Cosy Theatre, Woodville

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 171, 22 July 1939, Page 8

Cosy Theatre, Woodville

“ALEXANDER’S RAGTIME BAND" TO-DAY AND TO-NIGHT Acclaimed iu the United States as the best musical film made in Hollywood this year, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band," a 20th Century-Fox production is now showing. The picture is an all-round triumph for the producer, Darryl Zanuck, the director, Henry King, aud a splendid cast headed by Alice Faye, Tyrone Power and Don Ameclie. The hearty vigour of, earlier musical films made by Zanuck has been skilfully blended with a taste and sublety of production smoothly, almost effortlessly, attained and rarely so conspicuous iii a film of this type. Directing his first all-musical film, Henry King has developed his subject with a skill and a disregard for conventional cliches that account for much of the film's fine quality. So inspired is his handling of his material that it is no exaggeration to say a number of the scenes are as movingly realistic as any in his liiglily-suceessful rural drama, estate Fair.'' The three leading players play their parts with impeccable sincerity and Alice Faye, in particular, rises superbly to the greater opportunities she is given. It is the music of Irvin Berlin, one of the most competent of living ballad-makers, that provides tho film with most of its material. Taking its title from Berlin's song of the same name, a piece composed in 1911, the film presents renderings of 25 other popular songs written by Berlin in the past 25 years. Among them are

“A Pretty Girl is Like a Alelody,*’ 1 ‘Remember," “Say It With Alusic" and “Cheek to Cheek." Alany of tho songs have been skilfully treated either to contribute fo the narrative of the picture or to provide a note of diverting comedy.