Brian Kelly (actor)
Brian Kelly | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | February 12, 2005 | (aged 73)
Resting place | New Jersey, U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Notre Dame (1953) University of Michigan Law School |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1958–1970 |
Spouse(s) | Valerie Anne Romero
(m. 1973) |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | Harry F. Kelly |
Relatives | Brian d'Arcy James (nephew) |
Brian Kelly (February 14, 1931 – February 12, 2005) was an American actor widely known for his role as Porter Ricks, the widowed father of two sons on the NBC television series Flipper.
Early years[]
Kelly was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Republican Governor of Michigan Harry F. Kelly[1] (who was also chief justice of Michigan's Supreme Court)[2] and the former Anne Veronica O'Brien. Kelly had three sisters and two brothers, one of whom was his fraternal twin. His nephew (sister's son) is actor Brian d'Arcy James.[3] He was of Irish descent.
Kelly attended St. Mary High School[1] and served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Kelly graduated in 1953 from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. He attended the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor for a year before settling on acting. During his college years, Kelly modelled and acted in radio and television commercials in Detroit.
Acting career[]
Kelly headed to Hollywood in the late fifties after choosing acting as his career. Following minor roles in Adventures in Paradise, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Rifleman, Kelly starred in two television series, NBC's 21 Beacon Street (1959), with Dennis Morgan and Joanna Barnes,[4] and ABC's Straightaway (1961-1962) with John Ashley.[4]:1024
In 1964, Kelly took over the Chuck Connors role from the 1963 family film Flipper, playing Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve and recently-widowed father of Sandy Ricks (Luke Halpin) in the 1964 sequel Flipper's New Adventure. He continued the role in the family-oriented action and adventure television program Flipper that same year. In the TV series, Porter would also have a second son, Bud (Tommy Norden). Kelly was quoted at the time as saying that he loved the role because of its family-friendly qualities. The success of Flipper, which was filmed in Miami and the Bahamas, led to a brief movie career, including a lead in Around the World Under the Sea (1966).
In 1970, Kelly sought to change his image by playing the role of Robin Stone in The Love Machine, based on the novel by Jacqueline Susann. Just prior to filming, he was involved in a motorcycle accident which left his right arm and leg paralyzed. John Phillip Law took over the role.[5] Kelly—whom Susann had called "the perfect Robin Stone"—won a legal settlement in the case but the accident ended his acting career.[6]
He used money from the settlement to build homes and then to produce films. He served as executive producer of Blade Runner (1982)[6] and associate producer of Cities of the Wild (1996).
Marriages and death[]
Kelly was married to actress Laura Devon[7] from 1962 until their 1966 divorce. In 1972, he married Valerie Ann Romero, with whom he had a daughter Hallie Kelly Star in 1975, and a son Devin Kelly in 1980. Kelly died two days shy of his 74th birthday on February 12, 2005 of pneumonia in Voorhees Township in South New Jersey.
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | Thunder Island | Vincent Dodge | |
1964 | Flipper's New Adventure | Porter Ricks | |
1966 | Around the World Under the Sea | Dr. Craig Mosby | |
1968 | Shoot, Gringo... Shoot! | Chad Stark | |
1982 | Blade Runner | N/A | Executive Producer |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1958 | Panic! | Randy Burke | Episode: "Fingerprints" |
Flight | Episode: "Mercy Commando" | ||
1959 | 21 Beacon Street | Brian | 2 episodes |
Adventures in Paradise | Captain Rivers | Episode: "The Haunted" | |
1960 | Insight | Father Bergen | Episode: "Fisher of Men" |
1961–1962 | Straightaway | Scott Ross | Series regular, one season (26 episodes) |
1963 | The Beverly Hillbillies | 2nd Policeman / Officer Kelly | 2 episodes |
1964–1967 | Flipper | Porter Ricks | Nominated-TV Land Award for Favorite Pet-Human Relationship (2003) |
1970 | Drive Hard, Drive Fast | Mark Driscoll | TV movie |
Company of Killers | Nick Andros | TV movie | |
Paul Strand | TV movie, (final film role) |
Notes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Ex-Lansing Lad Wins Top Role in TV Series". Lansing State Journal. Michigan, Lansing. September 23, 1961. p. 25. Retrieved May 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Thomas, Bob (October 23, 1964). "Brian Kelly Almost Flipped, But 'Flipper' Is Doing Fine". St. Cloud Times. Minnesota, Saint Cloud. Associated Press. p. 18. Retrieved May 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ https://www.talkinbroadway.com/spot/james3.html
- ^ Jump up to: a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1117. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ Seaman, Barbara (2003). Lovely Me: The Life of Jacqueline Susann. Seven Stories Press. p. 360.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Brian Kelly - Actor in Flipper". The Independent. 25 March 2005. Archived from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
- ^ "Brian Kelly Not Complaining About '2nd Billing'". Sioux City Journal. Iowa, Sioux City. Associated Press. December 5, 1965. p. 37. Retrieved May 12, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brian Kelly. |
- 1931 births
- 2005 deaths
- Film producers from New Jersey
- American male television actors
- United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War
- Deaths from pneumonia
- People from Voorhees Township, New Jersey
- Male actors from Detroit
- Military personnel from Detroit
- United States Marine Corps officers
- University of Michigan Law School alumni
- University of Notre Dame alumni
- Film producers from Michigan
- 20th-century American male actors