Alexander's Ragtime Band (film)

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Movie
German title Alexander's Ragtime Band
Original title Alexander's Ragtime Band
also: Irving Berlin's Alexander's Ragtime Band
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1938
length 108 minutes
Rod
Director Henry King
script Kathryne Scola based
on the story by Irving Berlin
production Darryl F. Zanuck
Harry Joe Brown
for 20th Century Fox
music Irving Berlin
Alfred Newman
camera J. Peverell Marley
cut Barbara McLean
occupation

Alexander's Ragtime Band , also: Irving Berlin's Alexander's Ragtime Band , is an American film biography from 1938, which is loosely based on the life of Irving Berlin . The film has an all-star cast with Tyrone Power , Alice Faye and Don Ameche in the lead roles. All three actors had previously worked together on In Old Chicago . It was directed by Henry King .

action

The young Roger Grant was about to embark on a career as a classical violin virtuoso in 1911 when he and his friends Charlie Dwyer, Davey Lane and Louis were taken to an audition at Dirty Eddie's, a bar on the infamous Barbary Coast. The performance of the friends threatens to turn into a disaster when the singer Stella Kirby simply stands on the stage and starts the song "Alexander's Ragtime Band". Success leads to engagement and growing popularity. Over the years Roger, who now officially calls himself Alexander Grant, has composed a large number of hits, all of which have a great solo for Stella. He falls in love with Stella, but he can never confess his feelings to her. Stella, who is also secretly in love with Alexander, misinterprets his reluctance and marries Charlie Dwyer. In the end, Stella and Alexander find their happiness, and together with Charlie the three celebrate their reunion on stage in New York in 1927 and thus have a great triumph.

background

Alongside Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin was one of America's best-known composers and recognized early on the opportunities that sound films opened up as an additional lucrative source of income. Berlin, who had written and composed many popular songs since 1911 , met the film producer Darryl F. Zanuck while filming On the Avenue in 1936 . On the occasion, Zanuck suggested shooting a biography of Berlin. Although he refused to bring a concrete description of his life on screen, he agreed to an interpretation of key events in his career. The focus should be on the music and the most famous works of the composer, the creation of which should be told in the context of the more or less fictional life story of the film hero.

Filming, directed by Henry King , began in early 1938 . King was able to fall back on three of the studio's most popular stars: Tyrone Power , Alice Faye and Don Ameche . All four had previously worked with In Old Chicago on the dramatic portrayal of the Great Chicago Fire. Irving Berlin accompanied the filming as artistic advisor and made friends with Alice Faye on the occasion. In the end he was so enthusiastic about the way the singer performed that he officially announced that he would like to see every new song interpreted by Miss Faye first (" I'd rather have Alice Faye introduce my songs than any other singer ")

The costly production proved very popular at the box office, grossing over $ 3,000,000 by late 1938 alone. A re-performance in 1947 brought this amount again. Years later, Alice Faye admitted to having played her favorite role here and the director Henry King always praised the pleasant atmosphere during the shoot. The success resulted in several more biographies by composers, such as The Great Victor Herbert , which Paramount Pictures brought to distribution a year later.

During the shooting, Irving Berlin met the singer Ethel Merman and was so impressed by her talent that he tailored his musicals Annie Get Your Gun and Call Me Madam especially for Merman. The popular radio show Lux Radio Theater produced by Alexander's Ragtime Band two radio play versions. The first aired in June 1940 with Alice Faye, Ray Milland and Robert Preston . In the second version in April 1947, the main roles of Tyrone Power, Dinah Shore , Al Jolson and Dick Haymes were taken.

Reviews

The reviews were mostly positive, if it was seen as strange that the three main characters wouldn't age a day during the film's plot, which ran from 1911 to 1927.

The Hollywood Reporter even wanted to recognize the turning point in film history in the handling of music as a plotter (" a turning point of the industry and a new trend in the utilization of music in story telling .")

music

In the course of the plot a total of 29 songs by Iriving Berlin are played.

  • Alexander's Ragtime Band
  • Ragtime violin
  • That International Rag
  • Everybody's Doin 'It Now
  • Now It Can Be Told
  • This is the life
  • When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam '
  • For Your Country and My Country
  • I Can Always Find a Little Sunshine in the YMCA
  • Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning
  • We're On Our Way to France
  • In my harem
  • When I Lost You
  • Say It with Music
  • A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody
  • Some Sunny Day
  • Blue skies,
  • Everybody Step
  • What'll I do
  • Remember
  • Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil
  • My walking stick
  • All alone
  • heat wave
  • Easter parade
  • Cheek to Cheek , Lazy
  • Marie
  • Marching Along with Time

The numbers Now It Can Be Told and Marching Along with Time were specially composed for the film by Berlin, while My Walking Stick was originally composed for the Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers film, Sorgenfrei by Dr. Flagg - Carefree was intended, but was rejected by Astaire.

Awards

At the Academy Awards in 1939 , the film won the Oscar in the category

  • Best Score (Alfred Newman).

In addition, he received nominations in the categories

  • Best movie
  • Best Original Story (Irving Berlin)
  • Best equipment (Bernard Herzbrun and Boris Leven)
  • Best Editing (Barbara McLean)
  • Best Song ( Now It Can Be Told by Irving Berlin)

The magazine film Daily chose Alexander's Ragtime Band the third best film of the year.

Web links