JohnHowardReid Considering all the hype with which the medium was promoted, the early days of CinemaScope brought very few cinema masterpieces. "Pete Kelly's Blues" is one of those few.By masterpiece, I don't just mean superlatively entertaining. "Broken Lance" fills that bill, but it's not the sort of movie you can see over and over again, each time re-living the emotions of the characters and soaking up the atmosphere. The master script has an astringency, the master movie has a pace and flair that survive endless repetition. There is a special poignancy about the acting, a unique vigor in the direction, an artistic harmony in the images, a soul-searching vibrancy in the music. It's a movie with something to say, even if its philosophy can only be expressed in the most general terms, for example "Evil is ultimately defeated by Right" (Pete Kelly), "Romance and sentiment triumph over war and corruption" (Casablanca).With its jazz-age soundtrack complementing its prohibition-era Kansas City visuals, "Pete Kelly's Blues" provides a rich aural and visual experience that can be turned on whenever a CinemaScope print can be threaded through a projector. (Obviously it's a waste of time watching the movie on the old standard TV screen). I don't know whether any attempt was made to duplicate actual Kansas City locales, and I don't care. The movie has its own atmosphere, its own ambiance, its own moody plays of light and shade.The appropriately glum but practical, cynical, wavering but finally rock-solid Webb is ideally cast in the title role. On the other hand, despite her second billing, Janet Leigh's part is comparatively small and not particularly memorable, but she performs her chores admirably all the same. It's Edmond O'Brien, Peggy Lee, Lee Marvin, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Devine (forsaking his usual comic antics), and most surprising of all, the bumptious Martin Milner (here perfectly cast) that join Webb in contributing some really unforgettable portraits.And on the soundtrack — Webb's cornet dubbed by the brilliant Dick Cathcart — such now nostalgic standards as "Pete Kelly's Blues" (Sammy Cahn, Ray Heindorf, sung by Ella Fitzgerald), "Sing Me a Rainbow", "He Needs Me" (Arthur Hamilton), "Somebody Loves Me", "Sugar" (Maceo Pinkard, Sidney Mitchell, Edna Alexander, all sung by Peggy Lee), "I Never Knew" (Gus Kahn, Ted Fiorito), "Hard-Hearted Hannah" (Jack Yellen, Milton Ager, Bob Bigelow, Charles Bates, sung by Ella Fitzgerald), "Bye, Bye Blackbird" (Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson), "What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry" (Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman), "Oh, Didn't He Ramble" (Bob Cole, Will Handy), "Breezin' Along With the Breeze" (Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons, Richard Whiting), "Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now". In all, however, this movie is not just a feast for jazz fans, it's a top-of-the-post drama in any man's league.

wes-connors By 1927, jazzy cornet player Jack Webb (as Pete Kelly) and his seven-piece combo are the house band at a speakeasy in Kansas City, Missouri. All seems well until gangster Edmond O'Brien (as Fran McCarg) demands Mr. Webb hand over 25 percent of the band's earnings in return for his marginal managerial skills. Webb is also required to make Mr. McCarg's attractive girlfriend Peggy Lee (as Rose Hopkins) his instrumental group's lead singer. Webb must pay up or see his band members roughed up and/or gunned down. After some debate, the band is persuaded to play it safe. Then, Webb changes his tune and decides to fight..."Dragnet" radio and TV star Webb directs his cast and crew very well. He does not waste an inch of the "CinemaScope" screen. When space is used, it's for dramatic effect. What this story needed was better exposition and some more time given Mr. O'Brien's character. Strangely, Webb gets fine performances from all except his leading man. He varies his stiff stance by repositioning his hands, but Webb seems to have his mind on directing and his character never really forms. Trying to romance Webb in her scenes, beautiful Janet Leigh (as Ivy Conrad) is fighting a lost cause. There are no sparks flying between the two...Given the juiciest part, as an alcoholic singer, Ms. Lee is excellent; she won Film Daily's annual "Supporting Actress" award. Andy Devine, Lee Marvin and Martin Milner are impressive, in featured roles. Webb used Mr. Milner when he produced "Adam-12" as a younger, hipper "Dragnet" for the 1960s (and 1970s). It's amusing to watch Webb punch any male member of the cast who gets in his way. He repeatedly knocks out Mr. Marvin, a much bigger man, with surprising ease. And, you can't go wrong when Ella Fitzgerald appears as a lounge singer. The music, cast and wide screen visuals made this one worth watching.******* Pete Kelly's Blues (7/27/55) Jack Webb ~ Jack Webb ~ Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Peggy Lee, Edmond O'Brien

