Pete Kelly's Blues is a 1955 film based on the 1951 original radio series. It was directed by and starred Jack Webb in the title role. Janet Leigh is featured as party girl Ivy Conrad, and Peggy Lee portrays alcoholic jazz singer Rose Hopkins. Ella Fitzgerald makes a memorable cameo as singer Maggie Jackson (a character played by a white actress in the radio series). Lee Marvin, Martin Milner and a very young Jayne Mansfield also make early caree...
more
Pete Kelly's Blues is a 1955 film based on the 1951 original radio series. It was directed by and starred Jack Webb in the title role. Janet Leigh is featured as party girl Ivy Conrad, and Peggy Lee portrays alcoholic jazz singer Rose Hopkins. Ella Fitzgerald makes a memorable cameo as singer Maggie Jackson (a character played by a white actress in the radio series). Lee Marvin, Martin Milner and a very young Jayne Mansfield also make early career appearances in minor roles.
Much of the catchy dialogue in the film was inspired by the radio series Pat Novak for Hire, in which Webb starred for a time before creating Dragnet.
The story opens in Kansas City in 1927 during Prohibition. Jazz cornetist Pete Kelly (Webb) and his Big Seven are the house band at the 17 Club, a lower-level speakeasy at 17 Cherry Street in Kansas City when Pete is approached by new local crime boss Fran McCarg (Edmond O'Brien), who intends to put Kelly on his own client list. McCarg gives Kelly until the end of...
less
