Alexander's Ragtime Band

Rating:
Summary: A ROUSING MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA!
Review: "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a red herring in musicals - a stagy, stilted fictional lament of the hardships of composer Irving Berlin, without Berlin's name ever surfacing from the deluge - except in the title sequence. It stars resident 20th Century Fox heartthrob Tyrone Power as Berlin's alter ego, the suave band leader `Alexander.' Smitten with the rather racy girl from the wrong side of the tracks, (Alice Faye), Al makes a few wrong turns and winds up lovelorn and bitter. However, true to the tripe of musical plotting he gets over his angst in style. Ethel Merman - fresh from Broadway - makes the most out of a series of hear-pounding musical sequences, the best probably being `Heat Wave' which closes the show. Don Ameche turns up for good measure and in good voice, along with the delightful comic styling of Jack Haley Sr. (best known to audiences as the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz"). Darryl F. Zanuck lavished this fictional film bio with every ounce of sumptuousness that his studio could afford and every last dollar shows up on the screen. Even the set of the seedy bar which opens the story looks like Toot Shores for the rough trade. Despite its faint hint of formaldehyde, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a valiant addition to the Fox Studio Series DVD collection.

The transfer is remarkably clean and solid. There are moments where the image slightly jerks from left to right, but these are sporadic glitches in an otherwise flawless transfer. The gray scale has been impeccably remastered with deep, velvety blacks and very pristine whites. Occasionally one will note a slight hint of film grain but this is to be expected for a film that is 60 plus years old. There are no digital anomalies (edge enhancement, pixelization, shimmering of fine details) for a smooth video presentation that is sure to please. The audio is mono - as is to be expected - but has been very nicely cleaned up. Extras include several deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer and an exceptionally dense and engaging audio commentary. Bottom line; come on and hear and see "Alexander's Ragtime Band." It's a treat!



Rating:
Summary: Stunning tribute to some of Irving Berlin's very best
Review: "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is wonderful entertainment in so many different ways and its chief fame rests undoubtedly on the fact that it provided a perfect showcase for almost two dozen Irving Berlin tunes that have gone down into musical history. Who can forget the magical "Blue Skies", and of course the celebrated title tune "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Twentieth Century Fox pulled all the stops out with this 1838 production not only providing Irving Berlin with a stunning showcase for his musical genius but with an opulent no expense spared tribute to the enduring talents of lead performers Tyrone Power and Alice Faye.

Tyrone Power has the lead role of Nob Hill raised Roger Grant ne: Alexander, an earnest young conductor in 1911 San Francisco committed to the elevation of swing as a musical force in its own right. The story covers over 3 decades as we see his rise and fall and rise again as his fortunes change with each passing decade. In particular the focus is on his love/hate, on again/off again relationship with the band's lead singer Stella Kirby (Alice Faye)a brassy saloon singer from the Barbary Coast with no refinement but alot of energy and a great talent. Their's is a tumultous relationship which sees them unwillingly thrown together in their work, through a veiled attraction to each other, to separation by war, to Stella developing refinement and then finding fame in New York as a solo singer through to her unhappy marriage to a member of the Band Charlie Dwyer (Dom Ameche in another underrated performance) Of course the resolution at the conclusion is a happy one with the pair being finally reunited in a rousing rendition at Carnegie Hall of, you guessed it "Alexander's Ragtime Band"!

Having just previously worked together in Fox's classic "In Old Chicago", Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Don Ameche were by this stage a well oiled team of professionals that were as effective in period dramas as they were in this production. Alice Faye in particular has a real showcase in this production with her development from the loud saloon singer into a world acclaimed artist in her own right.Her unusual deep smoky singing style in particular really suits the tunes she performs here. In particular her rendition of "Blue Skies" is unforgettable and really is the most memorable song used here. Tyrone Power was just reaching his peak when "Alexander's Ragtime Band", went into production. His stylish good looks often hide the fact that his was a fine acting talent and he certainly proves it in his playing of the determined young band leader who encounters all kinds of difficulties in his climb to the top in swing. His onscreen chemistry with Don Ameche and with Alice Faye in particular works wonderfully and he would work with her rather sadly only one more time in the next year in "Rose of Washington Square". Also of great interest in this film is a rare early appearance by the legendary Ethel Merman as Jerry Allen who comes in as the replacement singer when Stella leaves the band. Merman was a formidable talent but somehow with the exception of her classic "Call Me Madam", never really became a successful movie actress. Her great stardom came fittingly on Broadway where her name became legend. Merman is best in her musical numbers in this film where her terrific vocal range and delivery are evident. Her rendition of "Blue Skies" is also one of the films show stoppers.

The Beauty of "Alexander's Ragtime Band", also lays in the great attention to period detail employed here. Fox went all out as befitted a Darryl F. Zanuck production with lavish sets, stunning costumes and brisk energic direction by the legendary Henry King who always worked so well with Tyrone Power. Indeed the look of this film is really eye stopping and it was Fox's most expensive production that year. All the effort resulted in a stunning six Academy Award nominations including one for Best Picture, it being a rare honour for a musical to be included in that category.

