Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz, 1942): USA

Reviewed by William Conlin. Viewed on DVD.

While thinking about the 4th of July yesterday morning I found myself humming some patriotic songs, and after a minute I realized they were all written by George M. Cohan. Then I remembered the theme for this month was musicals and that I had the perfect film to review on our nation’s holiday; for surely no other film encompasses patriotism and music more than Michael Curtiz’s Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Released in the middle of World War II, Yankee Doodle Dandy is a biography of the great American songwriter George M. Cohan. Played by James Cagney (in an Oscar winning performance), the film begins when Cohan is unexpectedly invited to the White House after opening a new Broadway show. He is brought into the Oval Office where he recounts his life story to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Cohan details his early years in vaudeville with his parents Jerry and Nellie (Walter Huston and Rosemary DeCamp) and his younger sister Josie (Jeanne Cagney, James Cagney’s younger sister in real life as well) through his meteoric rise to the top of Broadway and his marriage to a young performer named Mary (Joan Leslie). Cohan’s trademark tunes are featured and elaborate recreations of his Broadway spectacles are shown throughout the film.

This film was actually the first musical I ever fell in love with. Sometime around 1993 I was given a copy of it on VHS and in the proceeding years watched it until the tape wore out. It was a good thing a special edition DVD came out a few years ago. Ever since I was a little boy, I’ve always loved patriotic music and Cohan’s has always been on the top of my list. Since this was the first James Cagney film I ever watched, I’ve always associated him with an “American good-guy,” so it was somewhat shocking for me when I started watching his gangster films later in my life. Cagney’s Oscar for this portrayal is well deserved and his detailed dances make me wonder why he never did any other musicals.

As this film was made during World War II and is about the man who wrote songs like “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” it is oozing with patriotism; be prepared to watch a film that could almost fall into the category of “propaganda.” Also, as with many other musical biopics (such as Ray and Walk The Line), many liberties are taken with the details of Cohan’s life. Some actually say this film was made to ward off accusations that James Cagney was a communist. If that was the case, he certainly silenced those critics.

I’d also like to provide a warning to some viewers out there who enjoy the purity of classic cinema. In the 1980s, Ted Turner purchased the rights to Yankee Doodle Dandy and tested a new computer program to “colorize” the film. In my opinion, the practice of colorization is an affront to classic film watchers. If you consider viewing this wonderful film, make sure your copy is in glorious black and white. I hope you take time to watch this American classic, and have a safe and fun Independence Day!