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Pete Kelly's Blues

Play trailer Poster for Pete Kelly's Blues 1955,  1h 35m,  Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 60% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 42% 100+ Ratings Popcornmeter
60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
A bootlegger (Edmond O'Brien) strong-arms a jazz cornetist (Jack Webb) and his combo at a 1920s Kansas City speakeasy.

Critics Reviews

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Howard Thompson New York Times Aug 8, 2006
Pete Kelly's Blues is an incredible waste of tantalizing music and decor designed for the sole purpose of letting Jack Webb strut his stuff almost exactly as before. Go to Full Review
Francois Truffaut Arts (France) May 10, 2022
Jack Webb is a filmmaker who is more skillful than gifted, more sincere than brilliant, more likeable than prestigious. Which is to say that his film is nice to see. Go to Full Review
Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine Oct 21, 2019
Jazz fans, except the ultra-cool school, will enjoy the music, and the film is well worth seeing as well as hearing in spite of several contrived and incoherent touches. With Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Jul 15, 2015
C+
Tedious but well-photographed atmospheric jazz pic from the Prohibition era. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Dec 29, 2007
B-
Like Love Me or Leave Me, also made in 1955, Webb's film is set in the golden age of Prohibition, mixing crime-gangster drama with great jazz music by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, who received a Supporting Oscar nomination. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Finn P Jul 27, 2017 Evocative production directed by and starring Jack Webb; singer Peggy Lee copped on Oscar nomination for her portrayal of an alcoholic singer and Ella Fitzgerald sings two songs, including the title tune. See more
Abraham G Mar 16, 2017 Jack Webb directs and stars as the titular character, up against the wall during Prohibition when a gangster decides that he's going to muscle all the local musical acts for part of their pay and call himself their manager. It's well worth a look, and surprised me by being a color film, as I was expecting clack and white, given its age. See more
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Pete Kelly's Blues

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Jack Webb

Director

Jack Webb

Pete Kelly

Janet Leigh

Ivy Conrad

Edmond O'Brien

Fran McCarg

Peggy Lee

Rose Hopkins

Andy Devine

George Tenell

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Pete Kelly's Blues

Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A bootlegger (Edmond O'Brien) strong-arms a jazz cornetist (Jack Webb) and his combo at a 1920s Kansas City speakeasy.
Director
Jack Webb
Producer
Jack Webb
Screenwriter
Richard L. Breen
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Mark VII Ltd.
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 31, 1955, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Stereo
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