utgard14 Bandleader Pete Kelly (Jack Webb) struggles to get out from under the thumb of a gangster (Edmond O'Brien) in 1920s Kansas City. A departure for Dragnet star and creator Jack Webb, who was also a huge jazz fan. Like Dragnet, Pete Kelly's Blues was originally a radio show. It only lasted three months. I heard some of it on satellite radio a few years ago and actually enjoyed it. This idea was also turned into a short-lived TV series (again by Webb) a few years after this movie. So obviously this concept was a labor of love for Jack Webb.Actingwise, Webb is his usual stiff self here. It works better with Dragnet where he played a straight-laced character. Here he's a rough fit. I especially find it hard to swallow beautiful and flighty rich girl Janet Leigh would be so into him. Still, the Dragnet-style narration and rapid fire dialogue make the part fit Webb even if he doesn't fit the part. The rest of the cast is good. In addition to Leigh and O'Brien, there's Lee Marvin in a small part, Andy Devine as a detective (!), and Than Wyenn as the amusing owner of a club the band plays at. But the scene stealer is Peggy Lee as O'Brien's drunk moll that Webb is forced to take into the band as a singer. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance and it's well-deserved. The music, script, and direction are the movie's biggest strengths. It's definitely worth a look, particularly for Dragnet fans.

schappe1 This was Jack Webb's labor of love and his big shot at big screen stardom. Humphrey Bogart was aging, (and soon to die), and perhaps Webb saw himself as an heir to his thrown. He certainly was a lover of everything about the 1920's into which he was born and of the jazz of the time in particular. He was a competent actor, (quite good in 1950's "The Men", opposite Marlon Brando) but ultimately lacked the presence and ability necessary for stardom. he we see him completely outacted by two who did, Edmund O'Brien and Lee Marvin, (who would have been a fabulous choice to play Pete Kelly). Webb seems trapped in his Joe Friday characterization. Particularly poor his the scene where he first confronts O'Brien, as gangster McClarg, in anger. Kelly, (Webb), knocks out McClarg's henchmen. McClarg then breaks a bottle on the bar and offers Kelly a chance to beat him to it. Kelly then shrinks into intimidation and sulks out. The scene is preposterous to begin with: why would Kelly be intimidated by McClarg when he's just kayoed hi body guard? But Webb clearly has no idea how to play it. He just stars blankly at O'Brien, then turns around and, hunched over and with his arms dangling lifelessly at his side, he marches out stage left while the music swells up to convey Kelly's humiliation to us much more effectively than Webb does. Where Webb really excelled was as a director. He opens this with a shot of a New Orleans jazz funeral. Period detail is exquisite throughout. The dialog is snappy and authentic. The music, of course is great if jazz is to your taste. Any film with both Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald singing in it is work a listen. This one is worth a look, as well. There are great camera shots, particularly when one of Kelly's associates gets gunned down in an alley. The final confrontation is exciting and well-staged. As noted below, it was clearly influential to modern directors. The cast of the film is uniformly excellent except for Webb himself. Peggy Lee is great and one wonders why a significant acting career didn't follow. O'Brien, in a rare villain role, is forceful without the overacting he's often guilty of. Marvin dominates every scene he's in and Martin Milner, a much underrated actor, is excellent in an early role as well. Andy Devine is a revelation as a tough cop. You've got to see it to believe it. Janet Leigh appears as Kelly's girlfriend. She's essentially window dressing but very attractive window dressing. But it's hard to tell what attracted her to Kelly. Webb is so stiff an uncomfortable in their romantic scenes that their relationship is hardly credible. This film would probably be regarded as a classic today if Webb had not insisted on playing the lead, but who can blame him? It was his big chance on the big screen. He created an exquisite donut to star in. But this donut had a hole in it and he was that hole.