ALEXANDERS RAGTIME BAND (DVD) DVD

Alexander's Ragtime Band
His Aunt Sophie (Helen Westley) and his teacher Professor Heinrich (Jean Hersholt) are sure that Roger Grant (Tyrone Power) will be a famous classical violinist, but Roger's more interested in popular music. He and his friend, pianist Charlie (Don Ameche), audition at a saloon in San Francisco's Barbary Coast, using sheet music left by singer Stella Kirby (Alice Faye), which had been sent to her by a friend in New York, Irving Berlin. The number, "Alexander's Ragtime Band," proves to be a sensation, and Stella goes along with Charlie's plea to sing with the band, which soon becomes famous for its ragtime numbers. Charlie has fallen in love with Stella by the time they open at the Cliff House, but he soon realizes that she and Roger are in love. Stella is invited to New York by a famous producer, but Roger's against this, and angrily fires her, so Charlie quits, too. When Roger returns from World War I, he meets Stella, only to learn she and Charlie have been married for a year. Another year passes, and Charlie and Davey have formed a new band with Jerry Allen (Ethel Merman) as their lead singer. Charlie knows Stella still loves Roger, so he divorces her, but Roger sails for Europe with the new band. Back in New York, Roger is set for a major concert in swing at Carnegie Hall. Charlie tells Roger about the divorce, and that Stella still loves him. Unable to get a ticket, Stella listens to the concert in a cab. Explaining that he is playing it for one particular person, Roger and his band perform "Alexander's Ragtime Band" as their encore, bringing Stella into the theater, where she's reconciled with Roger. He brings her onstage to perform the number with his band. ~ Bill Warren, All Movie Guide

Cast Tyrone Power as Roger Grant Alice Faye as Stella Kirby Don Ameche as Charlie Dwyer Ethel Merman as Jerry Allen Jack Haley as Davey Lane Jean Hersholt as Prof. Heinrich Helen Westley as Aunt Sophie John Carradine as Cabdriver Paul Hurst as Bill Wally Vernon as Himself Ruth Terry as Ruby Douglas Fowley as Snapper Chick Chandler as Louie Eddie Collins as Corporal Collins Joseph Crehan as Stage Manager Robert Gleckler as Dirty Eddie Dixie Dunbar as Dancer Joe King as Charles Dillingman Charles Coleman as Head Waiter Stanley Andrews as Colonel Charles Williams as Agent Jane Jones as Singin trio Otto H. Fries as Singing trio Grady Sutton as Babe Selmar Jackson as Radio Station Manager Tyler Brooke as Assistant Stage Manager Donald Douglas as Singer

Crew Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director Boris Leven - Art Director Harry Joe Brown - Associate Producer Seymour Felix - Choreography Gwen Wakeling - Costume Designer Henry King - Director Barbara McLean - Editor Irving Berlin - Composer (Music Score) Alfred Newman - Composer (Music Score) Alfred Newman - Musical Direction/Supervision Irving Berlin - Songwriter J. Peverell Marley - Cinematographer Darryl F. Zanuck - Producer Thomas K. Little - Set Designer Roger Heman - Sound/Sound Designer Arthur VonKirbach - Sound/Sound Designer Lamar Trotti - Screenwriter Kathryn Scola - Screenwriter Richard Sherman - Screenwriter Irving Berlin - Screenwriter

Alexander's Ragtime Band
Alexander's Ragtime Band was the subject of some mild ridicule in its day from critics who commented that, despite the fact that the time frame of the film covers a couple of decades, the stars never aged. But Alexander doesn't pretend to be realistic; it's a delightful little morsel of a film that's the cinematic equivalent of comfort food. And aside from the slightness of the script -- its roundabout love triangle is perfunctory, if effective -- there's little to complain about. There's a bountiful two dozen Irving Berlin songs to ease viewers over the bumpy patches, and not a clunker in the bunch. How can there be when they include the likes of such classics as the sorrowful "Remember," the joyous "Blue Skies," the infectious "Easter Parade," and the rousing "Heat Wave?" This is a score that can stand on its own; that it has two such powerful performers as Alice Faye and Ethel Merman to interpret many of them is a bonus. This is not to overlook Jack Haley and Don Ameche, who do more than respectable jobs, but their numbers simply pale in comparison with Merman's jivey "Pack Up Your Sins" or Faye's sinuous "Now It Can Be Told." The cast is also up to par in the dialogue scenes, even if Tyrone Power is a slightly behind the rest of the leads. Alexander doesn't aim high enough to be one of the screen's great musicals, but it's bright, lively fun. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Alfred Newman: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Score (winner) Barbara McLean: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Editing (nominated) Bernard Herzbrun: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Boris Leven: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Irving Berlin: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Original Story (nominated) Irving Berlin: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated)

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Picture (nominated) Telluride Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: 2: PCM stereo 1: PCM mono Additional Features: cc Commentary by film score restorationist Ray Fiola 3 deleted scenes "Alice Faye: The Star Next Door" as seen on Biography on the A&E network Movietone news footage Theatrical trailer Full frame format (1.33:1) Audio: English stereo, English mono Subtitles: English, Spanish DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 106 min Part of Series: 20th Century Fox Studio Classics   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Main Titles/ The Fairmont [2:55] 2. Dirty Eddie's [3:29] 3. Alexander's Ragtime Band [4:22] 4. Disappointed [2:26] 5. Opening Night Jitters [2:21] 6. Everybody's Doin' It Now [3:29] 7. A Lady [1:54] 8. Now It Can Be Told [1:40] 9. Big Boy [8:13] 10. This Is The Life [3:51] 11. When The Midnight Choo Choo Leaves For Alabam' [2:19] 12. Good News, Bad News [1:19] 13. They're In The Army Now [3:47] 14. Oh! How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning [4:41] 15. Orders [2:39] 16. A Nasty Surprise [4:25] 17. A Selfless Act [:22] 18. Going Away Party [7:08] 19. Blue Skies [6:34] 20. Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil [4:09] 21. Bowing Out [3:01] 22. My Walking Stick [1:28] 23. Remember [1:13] 24. Everybody Step [1:12] 25. All Alone [:55] 26. Proposal [1:10] 27. Still In Love [1:05] 28. Killing Time [:44] 29. Easter Parade [1:32] 30. Sold Out [4:10] 31. Heat Wave [4:47] 32. Reunion/ End Titles [1:22]