Pete Kelly's Blues

The Warner Sound Department concocted a particular method of recording their orchestra that gave their music tracks more brass and more bite, whether on a big picture or a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

The movie is a visual treat as well. It begins with a beautifully realized prologue at a New Orleans jazz funeral that explains where Kelly got his cornet. The carefully designed shots segue into the title sequence with an authority not found in MGM musicals. The film has some clever sets that often figure in violent confrontations -- a rainy alley, a secret meeting place in the attic of a roadhouse. The concluding gun battle takes place in an empty, echo-y dance hall with a calliope playing and a glitterball throwing light in all directions.

After making a widescreen version of Dragnet Webb turned his attention to his favorite subject, jazz. He'd been married to songbird Julie London and made Pete Kelly's Blues into a combination musical biography, gangster film and performance musical. Helping out in the talent department are star turns from Ella FItzgerald (who sings the great title tune) and Peggy Lee ("Sugar", “He Needs Me").

Webb clearly deserves credit for putting all of this talent together, and it's a shame that he doesn't do better with his Pete Kelly character. Peggy Lee was nominated for an Oscar in this role.

The Dixieland music is okay and Arthur Hamilton's new compositions excellent. Ray Heindorf's main theme is a killer, especially when belted out by Ella Fitzgerald, who steals the whole movie. Webb lets the movie stop whenever she or Peggy Lee sings, a wise choice. The film's musical numbers are probably more popular than the film itself.

The handsome Pete Kelly's Blues features solid contributions from a fine cast and every technical department.