Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)

Alexander's Ragtime Band - 1938

 Our next film is 1938's "Alexander's Ragtime Band", starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Don Ameche.  The film follows the rise of a bandleader from obscurity to fame and the love triangle that ensues in the lives of the film's three principal stars.

The film's supporting cast includes Ethel Merman, Jack Haley, Jean Hersholt, Helen Westley, and John Carradine.

Roger Grant is a talented classical musician descended from the upper crust of society.  His well-to-do aunt and his music professor have come to watch his performance, which they do with pride.

And the girls love him.  However, Roger wants to have a band.  After quickly ducking past his well wishers, Roger meets up with his band at a local speakeasy.  Unfortunately, they forgot their music.

Stella Kirby has music but no band to play for her.  She's got a fast-talking, no-nonsense attitude.  When someone in the joint asks her if she ever learned long division, Stella smiles and says, "Never even learned short division.  I'm doin' all right without it."

Roger's band finds Stella's music and starts to play it.  Not going to let them blow her big chance for a break in show business, she jumps on the stage and starts singing the lyrics.

The song is called "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and Roger Grant is forever after branded "Alexander".  The owner of the saloon tells Stella and the band that they have to appear from now on together or not at all.  Stella and "Alexander" aren't happy about it, as they can't stand each other.

But they try and make it work.  They prove popular and start getting bookings at bigger and better venues.

Stella can't handle it when "Alex" starts to make suggestions and changes to her wardrobe.  She threatens to walk out on them and put them all out of work.

Alex's friend and band pianist, Charlie (who has a soft spot for Stella), convinces her to stay on with some smooth talk.

The group introduces songs like "The International Rag" and "Everybody's Doin' It".

One day when Charlie and Stella are alone, he plays her a song he's written for her called "Now It Can Be Told".  Stella is in love with the music and lyrics and tells Charlie how much she likes it.  "I wrote it for you, Stella.  If it’s any good, that’s why," he tells her.

Stella debuts the song to rave reviews.  Charlie watches with pride and love as he plays the piano during the song.

The song actually brings Alex and Stella together as she sings.  They look at each other with a changed attitude.  Both realize they are in love with the other.

Naturally, this doesn't make Charlie happy at all.  He watches with a worried look.

After the number, Stella and Alex kiss under the moonlight and decide to make a go of things.  Charlie eventually comes around and accepts the situation.

One night, the band gets the opportunity to audition for a Broadway producer.  Stella does a number and afterwards goes to talk to the man who was evaluating the performance.  He offers her a job on the spot.

When she tells Alex that she was offered a job and not the band, Alex is furious.  Charlie tries to get him to calm down and be happy for Stella, but he hurls insults at her and leaves the room.  Stella moves to New York, where she becomes a sensation.

Alex joins the army, where he gets involved in raising money for the armed forces by putting on a show.

When they get to New York, Stella goes to see the show the whole country is talking about.  As the men sing "We're On Our Way To France", they begin marching out of the building to the transports that will take them to the front lines.  The whole audience is cheering and applauding.  When Stella realizes that they are leaving for war, she tries to talk to Alex, but he can't hear her as he marches past.  (The theme of the armed forces show for the war effort was used again by Irving Berlin in 1943's "This Is The Army".)

A while later, Alex returns from war, he goes to see Stella during a rehearsal for her show.  He's been injured and uses a cane.  Stella is thrilled to see him.  Alex wants to start a relationship, but Stella quickly dissuades him.  She tells him that she and Charlie are now married.  Alex, hurt, goes to his apartment where one the band members has a surprise for him.

It's a new lead singer named Jerry Allen, a woman with a sensational set of pipes.  Alexander's Ragtime Band gets going again and they become the hit of New York.

Meanwhile, with the reappearance of Alex in their lives, Stella and Charlie have some serious thinking to do.  Charlies misses Alex and the gang and wants to visit, but Stella doesn't think they should.

Charlie tells her he thinks they should divorce.  Married life isn't all they both hoped for, and she's still in love with Alex.  They part as good friends.

A few days later, Stella tracks down Alex and his band.  She finds out that they are sailing that night for an extended engagement in Europe.  They are very glad to see each other.

Stella is not thrilled, however, when she finds out that Alex and Jerry Allen are an item.

Stella listens to Jerry sing a number.  Alex gazes at her and can't help feeling stirred up by memories.

Jerry asks Stella to sing.  Stella joins in on the song that Jerry had been singing, "Blue Skies".  After the song, Stella waves the group off with tears in her eyes as they sail for Europe.

The band is extremely popular in Europe.  Jerry leads them in songs like "Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil", "My Walking Stick", and "Everybody Step".

In London, Jerry notices that Alex still loves Stella.  She breaks off their romantic relationship, and the two part as friends.

Back in New York, Charlie rejoins the band.  Alex is thrilled to see him.  He asks how Stella has been.  Charlie says he hasn't seen her since their divorce.  Alex is surprised.  He and Charlie try to find her, but they are unsuccessful.  She's quit show business and no one knows where she is.

The band makes the real big time when they are booked to play a concert at Carnegie Hall.

On the night of the concert, Stella can hear the music playing from a taxi cab radio.  She listens with tears in her eyes and makes her way to the concert hall.

One of the high points of the concert comes when Jerry sings "We're Having A Heat Wave."  It hits all the right notes and is a real crowd pleaser.

Alex spots Stella waiting in the wings.  He goes over to her and asks her to sing the band's last song.  After a little coaxing, she joins him on the stage.

As Charlie looks on happily, Stella sings "Alexander's Ragtime Band", the song that shot them to fame.  Stella and Alex embrace as the band strikes the final notes.

Cast rundown:

   Tyrone Power.................................Alexander

   Alice Faye.....................................Stella Kirby

   Don Ameche..................................Charlie Dwyer

   Ethel Merman................................Jerry Allen

   Jack Haley.....................................Davey Lane

   Jean Hersholt.................................Professor Heinrich

   Helen Westley................................Aunt Sophie

   John Carradine...............................Taxi Driver

And that's all for Alexander's Ragtime Band.  Irving Berlin was so impressed by Ethel Merman that he told her he would like to work with her again.  He kept his word by writing two Broadway shows just for her.  The song "We're Having A Heat Wave" was subjected to studio censorship.  One of the original lines of the song says "She started a heat wave by letting her seat wave."  Studio objections to the line forced it to be changed to "She started a heat wave by letting her feet wave."

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