Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

"My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you."

I first saw Yankee Doodle Dandy when I was 10 years old. The older I get, the more impressed I become with how extensive my film repertoire was at that age. I have no idea how I was able to sit through some of those super old movies, (Birth of a Nation, anyone?) but whatever, I'm awesome. It's fine.

This is the George M. Cohan biopic. As his fame had died by the end of the film, so it has in American pop culture today - though most Americans would probably recognize his more famous tunes. Born on the fourth of July to two vaudeville performers Jerry (Walter Huston) and Nellie (Rosemary DeCamp) George (James Cagney) and his younger sister Josie (played by Cagney's real-life sister Jeanne Cagney) grew up performing and could dance and sing quicker than they could walk and talk. Collectively their act was known as "The Four Cohans" but it is made clear that young George was the star. He went on to be one of the most successful entertainers, playwrights, and composers in America's history. So, naturally, Yankee Doodle is the cookie cutter childhood-to-old age/rags-to-riches life sketch film told through flashbacks/voice overs. Aren't all showbiz stories told this way? One obligatory scene follows another: birth, childhood, humility period, success, failure, love, marriage, parents' death, retirement. Each scene is, of course, encased with a different grand, upbeat musical number. I guess you could say that this movie set the trend for other future '40s musicals but that's neither here nor there.

Of course, everything is also coated in shameless patriotism. Just after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 the morale boosting "Over There" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" - though originally released years earlier for WWI - were brought back to the surface in this movie to capitalize on the war-time propaganda of the '40s. However, its propaganda threat is minimal and in no way forceful. Though unplanned, I happened to watch this around our beloved country's birthday. Talk about patriotism in Independence Day and all dem Tom Cruise movies and Yankee Doodle Dandy fits the bill for one of the most American movies out there. Sure a few choice songs and well-placed flags have got audiences feeling nostalgic for the land they love but the obvious American themes and the timeliness of its release being considered, this is still just a sing and dance movie. The agenda is not pushed. You just might be able to see a little red, white, and blue poking out through all that black and white.

(This film was, incidentally, the first ever computer-colorized film released in 1986... but we don't need to talk about that).

(And again, I compare to Birth of a Nation which is one of the most propaganda-filled, racially-charged films ever and this is nowhere near that level. Don't worry, I'll get to that movie soon).

This review and re-watch of Yankee Doodle Dandy is just the beginning of a rather large project to watch all of the AFI Top 100 movies. With every movie that I review, I'm trying to look for the elements that set these films apart from others. Why were they chosen? Why should we like them? As I thought about this in regards to Yankee Doodle Dandy, I came to the conclusion that the single element that makes this movie just one cut above the rest is the star himself: James Cagney. Because honestly, besides notable historical implications and patriotic themes that obviously have influenced America this movie is nothing spectacular - besides the absolutely spectacular performance of Cagney.

In the last few weeks I have now seen three other James Cagney movies. His notable performances in White Heat (1949), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938*), and Love Me or Leave Me (1955*)  really contributed to a deeper appreciation of his talent and an increased perspective on his performance as George Cohan. I mean, it's like how I kind of think it's strange that Marlon Brando (THE GODFATHER) was ever in Guys in Dolls, so it is that Cagney - known at that time mostly for gangster roles - was a fish out of water as the singing and dancing entertainer. Though not his debut in a musical, he was still dancing in unfamiliar territory before audiences, but man is he not shy. He gives this performance his all with a unique dancing style (how do his legs even move like that?) and superbly steals every scene. I noticed this in his other films, but I especially noticed in Yankee Doodle Dandy how he demands attention every time he's on screen. You cannot help but stare at him - and nothing else. Everything about his singing, his mannerisms, his dancing, his facial expressions is grandiose and a spectacle you can't take your eyes off of.

To back this up, two particular scenes stood out to me. First, the scene early on when 20-something George meets his future wife Mary (Joan Leslie). He's made-up as an old man, but Mary is led to believe his beard, long white hair and cain are authentic and she's speaking with a respected performer of 86. Slowly George - in character as this old man - starts to move. He first stands with difficulty, but within just a few minutes he's kicking his legs higher than a ballerina and spinning around faster than a merry-go-round while Mary just gawks at him like WUTT.

Second, Cohan exits with a bang as he wraps up his life-story to Franklin D. Roosevelt of all people in the White House of all places. (As an additional historical side note, this is the first time any movie has featured an actor playing the current US President). As he exits the building, he walks down the steps. And he starts to dance. Completely improvised, done in one take, only 20 seconds long and impeccably timed to the building background music culminating the end of a story, James Cagney wasn't about to let the White House staircase best him in a scene.

You can't take your eyes off him.

Other notes:
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Won Academy Awards for Best Actor (James Cagney), Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Sound and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Walter Huston), Best Director (Michael Curtiz), Best Film Editing, and Best Writing Original Story.
It was ranked #100 in AFI's Top 100 Years... 100 Films list in 1998 and #98 in 2007.
*Cagney was nominated for an Oscar in these two films as well.

And as for my opinion, though irrelevant, I would rank it an 8/10.