In case you've seen Yankee Doodle Dandy and couldn't figure out why James Cagney won his Oscar for it, when he lost the gold in Angels with Dirty Faces and Love Me or Leave Me, you need to remind yourself when it was made. In 1942, there was no greater movie for the American Academy to reward than a biopic of George M. Cohan, chalk-full of rah-rah America songs. In addition to being basically a two-hour salute to our boys fighting overseas, it shocked audiences to see James Cagney singing and tap dancing, when he was normally known for playing a bad boy or a gangster. I guess no one remembered that that's exactly how he got his start in show business, so in the grand tradition of Oscar against-type awards, Jimmy took home a statuette.
Now, I love James Cagney. He's a total doll, and there are some scenes in this film where he does a good job. He's mostly remembered for his tap dancing, though, and when you watch those scenes, it doesn't seem like a very deserving award. Walter Huston costars as Jimmy's dad, the larger-than-life yet sympathetic head of the family. He was also nominated for his role, probably because it was fun to see him sing and dance, and he's in the big tearjerker scene of the film.
If you're a sucker for patriotic songs and want to see big production numbers of "Over There," "Give My Regards to Broadway," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and of course, the title song, you're going to want to rent a copy of this famous forties flick. There are some cute parts, some sad parts, and most of all, lots of patriotic parts.
Now, I love James Cagney. He's a total doll, and there are some scenes in this film where he does a good job. He's mostly remembered for his tap dancing, though, and when you watch those scenes, it doesn't seem like a very deserving award. Walter Huston costars as Jimmy's dad, the larger-than-life yet sympathetic head of the family. He was also nominated for his role, probably because it was fun to see him sing and dance, and he's in the big tearjerker scene of the film.
If you're a sucker for patriotic songs and want to see big production numbers of "Over There," "Give My Regards to Broadway," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and of course, the title song, you're going to want to rent a copy of this famous forties flick. There are some cute parts, some sad parts, and most of all, lots of patriotic parts.