description Ragtime Overview
Ragtime is a 1981 drama film directed by Miloš Forman, adapted from E. L. Doctorow’s novel. The story unfolds in early 20th century New York City, featuring a cast including James Cagney and Mary Steenburgen.
It incorporates fictionalized accounts of historical figures and events within the period setting.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
info Ragtime Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1981 |
help Ragtime FAQ
Whose story is at the center of Ragtime?
The film's central conflict follows Black pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr., played by Howard E. Rollins Jr., after racists vandalize his Model T. His attempts to obtain justice escalate into an armed standoff.
Which real historical figures appear in Ragtime?
The story mixes fictional families with figures such as Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, and Harry Kendall Thaw. Norman Mailer appears as architect Stanford White.
Why was Ragtime important for James Cagney?
James Cagney played New York police commissioner Rhinelander Waldo after roughly two decades away from feature films. The 1981 production also reunited him with Pat O'Brien.
How closely does the Ragtime film follow E. L. Doctorow's novel?
Miloš Forman's adaptation retains Coalhouse Walker's story and several historical characters but compresses the novel's many intersecting threads. Readers should expect a more concentrated narrative than Doctorow's broad portrait of early-20th-century America.
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