Pete Kelly’s Blues **** (1955, Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Edmond O’Brien, Peggy Lee, Andy Devine, Lee Marvin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jayne Mansfield) – Classic Movie Review 7,041

The exceptional 1955 musical crime film Pete Kelly’s Blues stars Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Edmond O’Brien, Peggy Lee, Andy Devine, Lee Marvin and Ella Fitzgerald, and features Jayne Mansfield. It is based on Jack Webb’s 1951 radio series.

Jack Webb stars in Pete Kelly’s Blues as bandleader and jazz trumpeter Pete Kelly, who takes on Kansas City gangster Fran McCarg (Edmond O’Brien), in this satisfying and unusual 1955 connoisseur’s item – a violent musical gangster crime thriller with a delicious Twenties jazz and speakeasy background – which is also directed by Webb.

Ideally cast Janet Leigh as party girl Ivy Conrad, Andy Devine as George Tenell and Lee Marvin as Al Gannaway take care of the drama, while Oscar-nominated Peggy Lee gives a surprisingly forceful acting turn as alcoholic jazz singer Rose Hopkins, and takes care of the jazz side, along with Ella Fitzgerald, who makes a cameo appearance as singer Maggie Jackson. Martin Milner and Jayne Mansfield (in a bit part as Cigarette Girl) also make early career appearances.

The exceptional Pete Kelly’s Blues is quite the little triumphant tour-de-force for Webb, who gives a punchy performance, and directs and produces too. Webb was a noted Dixieland jazz enthusiast.

Pete Kelly’s Blues is based on the 1951 American crime musical radio drama series, which aired on NBC on Wednesday nights at 8pm from 4 July 1951 to 19 September 1951, and starred Jack Webb as Pete Kelly. The film’s screenplay is written by Richard L Breen, who created the 1951 radio version of Pete Kelly’s Blues.

It was a big hit. Costing $2 million, it took $5 million at the US/ Canada box office.

Also in the cast are Than Wyenn, Herb Ellis, John Dennis, Mort Marshall, Dick Cathcart, Moe Schneider, George Van Epps, Ray Sherman, Matty Matlock, Eddie Miller, Nick Fatool, Jud De Naut, Harry Morgan, Snub Pollard, Joe Venuti and William Lazeras.

Pete Kelly’s Blues is directed by Jack Webb, runs 95 minutes, is made by Mark VII, is released by Warner Bros, is written by Richard L Breen, is shot in WarnerColor by Harold Rosson, is produced by Jack Webb, is scored by Ray Heindorf and Arthur Hamilton, has lyrics by Sammy Cahn, and is designed by Harper Goff.

Peggy Lee received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Lee re-recorded some of the songs from the film for the 1955 Decca album Songs from Pete Kelly’s Blues.

Peggy Lee starred opposite Danny Thomas in The Jazz Singer (1952), and provided speaking and singing voices for several characters in the Disney animation movie Lady and the Tramp (1955).

Jayne Mansfield’s first film part was a supporting role in Female Jungle (1956). In 1955 she acted on stage as fictional film star Rita Marlowe in the hit Broadway play Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? while working on film noir The Burglar, released two years later when her fame was at its peak.

The cast are Jack Webb as Pete Kelly, Janet Leigh as Ivy Conrad, Edmond O’Brien as Fran McCarg, Peggy Lee as Rose Hopkins, Andy Devine as George Tenell, Lee Marvin as Al Gannaway, Ella Fitzgerald as Maggie Jackson, Martin Milner as Joey Firestone, Than Wyenn as Rudy Shulak, Herb Ellis as Bedido, John Dennis as Guy Bettenhouser, Jayne Mansfield as Cigarette Girl, Mort Marshall as Cootie Jacobs, Moe Schneider as Band member, George Van Eps as Guitarist, Ray Sherman as Band member, Matty Matlock as Band member, Eddie Miller as Band member, Nick Fatool as Drummer, and Jud De Naut as Bassis.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,041

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