Movies - Alexander's Ragtime Band

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	Movies - Alexander's Ragtime Band

"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is the name of a song by Irving Berlin. It was his first major hit, in 1911.

Alexander's Ragtime Band is not itself an example of the ragtime musical idiom; apart from some mild syncopation, it has almost none of ragtime's characteristic features.

Alexander's Ragtime Band is also the name of a 1938 film that takes off from the Berlin song to tell a story of a society boy who scandalizes his family by pursuing a career in ragtime instead of in "serious" music. It stars Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Ethel Merman, Jack Haley and Jean Hersholt.

The story was written by Irving Berlin himself, with Kathryn Scola, Richard Sherman and Lamar Trotti. It was directed by Henry King.

The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The story, nominated for an Academy Award, strings together about 30 Irving Berlin songs. It was written in 1938, but related to World War I (1914-1918). As a result, there were some anomalies; for example the song, "Heat Wave" sung by Ethel Merman in the movie, was not written until 1933, as was "Easter Parade."

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