"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.
