Produced in 1942, this extravagant, musical production turned James Cagney’s career completely around. Based on the life of colorful showman composer, playwright and actor, George M. Cohan, the man himself selected Cagney to portray him. For James Cagney, the film marked a welcome escape from the thugs he was sick of playing and the women he didn’t want to beat up any longer. A wonderful and versatile actor, Cagney had heretofore found himself typecast as the mean and sullen gangster type, which he did so well that Warner Brothers didn’t want to change his money-making image. Cagney was, however, equally at home in whatever he touched, be it musical, drama or comedy.
His dancing and singing are memorable, especially the scene at the end of the movie where he dances down the banister at the White House after a chat with President Roosevelt. The melodies, such as “You’re A Grand Old Flag” and “Over There,” cannot help but arouse the patriotism so deeply embedded in the hearts of all proud Americans. Co-star, Frances Langford, actually sang “Over There” to American troops during war time! Even though this film is usually telecast on the Fourth of July, it is a treat to view at any season and in any clime.
The film co-starred Joan Leslie, Frances Langford, Walter Huston and Rosemary De Camp, who played his mother despite the fact that she was more than ten years his junior. Cagney’s own family members were in the film. His kid sister, Jeanne, played Cohan’s younger sister, Josie.
Yankee Doodle Dandy was the very first black and white film to be colorized via a computer-applied process. Many facts about the showman’s life were either embellished or changed completely, so much so that following the movie’s premiere, Cohan himself commented, “It was a good movie. Who was it about?”
What are some of YOUR favorite moments from this wonderful musical?