Alexander's Ragtime Band - 1938

Grady Sutton (Babe), James Gordon (Equity President) and Joan Castle (Equity Secretary) were in studio records/casting call lists for those roles, but they did not appear in the film.

In her autobiography, Ethel Merman said that the original lyrics to "Heat Wave": "She started a heat wave by letting her seat wave" was changed for the movie to "She started a heat wave by letting her feet wave"

After the preview in Los Angeles on 24 May 1938, there were sporadic openings across the United States before the national release on 16 August 1938. Some of these were 5 August in New York City, New York; 11 August in Boston, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and San Francisco, California; 12 August in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois and Dallas, Texas; and 13 August in Cleveland, Ohio.

This was the first time that composer Irving Berlin had worked with Ethel Merman. He told her that he was so impressed with her talent that he would work with her again. He kept that promise and wrote two Broadway shows especially for her: "Annie Get Your Gun" in 1946 and "Call Me Madam" in 1950, the latter of which also starred Merman in the film adaptation: Call Me Madam (1953). Merman also later starred in a film that, like this one, was a cavalcade of Irving Berlin songs, There's No Business Like Show Business (1954).

A British Movietone Newsreel survives of the London premiere at the Regal Cinema, believed to be some time in Fall 1938. Leslie Mitchell describes the events, and Irving Berlin is present. Mitchell asks Berlin what is his favorite song that he wrote, and Berlin responds: "Well, what do you think!" indicating the title of this film. Also present is George Sanders, Clive Brook, Bobby Howes, Mary Maguire, Margaret Lockwood and Flora Robson.

Three deleted musical numbers survive in pristine condition: "Some Sunny Day" sung by Don Ameche, "In My Harem" sung by Jack Haley, with Wally Vernon and Chick Chandler and "Marching Along With Time" sung by Ethel Merman; all three numbers are included as special features in the DVD release.

Cast of Alexander's Ragtime Band

Tyrone Power — Alexander
Alice Faye — Stella Kirby
Don Ameche — Charlie Dwyer
Ethel Merman — Jerry Allen
Jack Haley — Davey Lane
Jean Hersholt — Professor Heinrich
Helen Westley — Aunt Sophie
John Carradine — Taxi Driver
Paul Hurst — Bill
Wally Vernon — Himself
Ruth Terry — Ruby
Douglas Fowley — Snapper