In 1981 when director Milos Forman took up the challenge of making the 1975 novel Ragtime written by E.L. Doctorow a movie, he had to make many changes. Some of these included rewriting whole characters so they were able to fit into the genre of a movie. Some of these include how Tateh in the movie is never a socialist, or how Harry Houdini is only shown once in brief. These absences and changes affect the over all feel and direction of the story told in both the movie and the novel. One instance that has minuit differences but changes the over all feel and direction of the novel compared to the movie is the way in which Coalhouse Walker dies.
             In the movie after negotiating with Whitman the District Attorney, he gets his car back and his gang escapes back to their hide out. Coalhouse comes out of the Morgan library with his arms raised. As he comes to the foot of the steps Whitman orders one of his men that is with him on the second story of the house across the street to fire upon Coalhouse. The man carries out the order and fires apron Coalhouse as he approaches the gate in front of the library. The shot misses and lands at his feet, Coalhouse continues onward toward the other side of the street the man is ordered to shoot again and does so killing Coalhouse.
             Whitman orders Coalhouse shot because of a combination of two reasons. One the telegraph he received from J.P. Morgan telling him to give Coalhouse the car and then hang him. Two, he is a District Attorney that is known for being tough on crime and it is an election year, he is afraid to loose his reputation and place of favor with the voters.
             In the novel much the same events took place with different details that gave his death more a mystery. In the novel Coalhouse after negotiating with police watched his model T being rebuilt by the Fire Chief and a team of mechanics then let his gang escape with Brother as a make believe hostage in place of father. Two hours later...