Pete Kelly's Blues (1955)

As the tumultuous echoes of the First World War fade, returning soldier Pete Kelly finds himself the unlikely owner of a cornet, won in a gamble in 1919. By 1927, the winds of fortune have propelled him into the smoky underbelly of Kansas City where he leads a jazz band, their melodies ringing out nightly within the clandestine walls of a speakeasy. However, the jazz-infused euphoria is short-lived as local gangster, Fran McCarg, begins to tighten his vice-like grip around the band, demanding a slice of their earnings. Simultaneously, Pete finds himself ensnared by the allure of sultry flapper Ivy Conrad, who yearns for more than just Pete's music. All the while, Pete's singular wish is to keep his band intact and their music alive. The plot thickens when their drummer falls victim to an untimely death, forcing Pete to yield to Fran's menacing demands. This capitulation comes with an unexpected twist as he begrudgingly takes on the gangster's alcoholic girlfriend as their new vocalist. As Pete dives deeper into this morass of corruption and compromise, he soon realizes the magnitude of his error. Against this backdrop of Dixieland jazz and pervasive corruption, Pete finds an unexpected beacon of hope in Ivy, the rich flapper who has now become the sole beacon of decency in his turbulent existence. As the stakes rise, Pete's urge to take decisive action intensifies. Will he succumb to the gangster's reign or will he dance to his own rhythm? The story of Pete Kelly's Blues is a captivating tale of music, power, and redemption woven together through the intoxicating rhythm of jazz.

Pete Kelly's Blues is a crime movie featuring Jack Webb.

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