years,even hosting a game show.
His acting career did end ,more or less,in the seventies,but,when he wanted to,he found work.
Kelly went into real estate and local politics and was very successful with his wonderful slogan,business and political, "Let Maverick solve your problems"

"2. Maverick creator Roy Huggins never liked Kelly and always denigrated his work on the show."

So what. Huggins had nothing to say about it. Kelly's episodes were just as popular as Garner's so it didn't matter what Huggins thought. Warner Bros was happy.

"On Bret Maverick, Kelly wanted to be a part of the series from the beginning but the studio executives thought he was a has-been and didn't want him."

Not true. They were going to give Garner anything he wanted. Kelly was then a very popular city councilman and didn't want to make daily commutes from Huntington Beach,California where he was extremely liked and loved serving the people. When his term ended and he didn't seek re-election because he was used to the good life,Garner called him and told him to "get his fat ass up here--We've written ourselves into a tunnel and you're the only one who can trip the trigger on the joke."
At that point,they threw six scripts at him. But NBC,idiots that they were,put the kabosh on the deal by cancelling the series.

"Garner, to his credit, did want Kelly on board and later said that his absence (except for a brief cameo in the final scene of the final episode) was the biggest mistake they made."

It wasn't the biggest mistake they made. First,Kelly was busy saving Huntington Beach and could not act in a series at that point in his life. Second,and what everyone seems to forget,is that BRET MAVERICK was an evolution of the characters and as such had to be perceived diffently then the original series.
It was a wonderful show, very underrated to this day. In the series,they wanted Bart,in the second season,to,more or less,be in charge of the Red Ox. With the way THE HIDALGO THING, the final episode, set things up,it would have been a grand season,indeed. What a missed opportunity !!

"Keep listening--you'll learn something"

[–] deana_lisi 10 years ago

And that is why I call NBC 'No Brain Cells'.