Tears Streamed Down His Cheeks: ‘Ragtime’, the Final Film from a Legendary Director After 20 Years!

Based on the best-selling novel by E.L. Doctorow, “Ragtime” is a powerfully directed work by the late great filmmaker Milos Forman. It offers a sharp and sometimes harsh perspective on his newly adopted country, the United States.

The film has the grandeur of an epic, reminiscent of “Once Upon a Time in America,” which it precedes by two years. Elizabeth McGovern, who appears in both films, adds to the connection.

“Ragtime” tells the story of an African-American pianist, Coalhouse Walker Jr., a respectable young man who faces injustice from white men who resent him driving his new car. Despite advice to avoid worsening the situation, he cannot stand to see his rights violated and seeks justice for his suffering. Following his fiancée’s death, a dreadful sequence of events unfolds…

Although some critics have labeled Forman’s film as too impersonal, “Ragtime” remains one of the most remarkable films depicting American society at the turn of the 20th century, especially in its sharp commentary on racial and class segregation.

The film also subtly references the emergence of “Ragtime,” a musical genre that originated in the USA between 1890 and 1895 and became a major influence on Jazz.

With its emotionally powerful content, thanks to a moving performance by Howard E. Rollins Jr in the lead role (who passed away in 1996 at age 46), “Ragtime” also features the ultimate cinematic contribution of the legendary actor James Cagney as Commissioner Rhinelander Wald.

In a deeply moving 2007 interview, Milos Forman recounted how he persuaded Cagney to come out of retirement, which was no small feat. At that time, not only had the actor not performed for two decades, but he also turned down all offers indiscriminately.

“If You Don’t Get Off Your Chair, You’re Going to Die!”

“Dino de Laurentiis [the film’s producer] told me we needed at least one star to pre-sell the film in Europe! And I already had my cast set. So, I asked Jack Nicholson if he wanted to play a small role, a cameo. But soon after, I received a message from him saying he couldn’t do it.”

“At that time, I met James Cagney at a dinner in New York, close to where he lived. He hadn’t worked for 20 years. Two weeks later, he invited me to his home, having already forgotten who I was. He asked what I did, and I told him I was a director, of a film he might have seen, Hair.”

“He looked at me – and I must emphasize that there was no memorabilia from his career in his house, not even his Oscar, or a photo, nothing at all – and went into a closet, pulled something out and handed it to me saying:

‘I have never seen this. I have no desire to see it. I don’t know who gave this to me. I don’t know why I kept it at home. But I give it to you.’ That was in 1979. It was the very first poster of the off-Broadway play of Hair, which I had seen in 1967!”

Marge Zimmerman, his assistant, then said, ‘James, you have to do Milos’ film, because the doctors say if you don’t get off your chair, you’re going to die!’ James replied, ‘Ah? Okay, I’ll do it then, but only if I don’t have to sign a contract and I can change my mind up until three days before shooting.’

So I went back to Dino and told him we had our star, James Cagney, but he wouldn’t sign any contract. I dared not tell him that I had promised James he could change his mind three days before filming. […] We couldn’t put James on a plane to London; he never flew. So, we had to bring him by boat, aboard the Queen Elizabeth II, with his wife and family. I started to get nervous, thinking, ‘What if he changes his mind?'”

“Tears Began to Flow Down His Cheeks”

Forman continues, “James was also getting more nervous; he was 81 years old, very ill, had sciatica, was hard of hearing, and had difficulty walking. I told him to come to the set, just to watch.

The day he arrived, there were about a hundred British extras and actors. When he walked through the doors, everyone started applauding for 5, 10 minutes.

Tears began to flow down his cheeks. He then turned to me and said, ‘Yes, I’ll do the film!’ I’m convinced that if that emotional moment hadn’t happened, he would have panicked and told me he couldn’t do the film. He realized how much he and his work were appreciated in Europe.”

A profoundly touching anecdote about a great actor who left an indelible mark on the history of cinema. There can be no finer cinematic tribute.