For anyone looking for a musical feast for both the ears and the eyes "Alexander's Ragtime Band", is unsurpassed entertainment from the old school of movie making. Knowing that so many of Irving Berlin's signature tunes came from this production certainly reserves it a special place in musical history. For those that love his work, and admire Tyrone Power and Alice Faye at the peak of their success and beauty then you can't go past this film rendition of Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band".

Rating:
Summary: THIRTIES GEM
Review: A beautiful example of a high-gloss production of the thirties, ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND is slick, well-edited and backed by stunning sets and costumes. Chock full of Irving Berlin ballads, this movie takes us from 1915 to 1938 and it's great fun throughout. Alice Faye is amusing as a rather risque floozie and although Merman is rather unphotogenic, she comes off with a better performance (in all actuality, when seen in close-ups, young Tyrone Power is more beautiful than either!)

Rating:
Summary: A joyous musical
Review: Alice Faye has never been better. Ethel Merman shines in a supporting role. Don Ameche shows why he should have been a lead, and then there's Tyrone Power who simply ravishing. The music is superb, and the script is solid. This is one of the best musicals. A real treat. Don't miss it.

Rating:
Summary: Some nice songs but overall disappointing
Review: Basically, this is a collection of Irving Berlin songs. The plot (if you can call it that) adds nothing. The songs are well sung. This would have been a more enjoyable DVD if they had eliminated the story and simply presented a concert of the songs, replacing the dialog with more songs. However, since the price of this DVD is less than most CDs, I suppose one shouldn't complain too much.

Rating:
Summary: Alexander's "Raggedy" Band
Review: Film: ***** Extras: ***** DVD Transfer Quality: BOMB

Another huge disappointment from Fox Home Video. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" was 20th Century-Fox's most prestigious production of 1938, featuring three of the studio's biggest box office draws (Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Don Ameche); a marvelous supporting cast led by Ethel Merman, Jean Hersholt, and John Carradine; outstanding direction by veteran Henry King; and a slight but entertaining script that showcased more than two dozen of prolific songwriter Irving Berlin's most beloved melodies. The prototype for the big budget musicals that Fox would perfect in the 1940's, the film was a huge hit with the public and critics alike, garnering six Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and winning the statuette for Best Music Scoring.

One might think that Fox would take special care in mastering such a revered film for its DVD release - especially when releasing it under the Fox "Studio Classics" banner - but one would be wrong. Although the film's soundtrack has been painstakingly preserved, the visuals are inexcusably shoddy. Specifically, there is a visual noise line that appears in the midst of Chapter 8 (during the song "Now It Can Be Told") and continues to disrupt the picture for the remaining hour or so of the film. This distortion never appeared on the various prints shown on pay cable stations during the past 20 years, and should not appear in a home video release that purports to be "restored".

This major and obnoxious glitch is especially upsetting because the rest of the DVD is so appealing. The extras include 3 rarely seen musical sequences that were deleted from the final cut of the film; the Original Theatrical Trailer; Fox Movietone News footage of the film's British premiere (fascinating to see the English hoopla surrounding this quintessentially American feature); and best of all, the full-length A&E Biography segment, "Alice Faye: The Girl Next Door". If only the film itself were as lovingly presented as the wonderful bonus materials, this would be a must-have DVD. A pity.


Rating:
Summary: Great movie - deplorable quality DVD from Fox
Review: Fox Studios obviously took a worn print that was shown 250 times on late night tv and slapped it onto a DVD format. This is a classic film that deserves better. What an absolute disgrace! The execs at Fox should be ashamed of themselves.

Rating:
Summary: FILM GETS 5 STARS---DVD GETS 1 STAR. WHAT A SHAME!
Review: I love this movie. Its story is ridiculous. The main characters span 27 years but do not age. The dialogue is corny. But the SONGS, those great Irving Berlin songs, are performed with gusto by Alice Faye, Ethel Merman and many more. Add to that Alfred Newman's great musical direction, and Eddie Powell's orchestration and heaven is at your doorstep.

Unfortunately, this release has a blatant WHITE STRACTCH down the left side of the image for most of the film. It's so distracting it makes it hard to enjoy the film. How could Fox do this, with their prestigious STUDIO CLASSIC series, which also by the way, could use a fresh coat of packaging paint. Their covers are awful.

The commentary by Ray Faiola is fun, the outtakes are fun, and the trailer looks TEN TIMES better than the movie.

C'mon Fox, pay attention and do a better job. This was a Best Picture nominee!

Rating:
Summary: Ragtime Showtime
Review: If you like ragtime and Alice Faye's voice, and if you love the classic old musicals and how Tyrone Power looks, then this is the movie for you.

Beautiful songs performed with all the style and glamour of that era, charming people to cheer for and hurt with, the universal element of true love . . . all this makes for a classic.

One of the nitpicks, of course, is that none of them age a day throughout the entire movie. And the eerie feeling you get from the taxi driver seems better suited for a mystery or a suspense, not a musical such as this.

Alice Faye (spunky and sincere) and Ethel Merman (smooth yet practical) both singing to Tyrone Power (handsome as ever) is rather amusing. The songs, including "Blue Skies" which both lead ladies sing, are some of Irving Berlin's best.