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152 West 24th Street | New York, NY 10011
| Phone: 212-627-0660
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LATEST
UPDATES:
07/24/2008 14:47
A LETTER FROM
BOB KELLY'S DAUGHTER, BARBARA...
THANK YOU LOCAL 798
My father
Bob Kelly is a living legend and always left a strong wake
in his path. Sometimes his frantic, manic driven personality
could be best described as affectionately acerbic. Dad's legacy will be his talent and
his kindness and the love of wig making and his make-up
company. He ran back and forth and I realized watching as
only a child does, it was as if there was a mission not a
method to his madness. It was this energy and passion that
made him successful. When going to work I had to run to keep
up with his legs. As he took my hand and skipped and sang,
we would run down West 46th and Broadway all was well and
exciting. We would pass by the Lunt Fountaine and Noel
Coward theatre he'd tell me about them and all the people
that the he made-up and put wigs on.
He was
just a non stop running machine. My theatrical father Mr.
Broadway loved it as passionately as he did my mother Jean
Urban. There were many years apart, rifts of a stepmother, a
new second family of steps, half's and whole sister, I
stayed away. Years later when I saw my father the first
thing I noticed was that his arms had aged his hair was
silver and in a pony tail. This was the first stark reality
that dad was getting older. He was still running around
doing business and knowing everything that was going on. His
generosity to others exceeded what people would do. He was
known for his fanciful stories that were embellishments of the originals because they were funnier to
him and his friends.
In 2001 he
was admitted to the hospital for bypass surgery, which, he
told his wife Camille was for a rattle snake bite (Oh the
wine and fanciful stories). I visited him in New York
Hospital, it turned out to be a quadruple bypass and Bob
Kelly was up in no time, but those legs were not running but
walking at a slower pace. Now at 85 years of age daddy aches
inside and out, but he truly is the WWII soldier and as a
war horse he got up and went to his shop. During his last
hospital stay, it was Guy Bayo a loyal friend who saved his
life and stayed when the going got rough. My sister Tracy
and myself were there day and night. All he needed was a
pacemaker. Popeye wearing Gucci was doing well. The legs
were weaker than I had ever seen, rehab helped but he was
slower. It was after this operation that I realized that the
man’s a living legacy and one of the luckiest people that I
ever met.
One thing
he always says is “Don't worry I will be around for another
25 years”. With his family living into their hundreds I
believe him. At the same time it was hard thinking I was
going to be a "midlife orphan". No one told me I was going
to feel this way. Now older myself, I can only encourage dad
to do what he has always done best SURVIVE and THRIVE. His
legs may be walking and not running but, do not
underestimate him because he is still in tune with the
business. Thank you everyone at #798 for the pouring out of
concern and support, and most of all, your magnificent
kindness.
All is well, and so is Bob
Kelly
Barbara Kelly
Editor's Note:I'm so happy to read your dad is hanging in
there and still the Bob Kelly I and so many other
people in our business owe so much to. I think of
him every time I use something that I learned from
him. He's one of the most generous persons I have
ever known and there is no doubt I would have never
become a makeup artist without his shared knowledge
that initially helped teach me my craft and his
support and friendship throughout my entire career.
Barbara Kelly tells me Bob still
visits his shop 1-2 times a week and would like to
squash any rumors about him not being with us
anymore. Those of us who know and love Bob Kelly and
even those of us who only know of him and would like
to send along a message to him can email his
daughter Barbara (a freelance journeyman 798 makeup
artist) at
barbkellymakeup@gmail.com and she will pass it
along to Bob. Bob Kelly really is a living legend
and the impact he has had on our business is
incalculable. A true artist with a passion for his
craft and business unequaled by his peers. Bob is a "Living
History" of our business from his earliest days of
working on television, commercial and Broadway
productions from the 50's and 60's to
present day and is a man who knew it's major players intimately
and earned their trust and respect with his honesty,
personality and sheer talent.
While this article is from the April
28th edition of the LA Times, I thought it's still
relevant and worth reading. -
Editor
Monday, April 28,
2008
TV crew members still feeling effects of writers
strike Many can't find work with production down, and their
bills are piling up. Some are facing foreclosure and
bankruptcy.
