As I continue to dive into old-time radio and now film noir as well, I’ve discovered some interesting stuff. Just within the last few days, I stumbled upon PETE KELLY’S BLUES.
Pete Kelly’s Blues was a jazz-infused crime drama created by and starring Jack Webb (best known for Dragnet). It originated as a short-lived radio series in 1951 and was later adapted into a 1955 film. Interestingly, Webb himself played the cornet in real life, but not necessarily for the radio series or movie. The radio series ran for 13 episodes, though I believe, counting the demo show, it was 14. Only 6 of the episodes, plus the demo show, are known to have survived and are available to listen to today. Pete Kelly’s Blues was a true passion project of Webb’s.
In the image, which is from the aforementioned movie, Jack Webb can be seen standing and holding a cornet. Martin Milner (Adam-12) and Lee Marvin are also pictured.
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