We’re time-traveling to 1938 with a lost-little-gem moment: Ethel Merman in an outtake tied to the film Alexander’s Ragtime Band. Even when she’s on the cutting-room floor, Ethel still sounds like she’s headlining the building.
Hollywood was louder in 1938 — and Ethel could still shake the walls from the sidelines.
Alexander’s Ragtime Band synopsis
The film follows the rise and falls of a group of musicians as they popularize ragtime and early jazz in America, centered on bandleader Roger Grant and his complicated relationships with singer Stella Kirby and socialite Charlie Dwyer. The film tracks love, ambition, rivalry, and the evolution of American popular music from the late 1910s through the 1930s.
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The outtake moment
If you only know Ethel as the ultimate belter (because… obviously), this is the kind of clip that reminds you why: she doesn’t “sing” so much as arrive in a song, plant her flag, and dare the room to keep up.
And yes — the cast also includes classy hunk Tyrone Power, serving pure golden-era leading-man magic in the film right alongside all that musical sparkle.
A fan said it best
One YouTube viewer summed up exactly why this outtake still matters, and honestly… we couldn’t have said it better:
“I think the reason they cut it is because we’d just seen two production numbers built around Merman and this was just too much. However, in story terms, this number brilliantly brings what had been a period movie into the present day of its production. It’s used importantly throughout as underscoring, so when it’s finally sung it feels welcome. Someone really should make a full-scale restoration of this important musical film, directed by the great Henry King and arguably the best of the ’30s, and put this song back where it belongs.” — Stephen Temperley, YouTube commenter
Why we love digging these up
Archive pieces like this aren’t just nostalgia — they’re culture receipts. A reminder that long before streaming, viral clips, and “main character energy,” performers like Ethel Merman were already doing the most… and doing it flawlessly.
Old Hollywood didn’t need algorithms — it had voices, faces, and real star power.
INYIM Did You Know?
- The film runs 106 minutes.
- It was directed by Henry King.
- It was nominated for six Academy Awards and won Best Music, Scoring.
- It was also nominated for Best Picture at the 11th Academy Awards.
- Classy hunk alert: The film stars Tyrone Power
Dig it below!
For more on the film, visit: https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/66978/Alexander-s-Ragtime-Band/.
Old Hollywood outtakes are basically time capsules with glitter on them. Comment below.
