Yankee Doodle Dandy. 1942. Directed by Michael Curtiz.

(9/4/01-9/5/01)

Yankee Doodle Dandy holds up as a high-energy picture full of memorable scenes. It is a well-made, pleasant, entertaining film. There really isn't much more to say about it.

I never realized before how much Douglas Croft adds to this picture as the young George M. Cohan. His scenes are really good and set the stage for Cagney's character--cocky, brash, but endearing just the same.

The whole cast shines. Walter Huston is perfect as the father. George Tobias and S. Z. Sakall contribute delightful little bits, but its Cagney's show all the way. He's terrific to watch in the musical numbers. I think that Cagney's aggressive, staccato delivery was a perfect match to George M. Cohan's songs. And he made Cohan into a believable and endearing character. The brashness and cockiness exude a quality that many tend to think of as "American," without coming across as obnoxious. Cohan was a man of patriotism and family values and Cagney manages to embody this aspect of the man as well. And he brings off the tenderness and vulnerability of the scene at his father's deathbed beautifully.

The musical numbers are stylishly antique. They capture the flavor of a theater that was old-fashioned even in 1942. I wish there had been more of Cagney's dancing, but I guess the rule is to leave the audience wanting more. I especially like the scenes of Cagney doing "Yankee Doodle Dandy," but I found the "Grand Old Flag" number tacky, especially with Walter Huston marching around as Uncle Sam. But this was 1942 and that scene has historical value as it reflects at least a segment of popular feeling at the time. And I suppose it's kind of amusing if one is in the right mood.

Among my favorite scenes are Cohan's encounter with Fay Templeton and the one in which Cohan and another writer pretend that they have practically sold Cohan's show to S. Z. Sakall's rival and get him to practically beg them for it. And the scene in which the stage-struck girl comes to Cohan's dressing room, believing him to be the old man of his stage character. Wonderful scenes all, well-planned and well-played.

This film is a beautiful, energetic tribute to Cohan's music which succeeds in putting a human face on it. And for a lot of us Yankee Doodle Dandy created the images which spring to our minds when we think of the name George M. Cohan.