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billyweeds

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:09 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

bartist wrote:

Yea! I was trying to think where else I'd seen Theron (no, I'm not obsessed with her or thinking that every twitch of her lovely eyebrow is pure genius...) with a husband-gone-bad and....oh, yeah, The Devil's Advocate. Another film from the late 90s, with B movie elements, but also some compelling performances. Have to run that one again, too.

Theron won the Oscar (deservedly) for Monster, for which she gained weight and uglied up.

Syd

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:56 pm

Site Admin Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 12890 Location: Norman, Oklahoma

Came on and heard, came on and heard, Irving Berlin's Alexander's Ragtime Band which was allegedly the best band in the land. This is full of Irving Berlin songs, logically enough, including the title tune and "International Rag" sung by Alice Faye "Blue Skies," "A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody," and "Heat Wave" by a rather young Ethel Merman, "Easter Parade"" by Don Ameche, and "How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" by Jack Haley. There are also a lot of lesser songs that tend to blend together.

Roger Grant (Tyrone Power, who doesn't sing, though he conducts and plays the violin) is a classical musician who decides he would rather play with a club band, the pianist of which is Charlie Dwyer (Don Ameche). When Ameche forgets their music, the bartender gives them some sheet music on the counter, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" which happens to belong to brassy Stella Kirby (Alice Faye), who is quite offended to hear her music hijacked. However, she joins in on the song, and the band and she are a hit and hired despite apparently knowing only one song, and she and Grant hating each other (which of course means they'll fall in love shortly). In addition, the bar owner insists that Grant call himself Alexander.

However, love doesn't run smooth and faces obstacles such as Charlie's love for Stella, thwarted and achieved ambition, Roger's pig-headedness, World War I, musical numbers at the expense of plot, and Ethel Merman. Don Ameche's Charlie is entirely too nice and understanding to be part of a romantic triangle (although a similarly nice Ameche character worked great in the non-triangular "Heaven Can Wait"). Merman doesn't show up until halfway through, and is also nice (but not too nice) and a bit brassy herself. To my surprise, Merman acquits herself well on several ballads; I usually think of her as a belter.

The movie hasn't dated that well, is often cliched, but has interesting plot trajectories to move it along. The story line spans something like fifteen years, and Alexander's band gradually grows from a chamber-type group to an orchestra, with the music evolving from Tin Pan Alley and ragtime to more of a big band sound. The personalities of Stella and Roger evolve as well, so by the end of the movie the formerly brassy, loud blonde is now sleek and elegant and the wealthy, stiff, rather arrogant Roger, is now looser, much less obnoxious; Roger and Stella are now a good match.

Tyrone Power and Alice Faye handle the transitions well. Ameche's Charlie needs a kick in the pants; perhaps Merman could provide it. In support are Jack Haley, Jean Hersholt, Paul Hurst and John Carradine, who gives Faye a very interesting cab ride.

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I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament

jeremy

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:39 pm

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 6794 Location: Derby, England and Hamilton, New Zealand (yes they are about 12,000 miles apart)

The way Ebert has dealt with his the effects of his cancer is wholly admirable. Even though he was very, very ill, he neither hid nor dramatised his plight. He has been stoic and pragmatic, but not self-pitying. He remains highly active and seems to have made what must have been a very difficult decision to be open about his disfigurement – this is how I look, take it or leave it.

_________________
I am angry, I am ill, and I'm as ugly as sin.
My irritability keeps me alive and kicking.
I know the meaning of life, it doesn't help me a bit.
I know beauty and I know a good thing when I see it.

Befade

Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:40 pm

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 3784 Location: AZ

He and his wife were featured on CBS Sunday Morning. He's going to start reviewing movies on tv again.......pbs.....starting Jan. 22 I think. What an inspiration!

