Pete Kellys Blues(1955)

[ERROL23]

Kansas City 1927,EX WW1 dough boy Pete Kelly(Jack Webb)wins a trumpet in a dice game.He takes up playing,forms a group,and soon the band takes off.

Gangster Fran McCarc(Edmond OBrien)is organizing the bands and wants Kelly to sign up.Kellys two friends in the band Joey Firestone(Martin Milner)his hot tempered drummer and Al Gannaway(Lee Marvin)refuse to sign up and their car is wrecked by McCarcs hoodlums.

McCarcs top hood Guy Bettenhauser(John Dennis)has a brutal fight with Joey and is killed by the mobsters.Kelly wanting no more bloodshed signs up.

Kelly meets Ivy Conrad(Janet Leigh)a rich society lady and she falls for Kelly,but he doesn't feel hes good enough for her.

McCarc demands Kelly take on Rose Hopkins(Peggy Lee)an alcoholic torch singer.Mccarc beats her up badly when she fails miserably.

Kelly tired of McCarc decides to join up with Federal cop George Tenell(Andy Devine)to put Mccarc away.

Peggy Lee was nominated for an Oscar as Rose.

Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald sing some great songs.

[faceinthecrowd]

When Janet Leigh goes to see Jack Webb in his pad, he says:

 

"You've got the wrong gutter. This is a single."

[Sgt_Markoff]

It's one of the foremost radio series ever produced. Nevermind the movie. Listen to the radio program which spawned the movie. Read up on it.

Blistering! You never experienced anything like it. Huge influence.

Only six episodes remain; but they are the firmament in noir heaven.