Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Sadly Over-hyped

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Watch the very limited episodes of George M. Cohan dancing and you will see that Cagney captures every spirit and every nuance of Cohan. It is a performance that links us to a genius, or one genius to another. This film is without any imperfection. Candid, touching, emotional, enjoyable, and inspiring. But, don't forget Curtiz directing. It is revolutionizing for its day. The focus of the stage performances, ever shifting, but always keeping its eye where it should be. The complete picture is perfect. Never another film quite so well, in addition to its contribution to American History.The total eclipse of Cohan's life, the greatest composer in American history, but more importantly, the most important entrepreneur of Broadway, which is developed in the film. Cogney is non pareil, and all supporting cast as well. Perfectly cast, directed, and performed.

James Cagney. What can I say? I've seen several of his gangster films and he has such an intensity and presence. He makes other actors look tired and boring by comparison. He means every line he says, he looks other people right in the eye. There's no compromise with him. He doesn't act, he just expresses. I had no idea until much later that he also sang and danced. The dancing in this movie is incredible. He makes it look so effortless. It's so smooth and timed so perfectly and yet I'm sure a lot of it is very difficult. And his harmonies sound very nice as well.The story is pretty heart-warming. The characters seem to keep out doing each-other in kindness and understanding. Normally, you expect lies and secrets, arguments that eventually get resolved, romances that hang by a thread. Maybe they sugar-coated reality but it's nice to see such warm and caring characters in a movie. There is a lengthy partnership with no contract signed - they just trusted and respected each-other enough to not need one. Cagney gets flowers for his wife to soften the blow of her song being given to another lady to sing. He hesitantly admits it but she isn't surprised. She already knew when he brought her the flowers and she's happy for him.The movie builds slowly and is set-up in a logical order. George M. Cohan (Cagney) is asked to meet with the President but he doesn't know why. He recounts his life story to the President. We see how he was part of a show with his parents and sister (played by Cagney's actual sister). They were known as the 4 Cohans. George was maybe a bit arrogant when he was young. It's funny to see his parents talk more about smacking him than actually smack him. They know he needs discipline but are too nice to want to hurt him. We see him struggle later to find work and see the tricks he uses to get his foot in the door.A lot of the dialogue is snappy and entertaining. George always has something clever to say and he rarely misses a chance to trick people or make fun of them. At one point, he is dressed as an old man and a young woman thinks he is one. So he plays along before casually removing his beard and make-up as she screams in surprise. If people don't recognise him, he talks to them about himself in the 3rd person. He talks himself up but it's an act. He is confident but not arrogant.I tend to do a lot of the same things myself. As if I like to test people to see if they can see through my facade. To see if they can detect the subtle jokes or jabs in what I say. If they can't, they probably won't interest me or understand me. And besides, it's boring to simply parrot the standard phrases of everyday conversation. Intelligence needs a place to play and language (including body language) has plenty of space within it for hide- and-seek.It's moving to see how George M. Cohan's tunes took on a life of their own and become patriotic classics. They are more famous than he is now. He is humbled by the honour. And he never forgets his family. The part where he does an impromptu tap dance as he descends some stairs takes cool to another level. Apparently Cagney improvised it. He also deliberately inhabited Cohan's more rigid style of movement which is not Cagney's usual style. At one point, Cohan tries to join the army but they insist he is more useful on the home front. He improvises a dance for them as they cheer. Their morales have been boosted, but he just enjoys dancing.It's funny because I'm not American but I swear this movie made me feel proud to be American. It has such a positive, uplifting sense of patriotism to it. It doesn't make war sound fun but it makes being a soldier for America sound brave and worthy of respect. It makes you feel hopeful that the good guys will win. This is obviously very appropriate for 1942 when America had recently joined the war. But it's not a propaganda movie, it's a timeless movie about a performer who unexpectedly left a mark on America.

While not a perfect movie (did you know there were towering mountains in Providence, Rhode Island?), this is a superb film that was (and still is) a triumph for James Cagney. A foreign friend of mine once watched an old Cagney gangster film with me and then asked, "Americans call that acting?" So then I showed him this film, and he changed his tune.And, make no mistake, this is a bravura Cagney performance, and in my view, his best film...by far.It is also the first film where I really noticed Walter Huston (as the father of George M. Cohan). His performance here is terrific (though I much prefer his starring role in "Dodsworth" (which I very well may not have watched or bought without seeing him in this performance). And, as a former vaudevillian in real life, he and the cast give a pretty good idea of what vaudeville really was like.The "Yankee Doodle" production number (with "Give My Regards To Broadway") is a masterpiece, superbly lighted and filmed. And Cagney is a joy to watch -- not the finest tap dancer, but unique enough to be truly entertaining. The "You're The Grand Old Flag" production number is a patriotic masterpiece. The other production numbers are fine, as well, and many of Cohan's most popular songs are included one way or another.A truly memorable scene (and I mean I did remember it for years after seeing this film on the late show on television decades ago) is the death scene of the father. It made me cry...and does every time I watch it.Along with the starring roles are a number of fine other performances. Joan Leslie (who is still alive as of this writing) is appealing as Mary Cohan. Richard Whorf is very capable as Sam Harris, Cohan's partner. Irene Manning is fine as Fay Templeton. George Tobias is entertaining as an entrepreneur. Rosemary DeCamp -- and underrated actress -- is fine as Cohan's mother. Jeanne Cagney is fine as Cohan's sister. Along for the ride are Eddie Foy, Jr., Frances Langford (as Nora Bayes), S. Z. Sakall, and Minor Watson.Sentimental? Yes. Patriotic? Yes. Some films are great musicals. Others are great biopics. This is a rare film that is both a superb biopic and a superb musical. A whopper of a film!

Michael Curtiz's Yankee Doodle Dandy is not only a great patriotic musical but is also is a musical about a patriotic singer's life named George M. Cohan (played by James Cagney) from his life beginnings to the present days of his life. The reason why Cagney got the brilliant part of a brilliant man is because he wanted to take a break from playing gangsters that he played in the 1930's. Director Michael Curtiz made a good movie out of this that is on a par with some of the best movies that he has directed. There was a lot of good supporting work from Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Irene Manning and many more. The movie also earned Cagney his first Oscar because he really proved that can play anything besides a gangster and as well as having the stamina to do those dance moves perfectly.