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) |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (27) »
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}
Plot Keywords:
kansas city missouri | psychotronic film | speakeasy | jazz band | gangster |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:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See more on IMDbPro »
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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:
$5,000,000Company 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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See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Supporting actor Martin Milner later played a lead in "Adam-12," a TV series produced by Jack Webb. 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 »
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"Pete Kelly's Blues" is, in my humble opinion, like a lot of Jack Webb's work, an underrated movie. Even as a teenager, I realized in 1955 that the movie had a dark plot but at the same time was highlighted by great musical performances. Jack got an academy award performance from Peggy Lee and outstanding performances from Ella Fitzgerald, Edmund O'Brien and Martin Milner, to say nothing of Janet Leigh, whose performance was good. Jack was not liked by a lot of people in Hollywood who panned his work. With the exception of "Dragnet", the TV show and the movies, "Pete Kelly's Blues" was Jack's most important work, if not the most appreciated. It's a shame when personalities interfere with an appraisal of someone's work.