This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

A returning army vet travels to 1920's Kansas City and sets up a jazz band, only to fall prey to nightclub gangsters.Rather tedious film except for the blues offerings which are too few to make up for the slow pace and a dour Webb in the lead role. He's in about every scene, which means there's no escaping his non-acting. Actually, Webb's an interesting Hollywood figure. Dragnet (1951-1959) came along at just the right time for him. The Cold War meant authority was put in the best possible light, and Webb's Sgt. Friday embodied that no-nonsense professional. Plus, as director, Webb knew when to let human interest take charge, resulting in some of the best dramas of the day. Trouble is that, as an actor, Webb was a one-trick-pony. What worked so well in early Dragnet did not adapt to other scenarios, as is the case here. In fact, his romantic scenes with Leigh are almost painful. Plus, Dragnet's half-hour format enforced a pacing discipline that's not evident in this slow moving 90-minutes.Nonetheless, Warner's backed up production with colorful sets and eye-catching photography. So when the pace slows, the visuals don't. Then too, the supporting cast is just that, good support. Too bad, though, that Lee Marvin doesn't get more screen time. His upbeat tough guy amounts to a needed animated presence. I kept hoping he and Webb would have a snarling face-off— now that would be a real heavyweight treat. But I'm still wondering how they got a name performer like Janet Leigh to make do with such an incidental role.Anyway, the movie's mainly for fans of blues and vintage 20's styles. But it also looks like Webb learned a valuable lesson. Except for the misbegotten Last Time I Saw Archie (1961), his screen time would stick to either the authority figures or the voice-overs he was so good at.

A well shot film as others have noted. Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee are given almost one take performances.Note that Webb twice stands by material objects that may point self mockingly to his acting style- the cigar store Indian in the roadhouse where Ella sings the first time and,in the next occurrence,a cardboard cut-out of Pete.Janet Leigh gets to wear some great outfits- the hat in her car.Excellent quality on the DVD including the sound.The opening scene is a great New Orleans tribute with local talent in the choir and the trumpet Teddy Buckner.

PETE KELLY'S BLUES (1955) has finally made it to DVD and a fairly enjoyable issue it is too but mostly because of the music - which I'm sorry to say there isn't an over abundance of either. From a lean enough screenplay by Richard L. Breen it is nevertheless well directed by the picture's star Jack Webb. The light plot has cornetist Pete Kelly (Webb), leader of a Dixieland Jazz band in 20s Kansas, going up against racketeer Fran McCarg (Edmond O'Brien) who wants a "piece" of the band. Trouble follows when Kelly's drummer Joey Firestone (Martin Milner) objects and pays for his objection with his life (In classic old Warner gangster movie style he is mowed down with a Tommy gun in a back alley by a passing Limousine in the teeming rain). A stoic Webb tells Rudy, the nightclub owner, "get someone to bring Joey in - it's raining on him". The picture ends with Kelly having a showdown with the mob boss and a couple of his "goons" in a well executed shootout in a deserted ballroom.In between all the drama and gunfire there are some fine jazz numbers "played" by the on-screen band which is ghosted on the soundtrack by popular jazz band of the day Matty Matlock's Dixieland Jazz Band. Matlock himself ghosted for Lee Marvin on clarinet while Matlock's trumpet player Dick Cathcart doubled for Webb on the Cornet. It is reputed that Webb - an avid jazz fan - based the band in the movie on his own favourite Dixieland band - Eddie Condon's Dixielanders (who themselves in real life had problems with gangsters). But the movie is disappointing in that there aren't enough numbers played by the band in the film. We could have tolerated quite a few more of them from Matlock's great band! However as compensation we are treated to some terrific songs. The great Peggy Lee gives us her wonderful and unique renditions of such standards as "Sugar" and "Somebody Loves Me". Then there's a marvellous cameo by the First Lady of Jazz herself the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald belting out "Hard Hearted Hannah" and the title tune "Pete Kelly's Blues" (composed by Warner Bros. musical director Ray Heindorf). Interestingly Peggy Lee won an Acadamy Award nomination for her portrayal of McCarg's drunken moll in the picture.So not too bad a movie really - saved mostly as I've said by the music. But it is stylishly photographed in Cinemascope and colour by Hal Rossen and has some clever rapid-fire dialogue. Thanks to Webb's expert direction he imbues his film with an exceptional jazz era atmosphere and his knowledge of Dixieland jazz helps it along. Dixieland jazz was the pop music of yesteryear. Hearing it here and in the light of what we have to listen to today it's a great pity it still isn't. Hmmm!Now a word about the DVD! Although it is in a well defined 2.35 widescreen format Warner's presentation of "Pete Kelly's Blues" leaves a lot to be desired! There are no extras to speak of! Just a silly very dated short about the early days of motoring and a Looney Tunes cartoon. Surely they could have scraped up, from their archives, some short about jazz or something jazz related. No?? Also why was there no attempt to have a commentary? And to add salt to an already blistering wound - there isn't even a trailer! For shame Warner Home Video!However, nothing can diminish this classic line from "Pete Kelly's Blues"........... The deadpan Webb (the only actor who could walk without moving his arms) in a confrontation with gangster O'Brian : "I've heard about you McCarg - down south they say you have rubber pockets so you can steal soup"!

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?