GREAT FILM! And making it to the top 100 (for the 100 best movies ever made), this musical starring James Cagney as George M. Cohan is about the life of Cohan and the 4 Cohan's. George Cohan, wrote songs such as "The Yankee Doodle Boy", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Overthere", "You're a Grand Old Flag", "Mary", "Off The Record", "H.A.R.R.I.G.A.N." etc....

In this movie playing his sister (Josie Cohan), is really his real sister (Jeanne Cagney). And on the set, Eddie Foy was played by a son of his (Eddie Foy Jr.). At the ending when James Cagney is walking down the stairs, then is tap dancing was not in the script. Originally Cagney was to just walk down, the rest he improvised.

If you're interested in musicals with good stories to tell and song & dances numbers (that were first done by Cohan when the plays first came out and were a big hit.), this would be a good movie to get for your classic musical collection.

YANKEE DOODLE DANDY was released just before the legendary George M. Cohan died from cancer. It was a patriotic movie made during the first year after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II. The movie was also a musical with lots of singing and dancing - especially by James Cagney. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY should be respected mostly for its music and dancing and not for its story which was about the life of Cohan. Nobody ever credited the film with much accuracy - including Cohan himself.

Cagney considered his role as Cohan to be one of his favorites. It should have been since Cagney began his own show business career as a young hoofer in New York City.

The supporting cast of Walter Huston, Joan Leslie, Irene Manning and Rosemary DeCamp was very strong. Cagney's sister Jeanne played the part of Josie Cohan and Frances Langford appeared as a singer. Eddie Foy Jr. made a brief showing as his own real life father, Eddie Foy.

YANKEE DOODLE DANDY won Academy Awards for Best Actor (James Cagney), Scoring of a Musical Picture and Sound Recording. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Director (Michael Curtiz), Supporting Actor (Walter Huston), Original Story and Editing. The main competition for Oscars in 1942 came from MRS. MINIVER. Director Michael Curtiz won an Academy Award for CASABLANCA in 1943.

Although he will always be well known for his gangster roles, James Cagney's only Academy Award for Best Actor came for his role as George M. Cohan, the hoofer, singer, dancer, actor and playwright portrayed in "Yankee Doodle Dandy". One might suspect that Cagney only won the Oscar because the Academy would never have given it to one of his gangster roles. Or maybe, it was because this film was just what the country needed in the early days of World War II. Or maybe, the academy actually was recognizing Cagney's abilities as an actor. Whatever the reason, Jimmy deserved the award. Who ever knew he could do that kind of footwork and even sing!

Now, let's get to George Cohan, who's "A good friend of my Uncle Sam" and was "Born on the Fourth of July". Because of this, Cohan was immensely patriotic and wrote many flag waving tunes. Many of you are still stumped about his name, but you would probably know his songs if you heard them: "Mary", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Harrigan", "45 Minutes from Broadway", "Over There" and, of course, "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

The music numbers, since they are stage productions, lack the Hollywoodized touch that's in "Singin' in the Rain". Nevertheless, they are still exciting enough. A great supporting cast assists Cagney, including Walter Huston, Joan Leslie, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary De Camp, Eddie Foy Jr. and Jeanne Cagney (His own sister!). The film's direction was helmed by Michael Curtiz, responsible for such classics as "Casablanca", "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and Cagney in "Angels With Dirty Faces". Curtiz puts into the movie his traditional blend of thrills and fast pace. The screenplay is full of memorable scenes and dialogue, particularly "My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you and I thank you". About the only problems with it are moments of melodrama and how it might trivialize some of the events in Cohan's life. I also did not like how the script skips in telling us how Cohan's mother and sister died. But, with all the virtues of the movie, these problems are minor. It also shows to never learn your history from movies.

The version I watched "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on was the controversial colorized edition created in the late 1980's, one of several movies that received such treatment. The movie doesn't look too bad in color. It's one of a very few movies that can be switched between either version. Nevertheless, if Ted Turner really wanted to see a black and white movie in color, he should have made a remake. Either that or he should have had the cooperation of someone who was involved in the making of the movie. Don't tamper with someone else's work unless you have their discrete!

So, if you happen to see this available for rent or sale at your local video store, don't hesitate (Unless it's in color, that is). Unlike many movies today, this is one you can watch problem free with the whole family.

On a sadder note, Cagney passed away on this day in 1986. Although there have probably been many tributes in the years since, watching "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and his other films is the only real way to honor him.

The subject matter himself is not a worthy topic. While passably well written, the work does not seem to be one which should have been made. It seems that it was written by an academic to fulfill a writing requirement to earn tenure.