Pete Kelly's Blues was a 1955 film by Jack Webb wherein he played a 1920s jazz musician. One of his rare non-cop screen appearances, the film wasn't as good as the 195 radio series it was based on, but it was better than the 1958 TV show which followed (without Webb).
The cast was certainly talented: Jack Webb, Janet Leigh,Edmond O'Brien ,Peggy Lee, Andy Devine, Lee Marvin( as a tough guy clarinetist) , Ella Fitzgerald and future ADAM-12 cop Martin Milner (as a rookie drummer).
Although the plot of the film didn't quite live up to the radio show's scripts, it DID offer some interesting music. Ella Fitzgerald sang the title tune, near the end.
I've always like the instrumental version , written by Ray Heindorf, better because, quite frankly, the lyrics suffer from the same ills of the rest of the film..it ALMOST is great. Bobby Darrin did a single of the tune, much uptempo from the desperate version in the film.
There was also alot of period music springled throughout the film.
Here is a long trailer for the film:
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