fine classic movie musical bursting with song and dance !!!
Alexander's Ragtime Band is one of the very best musicals ever produced by Fox Studios. Of course, the numerous song and dance numbers are beautifully staged; and the songs by Irving Berlin are performed flawlessly by greats Alice Faye, Don Ameche, and a young Ethel Merman. The action moves along at a good pace and the acting was extremely convincing.

The action begins in the early 1900s in San Francisco. A young man from a wealthy society family named Roger Grant (Tyrone Power) just can't stand playing classical music even though he's very good at it. Instead, to the dismay of his family, he forms a ragtime early swing era band and calls it Alexander's Ragtime Band. He even changes his name to Alexander! That's when Alexander and his buddies Charlie Dwyer (Don Ameche) and drummer Davey Lane (Jack Haley) meet up with tough talking Stella Kirby (Alice Faye); but soon Stella is singing with the band.

Romance inevitably blossoms. Eventually, after a few misunderstandings, Stella and Alexander are in love. However, when Stella gets her big break to leave the band and go to New York to star in big Broadway shows, Alexander is furious that she would leave the band behind. Only Charlie sticks up for Stella; and in a fit of rage Alexander tells Charlie that he should also go to New York with Stella.

World War One sets in and Alexander tries to forget about Stella. After the war Alexander returns--only to find that Stella, who he still loves, married Charlie back home during the war. Alexander is depressed but Davey introduces him to Jerry Allen (Ethel Merman). Jerry replaces Stella in their band act and Alexander tries to see if he can find romance with Jerry instead of Stella.

The plot can go in many different directions from here. What happens to Stella after she becomes a huge star and marries Charlie? Is she happy with that life or does she want something else? Will Jerry Allen take Alexander's mind off Stella--at one point Alexander actually asks Jerry to marry him--how will that turn out? No plot spoilers here, folks--you'll just have to watch the movie to find out!

The DVD has some rather good extras. There is the "biography channel" episode of the life and career of Alice Faye; this is very well done. We also get deleted scenes and footage of the movie's premiere in London, England. There's even an audio commentary--terrific!

My only complaint--and it's somewhat minor--is that there IS a vertical, white line "scratch" on the screen starting about 35 minutes into the picture and it never really goes away although it is less noticeable in many subsequent scenes. I will take off one star for this flaw; this will be a four star review.

Alexander's Ragtime Band is an excellent motion picture musical from the golden age of Hollywood. I highly recommend this for fans of classic musicals.

A Tribute to America's #1 Songwriter or Reflection of Indifference?
As other reviewers have pointed out, this movie is a gem--an unlikely, busily bizarre plot and curious collection of actors fueled by the songs of America's arguably best and inarguably most indispensable composer. A highlight is "Blue Skies," on which one of the women competing for the affections of Tyrone Power sings the part that's in a minor key and the other (at that moment with the best angle on a piece of Power) the part in a major key. Perhaps the best Berlin musical on film, more intricately plotted than "Annie Get Your Gun" and not the lumbering behemoth production that was its 1950s descendent, "There's No Business Like Show Business" (though the latter's "Alexander's Ragtime Band" number is admittedly Hollywood excess at its most excessive, worth having as a complement to the version on this earlier B&W version).

The slipshod transfer of these early Fox Classics to DVD, some markedly inferior to the previous VHS editions, is I'm afraid another symptom of cultural amnesia and growing indifference to a golden albeit non-digital age.

Alexander's - still a great musical entertainment 69 years on
Alexander's Ragtime Band was a huge production for 20th Century Fox in 1938 and it still looks it all these years later. It it incredibly musical , packed full of songs and is extremely dramatic and touching - it is still highly entertaining and Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche & Ethel Merman do some of their very best screen work in this film.
It also boast an excellent supporting cast and Paul Hurst and David Carradine to name but two are great. This film has been giving me a lump in my throat since I first saw it on BBC Two in the late 1960 's ( it was the first Fox film shown on British television ) and the taxi cab scene towards the end still gets me. It is a wonderul example of "everything" coming together in a movie and delivering and although it is probably corny by today's standards I wish there were more movies like it.
This film knocks so many raved about musicals off the list - it is unpretentious , entertaining and incredibly touching.
Thank goodnes it finally made it to DVd - not the best transfer but the negative for ARB is worn as Fox forever used it to reprint from over 30 years. The extras are good - original trailer is great as is the newsreel of the London premiere with Gracie Fields .

Another Faye, Ameche, and Power classic
This trio teams up again, as In Old Chicago and Sally, Irene, and Mary, for a great old movie classic. Vaudville comedian Eddie Collins appears in all three. In this film, he plays Corporal Collins in the army barracks scene, wrestling with his t-shirt.

Alexander's Ragtime Band...or is it Alec's? No, Alex's...wait, it's Roger's...right???
I love this movie. I have never thought that Fox musicals were all that great (you want GOOD musicals, you go to MGM) but I love them because they usually have very enjoyable stories and acting. ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND is no exception. The actors are great, the story is great, the sets are beautiful, and you just CAN'T beat that Irving Berlin music score. Tyrone Power is this guy who is starting a band, and he encounters Alice Faye in a bar by accident, because he stole her sheet music. And then she joins his band as a singer, and they eventually fall in love, despite their early arguments. Only the piano player of the band (Don Ameche) is already in love with her. Just read the summary on the back of the DVD. The extras on this DVD are great. There are deleted scenes, an A&E documentary of Alice Faye's life, the original theatrical trailer, and much, much more. I thought the picture quality was great! I didn't notice any scratches on the print, or white blobby faces or static or anything. I have yet to see a classic Fox movie with perfect picture quality, anyways. This is a really great DVD. I reccomend buying it and the movie is superb. However, if you can't stand Ethel Merman, just skip over her musical numbers, and you really won't miss much of the story. They're nice numbers, though. I think Ethel Merman's great!

And here are some other great musicals of the Golden Age that I HIGHLY reccomend!!

1.Hello Frisco Hello

2.Born to Dance

3.Kid Millions

4.My Lucky Star

5.Broadway Melody of 1936 - My very favorite movie and a musical you're sure to love!