Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1954)

How Do You Do, Miss Kelly ( Continued from page 48) her talent. The home, which proved to be Grace Kelly’s first training school for the theatre and motion pictures, is a spacious, white-trimmed, red brick colonial house in the exclusive Falls of the Schuykill section. Its elegance and charm could make many a posh motion-picture set appear tawdry. Built on a hill, it is surrounded by green and rolling lawns, great trees and flowering shrubs. At the rear, for the enjoyment of the active and athletic family are tennis and basketball courts. In the winter these are flooded to form a skating rink. Within a few minutes’ driving distance are the stables where Grace learned to ride well enough to win ribbons in horse shows, the country club where she played golf and the slopes where she skied. Further distant, at Ocean City, New Jersey, is the beach house where the family spends its summers. And just as a movie set would suffer in comparison to this real-life establishment, so would many a motion-picture cast and plot appear dull when viewed in comparison with the fabulous Kellys. All are good-looking, all highly intelligent, all have a zest for achievement and all possess the kind of charm which makes them stand out in a crowd. Head of the family is tall, vigorous John Brendan Kelly, a man whose interest in his children leads him to say, “If the kids were doing anything — a race or the like — that’s where I was, too.” The son of an Irish immigrant, he forged his own success, starting as an apprentice bricklayer when he finished grammar school. Today he heads an eighteen-million-dollar contracting firm which specializes in surfacing skyscrapers. Many a famed building along the Atlantic seaboard has during its construction flaunted the “Kelly for Brickwork” sign, including the United Nations structure. As a youth, he was a famed sportsman, winning the Olympic sculling championship in 1920. As a candidate for mayor of Philadelphia, he was defeated by a narrow margin. He is now vice president of the city’s park commission and has been influential in the founding and subsequent success of the Playhouse in the Park, an outstanding summer theatre. Presiding over the household is Margaret Majer Kelly, a well-poised, socially accomplished beauty whom Grace resembles. In her youth, Mrs. Kelly, too, was a magazine cover girl and a model. Eldest daughter is Peggy, now Mrs. George L. Davis, Jr. Although never on the professional stage, she’s a clever comedienne with a talent for painting and drawing. Youngest is Liz, whose dramatic work at the University of Pennsylvania has already drawn the attention of talent scouts. In between are Grace and John, Jr., whom the family calls “Kell.” Following in his father’s footsteps he, too, has become the greatest oarsman of his time, twice winning the Diamond Sculls and in 1948 making a grand slam by also winning the European, Belgian and Swiss championships. He has won the American championship six times and the Canadian five times. For Grace to hold her own in this lively, gifted, witty assemblage took some doing. Says her mother, “She was the soft and gentle one, practically the pet of the family.” Mrs. Kelly’s solution for Grace’s shyness was to give her, as well as the other children, regular household responsibili ties. Even when, in typical kid fashion, they protested against the chores, the assignments held, for Mrs. Kelly made them with sound foresight. She explains, “I always felt children should contribute something toward maintaining their home. I believe many marriages fail because girls are unfair — they expect everything, but they are not prepared to carry their half of the responsibility. They don’t know how to care for a house properly themselves nor how to run one if they are lucky enough to have help.” With this emphasis on self-reliance, the Kelly children learned how to take care of themselves. They also learned to be thrifty and abhor waste. The fact that John Kelly had prospered was no excuse for throwing things away. Says Grace, “It seemed to me I was always wearing my sister’s hand-me-down clothes.” Firm as Mrs. Kelly’s discipline was, she also knew how to relax the rules on occasion. Theirs was a happy household. The lively young Kellys and their interested and interesting parents had so much fun together that their home drew all the other kids like a magnet. As youngsters, Grace and her sisters had many playmates. Later, they had plenty of beaus. Grace’s interest in the theatre began early. Says her mother, “When she was a little girl playing dolls, she would have them tell a story, act out a play. She would change her voice to impersonate first one character and then another. She had a way of turning her make-believe into real.” This was in line with family tradition. Her father’s brother, George, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and another brother, the late Walter Kelly, was a famed vaudeville performer. Telling of that interest lies in John Kelly’s department. “All of the children have a gift in that direction,” he explains. “When they were all home, they always had a show of some sort going on.” Impersonating friends was a favorite game. Proudly he says, “They could mimic anyone’s voice and they’d also get the gestures and character down pat. It was against their rules to tell who the person was supposed to be. If the rest of us couldn’t guess, the child doing the imitation felt it was his own fault — he hadn’t made the character clear enough.” One event certain to turn the living room into a stage was Mr. Kelly’s return from a trip. Often he brought them clothes. Bathing suits from Florida were especially noteworthy presents. He recalls, “They would always model them for me. What a show they would put on.” Soon Grace’s dreams reached beyond such impromptu productions. At ten, she announced she was going on the stage. At eleven, the family knew she meant it. Taking part in a little-theatre production, she played her role with the poise of a professional and the authority of one who already understood that an actress, by controlling her own action, also controls the audience reaction. Watching her, theatre-wise John Kelly turned to his wife and said, “We’ve got a trouper on our hands.” It was knowledge which brought a mixed reaction from the older Kellys. Years before, playwright George Kelly had absolutely forbidden his sister to go on the stage. John and Margaret Kelly elected a more tolerant attitude. Says Mrs. Kelly, “We neither encouraged nor discouraged Grace. We felt she was entitled to have her fling at it. We hoped, though, that she would get it out BAG YOU’LL LOVE for classes, games, dates and parties! Imagine owning a “Clifton Handtooled Bag” for only about $3.29! Yet the Clif-teen is the real thing! Full grain saddle leather (that wears for years), skilled craftsmanship, all the special touches that make Clifton bags famous. Zipper closure. Choice of rust, dark brown, tan, natural russet and oxblood. For dealer nearest you, write Western Supply Company Ardmore, Oklahoma