1960, Ella Ftizgerald released one of the greatest Christmas albums ever made: “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas”. It features classic holiday pieces, wonderful arrangements, and a spectacular studio orchestra. Every year, this masterpiece album is enjoyed by audiences across the globe and across generations. This holiday season, vocalist and trombonist Casey Thomas-Burns brings the music of “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas” to live audiences. Join Casey and her band to celebrate this beloved holiday album and ring in the festive season with joy — followed by Ella herself on screen in the snappy 1955 gangster flick, Pete Kelly’s Blues.
About the Movie: Pete Kelly’s Blues (1955, 95 min)
Set during the Prohibition Era, Dragnet star Jack Webb’s slick film noir tells the story of Pete Kelly, a jazz cornetist and bandleader who runs afoul of gangsters in 1927 Kansas City, a hotbed for jazz, organized crime, and political corruption. Rounding out the cast are names like Janet Leigh (as Pete’s wild and wealthy girlfriend), Edmond O’Brien (as a crime boss), Andy Devine (a police detective), Lee Marvin (Pete’s clarinetist), and famed jazz singer Peggy Lee, who earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her work as a gangster’s alcoholic moll. In a rare movie role, Ella has a cameo as singer Maggie Jackson and sings both the title track and Hard Hearted Hannah; her frequent guitarist, Herb Ellis, also plays a member of Pete’s band.
Jack Webb is a filmmaker who is more skillful than gifted, more sincere than brilliant, more likeable than prestigious. Which is to say that his film is nice to see.
Francois Truffaut
Glorious… A terrific, atmospheric, period noir.
Jonathan Rosenbaum
One of the great unheralded classics of 1950s American cinema… a rattling good thriller with blazing musical turns from Oscar-nominated Peggy Lee (The Rainbow Song) and Ella Fitzgerald (Hard-Hearted Hannah).
Kim Newman, Empire magazine
Co-Presented with
Casey Thomas-Burns
Dec 20
4:00 pm
VIFF Centre, VIFF Cinema
Book Tickets
Sunday December 20
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