

Now I’m not saying Roger/Alexander’s an outright snob and is dismissive of people, but sometimes his background can clash with Stella Kirby, especially in how he moulds her to be their lead singer.

It’s also intriguing he’s an aristocratic and that sometimes can lead to quite snobby behaviour. It’s interesting how he starts off as a violin player in classical music before wanting to do ragtime/swing when leading Alexander’s Ragtime Band. Tyrone Power plays Roger Grant/Alexander in the film. It’s certainly a film that does allow you to cheer you up and it helps reflect on the good times that were had in years gone by, especially the 1930s. There are also the songs ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Easter Parade’ which are very well-known and which I’ve heard in films like ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Easter Parade’.ĭuring the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, my parents and I watched the film ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ to keep our spirits up during difficult times. I can only imagine how popular the film must’ve been when it was released at cinemas/theatres then.Īs well as the song ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’, the film also features songs like ‘Heat Wave’, ‘Some Sunny Day’ and ‘A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody’. It was also the highest-grossing film of the 1930s. The film was even an Academy Award winner in 1938 as it was nominated for six Academy Awards and won the award for Best Music (Scoring). It’s even considered a ‘studio classic’ by 20th Century Fox itself, as it was called at the time of its release. My experience of the film has changed quite significantly compared to how I saw it as a kid in the 1990s to how I see it as a grown-up in the 2010s and 2020s. In fact, some of the film takes place during the First World War itself in the 1910s. The ‘swing’ atmosphere does feel ‘feel-good’ and it seemed like a happy time before trouble ensued with war-time occurring. I also like the nostalgic atmosphere featured in ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ as a film. It’s also nice to see how the characters progress in the film as they change for the better compared to where they had started off in meeting each other at the band’s formation. I like how the film progresses, starting off in the early 1900s and going through the years right up to where it ends in 1938. But over time, Roger/Alexander and Stella form an on-and-off love affair with each other that meets with trials and tribulations relying on musical success. This isn’t something Alice Faye as Stella Kirby wanted as she wanted to get a job for herself before being joined up with a band as its lead singer. He also changes his name to ‘Alexander’ as the song they play on their first night at a seedy tavern is ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’. The story takes place in the early 1900s where Tyrone Power as San Francisco aristocrat Roger Grant gets to lead a band with a whole new sound to it called ‘swing’. Zanuck was the producer and Henry King directed the film. The film came about later in 1938 with the story by Irving Berlin and Richard Sherman and the screenplay was by Kathyrn Scole and Lamar Trotti. The film features the song ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ which was released in 1911. My Dad later purchased the DVD of ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ around 2004.
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I first saw ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ as a kid when my parents recorded the film on videotape when it was shown on TV one time. I’ve enjoyed the films featuring Irving Berlin’s music.Īnd his music is clearly well-showcased in the 1938 film called ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’. Most of these films feature stars like Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. These include films like ‘Holiday Inn’, ‘Blue Skies’, ‘Carefree’ and ‘Follow the Fleet’. I’ve reviewed a number of Irving Berlin-related films over the years on ‘Bradley’s Basement’.

He’s also contributed a number of songs and scores for various musical films produced from the 1920s to 1950s. He’s written many hit songs such as ‘Easter Parade’ and ‘White Christmas’. Irving Berlin is regarded as one of the best well-known songwriters and composers of the 20th century.
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Please feel free to comment on my review.Īs a kid, I thought Alexander was a real person like Glenn Miller.