_________________
Lost in my own private I dunno.

Joe Vitus

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:04 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 14498 Location: Houston

Alexander's Ragtime Band is the weirdest film because it seems to take place in a twilight, non-era specific world. The songs and Faye's feather boas would suggest the ragtime era, and when war comes along, they make very sure not to make it specifically any war. Power looks like a doughboy. Yet when they play a club, a long shot shows neon lights and a contemporary (for the forties) car drives by. And the close are basically forties era with a few antique touches. Very strange movie in terms of that.

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You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.

-Topher

billyweeds

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:55 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

I have been lucky enough to get to know Roger Ebert, and he is in every way a remarkable human being. Brilliant way beyond anything you've seen on television, charismatic in the extreme, fascinating, knowledgeable, hilarious, dry, acerbic, extremely likable, cutting when necessary. Plus, as narcissistic as can be, which has served him well in the current and ongoing crisis of his life.

I haven't seen Roger for many years now, but he has been a guest in my home, a host at dinner in restaurants, a co-panel member, and a supportive force. (He's also quoted my writing in one of his reviews, which is pretty awesome.) I am inspired by his dignity and courage and humor and hope to continue to be alternately in agreement with and annoyed by his reviews for many years to come.

Joe Vitus

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 6:02 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 14498 Location: Houston

I never met met, and he's never quoted me, but I agree with everything you say.

_________________
You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.

-Topher

whiskeypriest

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 9:28 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 6916 Location: "It's a Dry Heat."

billyweeds wrote:

Top that, gary!

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I ask you, Velvel, as a rational man, which of us is possessed?

marantzo

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:18 am

Guest

Paul Krassner what at our house warming party in 1965. Laughing

Syd

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:28 am

Site Admin Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 12890 Location: Norman, Oklahoma

billyweeds wrote:

bartist wrote:

Theron won the Oscar (deservedly) for Monster, for which she gained weight and uglied up.

I've seen quite a few films with Theron in them. Including Aeon Flux, which most people avoided. (I don't recommend it, but I enjoyed watching Theron in an action film.)

_________________
I had a love and my love was true but I lost my love to the yabba dabba doo, --The Flintstone Lament

marantzo

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:03 am

Guest

Syd wrote:

billyweeds wrote:

bartist wrote:

Theron won the Oscar (deservedly) for Monster, for which she gained weight and uglied up.

I've seen quite a few films with Theron in them. Including Aeon Flux, which most people avoided. (I don't recommend it, but I enjoyed watching Theron in an action film.)

I saw Aeon Flux and it was good. Thanks for reminding me of the movie's name.

billyweeds

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:14 am

Joined: 20 May 2004 Posts: 20618 Location: New York City

marantzo wrote:

Paul Krassner what at our house warming party in 1965. Laughing

I was at a New Year's Day party with John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful this week. Nyahhh!!!

bartist

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:26 am

Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6944 Location: Black Hills

Syd wrote:

billyweeds wrote:

bartist wrote:

Theron won the Oscar (deservedly) for Monster, for which she gained weight and uglied up.

I've seen quite a few films with Theron in them. Including Aeon Flux, which most people avoided. (I don't recommend it, but I enjoyed watching Theron in an action film.)

The rest of that sentence was "with a husband-gone-bad..." I wasn't struggling to remember other films with Theron. If you skim, you miss things.

I'm not being cranky, but first Betsy posts that Ebert was on CBS Sunday AM, which I had just posted a day earlier and with comments that started the chat going. I'm just sayin'....

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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days.

gromit

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:46 am

Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 9008 Location: Shanghai

I'm a John Sebastian fan. He wrote the great Summer in the City and Darlin' Be Home Soon. I wouldn't recognize him today unless he still had the same old huge sideburns form 40 years back.

Trivia: What Sebastian composition was used as a Tv theme song? and which was featured in a movie?
Hint: lots of NYC connections.

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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number.

bartist

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:52 am

Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 6944 Location: Black Hills

I think the tv theme was Welcome Back, Kotter. It's funny, I vaguely remember the show, seeing a few episodes as a teenager and kids imitating the Travolta character, but I remember every word of the song.

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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days.

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