Wordiezett So much average

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

calvinnme This film is musically great with a couple of numbers by Ella Fitzgerald. However, this is not anything close to a musical. Rather it is a 20's gangster tale that involves Pete Kelly (Jack Webb) and his band. For those of you who remember Dragnet, Webb's narration might have you thinking of Dragnet just a little too much. Webb also directed this film, and he did a great job of giving it a real 20's feel. You don't feel like you're looking at a bunch of people from the 50's dressed up for a 20's costume party.The only thing bad I can say about it is I had a hard time figuring out Pete Kelly's motivation. A person close to him is killed, and he is ready to give in to the gangster responsible and forget the whole thing ever happened. He finds out another person he barely knows has been killed by the same gangster and he's ready for war. He tosses an eager and beautiful Janet Leigh out of his room in one scene, and in the next scene he's overjoyed to see her to the point of wanting to marry her. The clinical acting style that worked so well for Webb in Dragnet just left me a little confused here. Still, overall, I would recommend it.

Lechuguilla "If you're looking for a new way to grow old, this is the place to come, 17 Cherry Street, Kansas City ...". So says Pete Kelly, in VO, near the film's beginning. The place is a roaring twenties' speakeasy, a "gin bin", where the booze flows, where customers express their angst and sometimes get in a fight, and where Pete Kelly (Jack Webb) plays cornet and manages a jazz band."Pete Kelly's Blues" is a moody film, downbeat in tone. Many scenes take place in dark interiors. And it rains a lot. Everyone in the film has problems. Kelly's main problem is Fran McCarg (Edmond O'Brien), a local mobster, trying to take over the city's bands at reduced wages for band members. Most of the film's plot has Pete Kelly fighting McCarg, or submitting to his demands, to the consternation of Kelly's fellow band members.Not surprisingly, the film features lots of blues music and jazz numbers throughout. Ella Fitzgerald sings "Hard Hearted Hannah". And Peggy Lee sings several numbers. Both women are terrific, but I could have wished that Peggy Lee had sung better known era songs.One thing I didn't like about the script is the setup. After an evocative but largely irrelevant funeral prologue, the story jumps right in to Pete Kelly's problems at the speakeasy; no buildup at all; no back-story of any kind.Another problem is Webb's acting. He gives his best Joe Friday imitation, which would have been great for "Dragnet", but inappropriate here. Webb is stiff, seems uncomfortable in the role and rather self-conscious. I suspect this miscasting has been apparent to most everyone for a very long time. It's just so glaring.This film is a bit of nostalgia. It's not real good. But it's good enough for a one time viewing for those interested in blues and jazz music, and for anyone interested in the roaring twenties.

taw2016 I saw Pete Kelley's Blues in the movies in 1955 as a 16 year old kid. I enjoyed the music so much I bought a 33 LP with the music which I still possess. I recorded the movie on VHS tape off TV several years ago and before the tape faded too much I put it on DVD for my use. The title doesn't seem to be readily available these days. Not sure why. The music and artists are first rate in my aging opinion. Jack Webb is somewhat less of a wise guy than he usually seemed to me on TV. There may be one scene I recall in the movie which did not appear in the TV version I recorded---the view of some guy shot in the face with a shotgun---that is my memory from 1955 or so. Bloody etc. I think it was in the theater version--maybe I'm mixing up movies in my memory. Does anybody remember the scene I recall?

skallisjr Pete Kelly's Blues was one of three radio shows that starred Jack Webb. In addition to Dragnet, there was also Pat Novak For Hire. It, and Pete Kelly's Blues, dripped with colorful similes, which Dragnet didn't.For those who, like me, listened to the radio show, the film is especially nice; for those who didn't, the story might drag a bit.The story's simple: during the Roaring 20s, Pete Kelly headed a band that a gangster wanted a cut of the profits from. He leaned on Kelly, and after killing one of his band members, gets the bandleader to sign up. Then, he forces Kelly to "hire" a lady vocalist, the gangster's girlfriend. Eventually, Kelly gets into a shootout showdown with the gangster.Kelly isn't a stereotypical hero: he talks tough, but usually folds when the chips are down.But the atmosphere's really nice, and the music is great. The Pete Kelly theme is a little overused, but it still sounds good.