IMDb > Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)

Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   332 votes
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Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jack Webb
Writer:
Richard L. Breen (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Pete Kelly's Blues on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 July 1955 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Music more
Tagline:
A jazz-man of the wide-open '20s - caught in the crossfire of its blazing .38s! more
Plot:
In 1927 Kansas City Pete Kelly and his jazz band play nightly at a speakeasy. A local gangster starts... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Actress Janet Leigh Dies at 77
 (From IMDb News. 4 October 2004)
Peggy Lee's Family's Oscar Fury
 (From WENN. 5 April 2002)
User Comments:
Music and gangsters collide in the roaring 20's. more (22 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jack Webb ... Pete Kelly

Janet Leigh ... Ivy Conrad

Edmond O'Brien ... Fran McCarg

Peggy Lee ... Rose Hopkins
Andy Devine ... George Tenell

Lee Marvin ... Al Gannaway
Ella Fitzgerald ... Maggie Jackson
Martin Milner ... Joey Firestone
Than Wyenn ... Rudy Shulak
Herbert Ellis ... Bedido (as Herb Ellis)
John Dennis ... Guy Bettenhouser

Jayne Mansfield ... Cigarette Girl
Mort Marshall ... Cootie Jacobs
Moe Schneider ... Band member (Big 7)
George Van Eps ... Guitarist (Big 7)
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Warnercolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints) | Mono (RCA Sound Recording) (optical prints)
Certification:
Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG
Filming Locations:
Fleming Plantation, Lafitte, Louisiana, USA
Company:
Mark VII Ltd. more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In August 1957, this film was being widely shown on a double bill with The Last Hunt (1956). more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Colgate Comedy Hour: (#5.33)" (1955) more
Soundtrack:
Pete Kelly's Blues more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Music and gangsters collide in the roaring 20's., 4 February 2002
6/10
Author: Mickey-2 from Front Royal, VA

"Pete Kelly's Blues" gave Jack Webb a chance to direct and star in this film that compliments his close, tight, factual emphasis on the characters and the story. It's a no-nonsense film that combines some good musical moments with the times of the roaring 20's, when the gangs were determined to make money in every venture, or cause the venture to cease to exist. Such is the situation for Pete Kelly and his jazz band.

Kelly, played by Webb, enjoys the fact that his band can pretty much come and go as they see fit, perform, collect their fees, and move on to other clubs, other towns. They are good at what they do, and a local gangster, played to the hilt by Edmond O'Brien, sees a chance to move in. He tells Kelly that the band must allow his new girl a chance to perform, plus give him a sizable cut of their appearance money. The singer, played by Peggy Lee, just wants to get a start in show business, and O'Brien wants to control her start on a career. The film moves to an eventual expected climax, but the ending for Peggy Lee is not a happy one.

The cast included Janet Leigh, Andy Devine, Lee Marvin (a good guy role), and Ella Fitzgerald, who contributed some moving tunes in her own special style. Peggy Lee did garner an Oscar for best supporting actress, and it was deserved.

A film piece that deserves more than one chance viewing.

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