By Richard Verrier,
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
The writers strike
ended two months ago. But many in Hollywood remain
on the brink. Some are at risk of losing their
homes. Some can't afford groceries. Others have
filed for bankruptcy. Still others struggle to work
enough hours to hold on to their health insurance.
Across Los Angeles, many crew members who work
behind the scenes and on the sets of television
shows and movies are still quaking from the temblor
of the 100-day writers strike that shut down
scripted TV production. Blame the aftershocks.
Networks have sharply curtailed the number of TV
pilots this year, continuing a trend toward ordering
fewer shows for the new season. The shows that did
return are filming 20% to 40% fewer episodes. And in
Los Angeles County, location permits for sitcoms and
dramas since the strike ended have plunged 51% and
35% from last year, respectively, according to
FilmL.A., which handles film permits. Although hard
figures are not available, union officials say that
thousands of crew members who normally would be busy
at this time of year are still idled because of the
sharp contraction in television production. Some
union locals report a quarter of their members are
sitting at home.
Karen Hartjen is one. She can't bring herself to
open the utility bills lying on her kitchen table in
Simi Valley. The 53-year-old assistant prop master
has been out of work since early November, when a
string of jobs on TV shows such as "CSI: New York"
and "Medium" came to a halt after the writers walked
out. Although Hartjen is accustomed to earning
$100,000 a year, she is now $10,000 in debt and her
home is threatened with foreclosure. She has turned
to her church and the Salvation Army for help with
groceries. "I've been in this business for two
decades, and I've never experienced anything like
this," Hartjen said. "I'm just fighting for my
life." It will take several more months before TV
production -- and the jobs that go along with it --
return to normal levels, said Jack Kyser, chief
economist for the Los Angeles County Economic
Development Corp. And that's assuming there is no
actors strike. "It's going to be a nerve-racking
year for 'below-the-line' workers," he said.
Anxieties build
The downturn comes at a tough time for Hollywood's
blue-collar employees, who are grappling with what
many economists view as a nationwide recession, as
well as a steady drain of film jobs to New Mexico,
Louisiana and other states offering production
incentives not available in California. Michigan
upped the stakes recently by offering film producers
40 cents back for every dollar they spend shooting
in the state. Adding to the anxiety among so-called
below-the-line workers -- such as technicians,
carpenters and makeup artists -- are fears that they
could suffer a double whammy if actors and studios
fail to reach a new contract by June 30. Studios,
which have spent months preparing for a walkout by
actors, began negotiations with the Screen Actors
Guild two weeks ago. The parties a few days ago
agreed to extend the talks an additional week.
Nonetheless, each side remains far apart on a number
of issues, including how much money actors should
earn when shows are distributed online.
"Any possibility of
an actors strike weighs heavily on the minds of our
people," said Ed Brown, business agent for Local 44
of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
Employees. The local represents set decorators,
special-effects workers and prop makers who are
among the more than 30,000 Hollywood workers
represented by the union. Brown estimates that about
25% of the local's 5,000 West Coast members are
still looking for jobs -- double the normal level
for this time of year. Without any income, they've
sought help from charitable groups such as the
Writers Guild Foundation, which has raised money for
crew members, and the Actors Fund, which provides
financial help to economically distressed workers in
the entertainment industry. The latter, with help
from the Writers Guild Foundation, has provided more
than $1 million in assistance to nearly 700 people
since November. Recipients receive payments of $500
to $2,000 to help with car payments, mortgage
payments or utility bills. The Actors Fund has been
getting about 20 calls a day for emergency help,
double the usual volume. "A lot of people are trying
to dig themselves out of a hole," said Keith McNutt,
western region director for the Actors Fund.
"They're desperate."
WHAT DO YOU THINK???
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Local 798 need a place to discuss the direction the
local is headed. It would behoove the average member to
start paying attention to what's going on with the
local's Executive Board and it's administration of our
office, pension and welfare fund, health coverage,
contract negotiations and Local 798's impact on our
professional and personal lives.
November 22nd, 2007 -
Local 798 loses a leader, an artist, a
soldier who fought and won against those who
would steal from her union brothers and
sisters... and a good friend, Kelly
Gleason
