In 1927, a Kansas City, Missouri cornet player and his band perform nightly at a seedy speakeasy until a racketeer tries to extort them in exchange for protection.
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Title: Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)
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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 | ... | Trombonist (Big 7) |
|
|
George Van Eps | ... | Guitarist (Big 7) |
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
In 1927 Kansas City Pete Kelly and his jazz band play nightly at a speakeasy. A local gangster starts to move in on them and when their drummer is killed Kelly gives in, even though this also means taking the thug's alcoholic girl as a singer. Kelly soon realises he has made a big mistake selling out in this way and that rich girl Ivy is now the only decent thing in his life. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Taglines:
It was the jazz-mad wide open '20s-great music, bad booze-and a bullet if you didn't jump for the mob. This is the story of a man who wouldn't jump. See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
31 July 1955 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Es geschah in einer Nacht See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$2,000,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$5,000,000, 31 December 1955Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints)| Mono (RCA Sound Recording) (optical prints)Color:
Color (WarnerColor)Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1
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(uncredited)
Written by Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons and Richard A. Whiting
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Jack Webb actually knew how to play the cornet. He loved jazz music and, as a boy, was given a cornet by a musician who lived near his home. While he never truly mastered the instrument he knew it well enough that his handling and fingering of the cornet in this movie is accurate. See more »Quotes
Ivy Conrad: You don't want to get married Pete; unless you find a girl that looks like a cornet. I'm short three valves. I might as well pack up an move someplace else.See more »
Soundtracks
Breezin' Along With the Breeze(uncredited)
Written by Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons and Richard A. Whiting
See more »
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Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.
There are some wonderful things in this, foremost Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee spreading their special brands of magic, both are luminous. The music is good and Andy Devine, without his trademark voice, is a revelation in a gritty part as a dogged cop. Edmond O'Brien could play the venal gangster like few others. All these are highly enjoyable but stuck in the center is the absolutely awful Jack Webb, the man makes a blank wall look expressive and that a beauty like Janet Leigh would go to such lengths to catch him makes her seem either seriously misguided or a total idiot. Still for the great stuff contained within its worth at least a view.