Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

The life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Robert Buckner (screen play), Edmund Joseph (screen play)

Stars:

James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston

Won 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Cagney	...	George M. Cohan
Joan Leslie	...	Mary
Walter Huston	...	Jerry Cohan
Richard Whorf	...	Sam Harris
Irene Manning	...	Fay Templeton
George Tobias	...	Dietz
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Nellie Cohan
Jeanne Cagney	...	Josie Cohan
Frances Langford	...	Singer - Nora
George Barbier	...	Erlanger
S.Z. Sakall	...	Schwab
Walter Catlett	...	Theatre Manager
Douglas Croft	...	George M. Cohan - As a Boy of 13
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	Eddie Foy
Minor Watson	...	Albee

Storyline

A musical portrait of composer/singer/dancer George M. Cohan. From his early days as a child-star in his family's vaudeville show up to the time of his comeback at which he received a medal from the president for his special contributions to the US, this is the life- story of George M. Cohan, who produced, directed, wrote and starred in his own musical shows for which he composed his famous songs.

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Plot Keywords:

singing | dancing | congressional gold medal | father son relationship | family act | 

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Taglines:

Get ready to Laugh, to Sing, to Shout! ...For here comes Uncle Sam's Star Spangled Yankee Doodle Dandy!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Musical

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Triunfo supremo

Filming Locations:

New York Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$11,800,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Walking down the stairs at the White House, James Cagney goes into a tap dance. According to TCM, that was completely ad-libbed.

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Goofs

The writers stretch the bounds "poetic license" by trying to tie George M. Cohan's flop Popularity (1906) with the sinking of the Lusitania (1915) and the U.S. entry into World War I (1917) as all occurring at the same time.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Critic #1: I call it a hit. What'll your review say?
Critic #2: I like it too, so I guess I'll pan it.

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Connections

Referenced in Let Freedom Sing! The Story of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (2003)

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Soundtracks

The Belle of the Barbers' Ball
(1908) (uncredited)
from the Broadway show "Cohan and Harris Minstrels"
Written by George M. Cohan
Part of The Four Cohans on Broadway medley/montage

User Reviews

Focus on the dancing talent of James Cagney

There are many, many James Cagney films that show his enormous talent as an actor. He was equally at home in musicals, dramas and comedies. While I have always been a fan and appreciate his unusual scope, this movie in particular caught my eye and totally blew me away when the scene I'm about to describe unfolded.

Near the very end of the film Cagney's character (George M. Cohan) bids farewell to the President and leaves the room. There is a long, open staircase he starts walking down. As he walks you sense a bit of a bounce beginning to take over his step.....one that quickly gives way to an awesome dance as he navigates the stairway. Many will not note, but this dance was a fantastic achievement on two fronts. One, it was done in one "take"...that is, the camera never stopped; the scene never "cut." The camera stays with him in one shot all the way through. Second, Mr. Cagney never ONCE looks at his feet or down at the steps. It's almost impossible to WALK down a staircase without looking down or hanging on to a banister....this man DANCED down a staircase without benefit of seeing or touching anything.

Couple this feat with the brilliant display of "hoofing" he gives earlier in the film when he literally dances up the walls and you have a movie that deserves its "classic" rating. If you haven't seen it please make it a point to do so. Any movie that is awe inspiring 62 years later must be worth a peek, don't you agree?