Yankee Doodle Dandy ***** (1942, James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp, Jeanne Cagney, Vera Lewis) – Classic Movie Review 1589

Director Michael Curtiz’s triumphant triple-Oscar-winning 1942 dramatic musical showbiz biopic of the life of renowned American musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singing star George M Cohan is gloriously rumbustious and effervescent. Packed with toe-tapping dancing and flag-waving tunes from World War One originally designed to inspire Americans to go to war in World War Two and get them through the bad times, Yankee Doodle Dandy remains a feel-good joy to watch as time goes by.

It showcases an irresistible, showstopping star performance from the great song ‘n dance man James Cagney, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his all-singing, all-dancing role as Cohan that is a revelation to those who only think of him being able to play a typecast tough guy or movie gangster. Cagney sure puts the zest into the movie, while the director, Curtiz, shoots with an infectious zeal that brings the old patriotic material bounding back to vibrant life.

Joan Leslie is an appealing co-star as Cohan’s wife Mary (her singing voice was partly dubbed by Sally Sweetland) and Oscar-nominated Best Supporting Actor Walter Huston makes an affecting job of playing Cohan’s father Jerry.

It is from an Oscar-nominated original story by Robert Buckner, who also wrote the coherent and incisive screenplay with Edmund Joseph, though significant uncredited improvements were made by the twins Julius J Epstein and Philip G Epstein, famous as script doctors. The story takes Cohan, known as ‘The Man Who Owned Broadway’, from his early days as a child star in his family’s vaudeville show to his triumphant comeback when he received a medal from the US President for his special contributions to America.

There were two other Oscars for Best Scoring of a Musical (by Heinz Roemheld and Ray Heindorf) and Best Sound Recording (Nathan Levinson), but it missed out on Best Picture, after five other nominations, including also Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Supporting Actor and Best Film Editing. Songs include George M Cohan’s ‘Give My Regards to Broadway’, ‘I Was Born in Virginia’ and the effervescent ‘Yankee Doodle Boy’.

Look out for Eddie Foy Jnr playing Eddie Foy Snr, as well as Rosemary DeCamp, Richard Whorf, George Tobias, Jeanne Cagney, Irene Manning, S Z Sakall, George Barbier, Vera Lewis and Walter Catlett.

The two-disc special edition DVD shows the film and James Wong Howe’s gleaming cinematography in all their glory.

The premiere of Yankee Doodle Dandy at New York’s Hollywood Theatre on May 29, 1942.

Tickets were available the premiere of Yankee Doodle Dandy at New York’s Hollywood Theatre on 29 May 1942 only for buyers of War Bonds. It was attended in a horse-drawn carriage by the former New York governor Al Smith and his wife.

The credited cast members are James Cagney as George M Cohan, Joan Leslie as Mary Cohan, Walter Huston as Jerry Cohan, Richard Whorf as Sam Harris, Irene Manning as Fay Templeton, George Tobias as Dietz, Rosemary DeCamp as Nellie Cohan, Jeanne Cagney as Josie Cohan, Eddie Foy Jr as Eddie Foy Sr, Frances Langford as Nora Bayes, George Barbier as Erlanger, S Z Sakall as Schwab, Walter Catlett as Theatre Manager, Minor Watson as Ed Albee, Chester Clute as Harold Goff, Odette Myrtil as Madame Bartholdi, Douglas Croft as George M Cohan aged 13, Patsy Lee Parsons as Josie Cohan aged 12, and Captain Jack Young as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

James Cagney as George M Cohan performing The Yankee Doodle Boy from Little Johnny Jones.

Also in the cast uncredited are Audrey Long as Dietz and Goff’s Receptionist, Clinton Rosemond as White House Butler, Spencer Charters as Stage Manager in Providence, Dorothy Kelly and Marijo James as Sister Act, Henry Blair as George M Cohan aged 7, Jo Ann Marlow as Josie Cohan aged 6, Thomas E. Jackson as Stage Manager, Phyllis Kennedy as Fanny, Pat Flaherty as White House Guard, Leon Belasco as Magician, Syd Saylor as Star Boarder, William B Davidson as Stage Manager in N Y, Harry Hayden as Dr Lewellyn, Francis Pierlot as Dr Anderson, Charles Smith, Joyce Reynolds, Dick Chandlee, and Joyce Horne as Teenagers, Frank Faylen as Sergeant, Wallis Clark as President Theodore Roosevelt, Georgia Carroll as Betsy Ross, Joan Winfield as Sally, Dick Wessel as Union Army Veteran, James Flavin as Union Army Veteran, Sailor Vincent as Schultz in Peck’s Bad Boy, Fred Kelsey as Irish Cop in Peck’s Bad Boy, George Meeker as Hotel Clerk, Frank Mayo as Hotel Clerk, Tom Dugan as actor at railroad station, Creighton Hale as Telegraph Operator, Murray Alper as Wise Guy, Garry Owen as Army Clerk, Ruth Robinson as Nurse, Eddie Acuff as reporter,  Walter Brooke as reporter,  Bill Edwards as reporter, William Hopper as reporter, William Forrest as first critic, Eddie Kane as second critic, Jack Mower as Backstage Actor in Peck’s Bad Boy, Frank Sully as Army Recruiter and James Flavin as Union Army Veteran.

Cagney did not film another musical for eight years, till The West Point Story (1950).

The admirable Joan Leslie died on October 12 2015, aged 90. Among her best-known movies are Sergeant York (1941), High Sierra (1941), Yankee Doodle Dandy, This Is the Army (1943) and The Sky’s the Limit (1943).

Yankee Doodle Dandy movie poster by Bill Gold.

US graphic designer Bill Gold (3 January 1921 – 20 May 2018) was involved in creating more than 2,000 posters from Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) to J Edgar (2011).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1589

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