Watch Alexander's Ragtime Band For Free

Wow! Such a good movie.

A Masterpiece!

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Blistering performances.

The involvement of a talented cast (Tyrone Power, Don Ameche, Alice Faye, Ethel Merman, Jack Haley) and director (the undervalued Henry King) and with songs penned by one of the greatest song-writers of all time Irving Berlin were reasons enough to see 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' in the first place.And on the most part it did not disappoint. Its only primary fault really is the thin-on-the-ground (merely an excuse to string along songs together) and old-hat (with a concept that has been done to death and much better) story, that is even further advantaged by that it's pure sappy hokum, that it's rather perfunctorily paced at the beginning and that the First World War stuff is dispatched rather too quickly, almost like a throwaway.It is constantly mentioned that one shouldn't see musicals for their stories, but it always depends on how well done everything else is, if other elements are not very well executed or if the story is the only element not so well executed that it sticks out like a sore thumb it is more noticeable and does sort of matter. The latter is the case here.However, the main reason to see 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' is the music. It is literally an Irving Berlin song-fest and what a glorious one it is too, not hard at all to see why the musical is considered his first big popular hit. Some of the songs are among his most well-known and best, especially "Blue Skies", "Easter Parade" and "Heat Wave".The title song, "This is the Life", "My Walking Stick" and "All Alone" are similarly wonderful, but really there isn't a bad song in the bunch. They are very nicely staged too, with the most note-worthy being "My Walking Stick", a lot of fun, and the Faye and Merman rendition of "Blue Skies", which admittedly made me tear up.'Alexander's Ragtime Band' looks good too, being handsomely shot and with elegant costume design. The sets, while not lavish or expansive, are still very easy on the eye. The script crackles, amuses and affects, and despite the perfunctory beginning once the film picks up and it does so very quickly the energy is non-stop. King directs with panache and class.Power's gorgeously handsome looks, immense likability and magnetic charisma film are so winning here that I was willing to forgive his reasonably limited singing ability and lack of rhythm, things usually not really that forgivable personally when watching musicals. Faye sings beautifully, especially in "Remember" and "All Alone" that are also sung with heartfelt emotion, the camera clearly loves her and she is impossible to resist or dislike.Ameche completes the love triangle charmingly in the most effortless of ways, and is every bit as likable as Power. Merman steals scenes with her boundless energy and big brassy voice that soars in songs like "My Walking Stick", "Everybody Step" and particularly "Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil" while also softening in "Blue Skies" and "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody". Haley, in a pre-Tin Man role, dances with energetic athleticism and has a very appealing presence on film.In summary, with the sole exception of the story a winner all round, with the biggest joy being the songs. Essentially a must watch for Berlin fanatics, because they will be in heaven.Power, Ameche, Faye and King also worked together in 'In Old Chicago', and while it had a riveting final twenty minutes, with terrific visuals for back then and now, and the cast acquit themselves very well it is nowhere near as good a film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

as always Tyrone power is excellent in what he does and is quite believable in Alexander platinum hair...singers ragtime band. Alice Faye prettier when she drops the platinum hair...sings so beautifully and combines it with acting she makes very realistic. don ameche is a good egg a in this and plays the best friend rightfully. the but is ETHEL MERMAN.....cant stand her. she in my opinion ruined the flow of the film...there was too much of her and she was annoying. in 1938....i was thinking.....Dorothy L'Amour Carmen Miranda even Betty Hutton could have rendered the role more agreeable than Ethel merman. as for the songs not all good but loved ragtime band and blue skies. all and all a good film made in an era where everything seemed so carefree and fun.

This film starred the top talent at Twentieth-Century Fox. Tyrone Power (who could not sing or play music), Alice Faye and Don Ameche star in this film directed by Henry King and featuring the music of Irving Berlin. Clearly it was a prestige film for the studio--a large budget film with high expectations for success.The film begins with Power playing sophisticated music for a crowd of high-class folks. Only moments later, however, he's playing Ragtime music for a crowd in a bar--and it's obvious that he's torn between the world of society and popular music. Quite by Hollywood accident, the feisty Alice Faye is pulled into Power's band and the way she and Power meet and get along is very clichéd--you know, the misunderstanding that results in them becoming enemies and you KNOW they'll be in love sooner or later! She is a low-class dame and over time, Power is able to polish her image and make her a success--along with his band. On hand is another cliché--the nice-guy friend (Ameche) who loves the girl but demurs when his friend and the dame become a pair. You almost feel sorry for Ameche getting such a thankless role as the 'nice' friend...though I am sure his enormous checks from the studio more than made up for this! And then there's the final big cliché when Faye and Power break up--only, naturally, to be reunited by the film's conclusion. The only question is what, exactly, will happen in between--and there are certainly a lot of twists that occur in the interim in their parallel journeys. WWI, another woman (a younger and amazingly pretty Ethel Merman), marriage and bootlegging all are among the things the film explores during this portion. And if all this seems familiar, it is if you've seen many Fox musicals. This plot, with a few changes, was used in "King of Burlesque" and many other films with Alice Faye.As for the film overall, it's pretty much what you expect from the studio--a lot of music (way too much, actually), a lot of polish and the best sets money can buy (Twentieth-Century Fox and MGM were the kings of such lavish productions). But, beneath all the polish, it is all formula and clichés--the sort of film that is pleasant but certainly not a must-see. Plus, oddly, the music, for the most part, isn't exactly Ragtime--often it's more the typical sort of musical numbers you'd see in just about any Fox production of the day.By the way, in the WWI portion, I noticed that some of the soldiers were amazingly old and fat. Were we THAT desperate for men?! And get a load of those devil-girl dancers at about the 75 minute mark!

For viewers who like Irving Berlin music, this is a film to watch. His songs are really the main attraction. But the story, which encompasses a group of musicians and their career changes, has an interesting series of romantic plot twists that is intriguing.The main character is Roger (Tyrone Power), a man who starts his career in a highbrow musical setting, but changes to more popular ragtime. The story is fictional, but Roger's character arc is inspired by the life of Irving Berlin.A big-budget film that was in production for almost two years, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" received a huge promotional build-up in 1938. And it was well received by audiences. Sets are lavish. B&W cinematography is competent. Casting and acting are acceptable overall. However, Tyrone Power is the only major actor who lacks musical talent, and it shows. Both Don Ameche and Jack Haley add luster. Alice Faye is adequate.The film is less constricted by plot than other musicals. But there's still a lot of dialogue. And, except for the title song and a quick version of "Easter Parade", the music is somewhat bland and uninteresting. I would have preferred more evocative music. The film's tone ranges from semi-bawdy to mushy romanticism.This is a large-scale, Americana period piece film, with an accent on the music of Irving Berlin. It is old fashioned, both in plot and in style. It's technically well made. But to me it's too removed in time from current culture to be anything other than historically quaint.