In 1927, a Kansas City, Missouri cornet player and his band perform nightly at a seedy speakeasy until a racketeer tries to extort them in exchange for protection.In 1927, a Kansas City, Missouri cornet player and his band perform nightly at a seedy speakeasy until a racketeer tries to extort them in exchange for protection.In 1927, a Kansas City, Missouri cornet player and his band perform nightly at a seedy speakeasy until a racketeer tries to extort them in exchange for protection.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 nominations total
- Bedido
- (as Herb Ellis)
- Trombonist (Pet Kelly and Big Seven)
- (as "Moe" Schneider)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia"Pete Kelly's Blues" was originally a radio series created by Richard L. Breen and starring Jack Webb. It ran on NBC as a summer replacement series from July 4 to September 19, 1951. It later became a short-lived TV series (Pete Kelly's Blues (1959)), produced by Webb.
- Quotes
Maggie Jackson: [singing] They call her Hard Hearted Hannah, The vamp of Savannah, The meanest gal in town; Talk of your cold, refrigeratin' mamas, Brother, she's a polar bear's pajamas! To tease 'em, and thrill 'em, to torture and kill 'em, Is her delight, they say, An evening spent with Hannah sittin' on your knees, Is like travelin' through Alaska in your BVDs...
- Crazy credits"In the screenplay by Richard L. Breen" appears before the film's title.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Colgate Comedy Hour: Tribute to Jerry Ross & Dick Adler (1955)
- SoundtracksJust a Closer Walk with Thee
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by choir of Israelite Spiritual Church, New Orleans
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.
- dougdoepke
- Oct 22, 2014
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Es geschah in einer Nacht
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 35 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.55 : 1
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