Alexander's Ragtime Band
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Movie Reviews of Alexander's Ragtime Band
Movie Review: "It's the best band in the land!"
Summary: 4 Stars
Irving Berlin started it all, though this story is not a biopic. The only part he plays is as an unseen friend to a lower-class girl named Stella (Alice Faye) who sends her "Alexander's Ragtime Band" which helps her get a job in a club and forces her together with two men that play a significant role in her life. "Alex" (Tyrone Power) is her mortal enemy, but the two become quite close after Charlie (Don Ameche), the man who loves her, brings them together. Pitfalls and love triangles make for an interesting story and the great music it is set to really keeps one's toes tapping.
Later on, Ethel Merman joins the story. She is certainly one of those singers who you love or hate, and I happen to hate her. She has a brash, obnoxious way of singing that is in stark contrast to Faye's creamy alto voice. However, these two polar opposites add variety to the film.
Also included on this DVD is a documentary about Faye from the A&E Biography series. It includes interviews from her daughter, Roddy McDowall, and Hugh Hefner and shows many clips from her relatively few films. It is an interesting watch.
Movie Review: Great Entertainment!
Summary: 4 Stars
This was one of 20th Century Fox's biggest grossing movies for several years and it still holds up almost 70 years later. My favorite number: the rollickin "Everybody's Doing It" musical sequence with Ellen Terry in fine form, as is her partner (can't find his name). My one minor complaint: story bogs down toward end with Alice Faye fighting, fighting her love for gorgeous Tyrone Power. Couldn't understand her logic in hiding away from him. Wonderful to see a young, brassy Ethel Merman. Wish this had been filmed in Technicolor which was still very new.Movie Review: Alexander's Ragtime Band
Summary: 4 Stars
Alexander's Ragtime Band
A classic Musical. I was eager to see this film after reading about the deleted scenes. While the deleted scenes are good, I did not miss them from the film at all.
Acting is good and the music great. I thought that this movie showed both Tyron Power and Alice Faye at their best. An enjoyable viewing!!
Movie Review: Alexander's "Raggedy" Band
Summary: 3 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Standard Hollywood Movie with Above-Average Music
Summary: 3 Stars
I watched this movie because I noted that it was an Oscar winner in 1938 for Best Music (it was nominated for a few more including Best Picture). I must admit that the plot has nothing to offer that you haven't seen dozens of times before. What makes it worthwhile is the music that it won the Oscar for. The highlight is the two or three numbers that a younger, slimmer Ethel Merman got to sing. I had forgotten that she was in the cast so I wasn't paying much attention until I heard her start to belt out a song as only she can do. I don't know why Alice Faye was given the top female role as a singer if Ethel was going to be in the cast. I suppose she had the bigger name back then but you can't hide a voice like Merman's. There is some good orchestration in the movie as well. Irving Berlin is credited with the lyrics and music but I think some of the songs predated even him. The acting was somewhat mediocre. Tyrone Power was poorly cast to play anything but Tyrone Power. Don Ameche was an improvement and there was some good dance routines included. John Carradine showed his unique talent in a minor role. This movie is strictly for the song and dance fans but it is definitely one that that group will enjoy.