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Yankee Doodle Dandy

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

May. 29,1942
|
7.6
|
NR
| Drama Music

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

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Jeanskynebu
1942/05/29

the audience applauded

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Hadrina
1942/05/30

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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Maleeha Vincent
1942/05/31

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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Isbel
1942/06/01

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

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Matt Greene
1942/06/02

An undeniable standout in the show-biz-centric musicals of the era. Where most are disposable song-and-dance-and-not-much-else tales, this takes a deeper look at the changing of trends and the difficulty of relevance. Clearly influenced by the experimentation of Citizen Kane, it boasts cool cinematography and solid editing. Cagney (when not being asked to sing) is great, playing the flawed but lovable song-and-dance man. Even if it isn't as transcendent as its reputation holds, it's still a noble good time.

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JohnHowardReid
1942/06/03

Copyright 2 January 1943 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Hollywood Theater: 29 May 1942. U.S. release: May 1942. U.K. release: 19 September 1942. Australian release: 30 September 1943. Sydney release: 24 September 1943 (Tatler Theater). Australian length: 11,563 feet (128½ minutes). U.S. length: 126 minutes.SYNOPSIS: George M. Cohan — from birth to Broadway to "President".NOTES: Initial domestic gross: $4,800,000. In addition to his Academy Award, James Cagney also won the New York Film Critics award for Best Actor (he walked away with the award, receiving 13 votes to 2 on the very first ballot!). Curtiz was nominated for Best Director but dropped out after the second ballet. (The award was eventually won by John Farrow for "Wake Island"). When I interviewed Jimmy Cagney, there were two films he was especially fond of. One, of course, was "Footlight Parade" (1933) which took Cagney out of the noir aura of thieves and gangsters and into the song-and-dance world of musical comedy. His other favorite film of course was "Yankee Doodle Dandy" which Cagney felt did such important work as a wartime morale-booster that any liberties the script took with the real facts of George M. Cohan's birth (he was actually born on July 3, not July 4) and life story were totally unimportant. COMMENT: ?Yankee Doodle Dandy" was obviously filmed on a blank check as a war-time propaganda gesture. Cohan himself died a few months after the film's release. He was ill at the time and took no part in the production which, as might be expected of Hollywood, takes considerable liberties, both major and minor with his career. Although he regarded July 4th as his birthday, Cohan was actually born on July 3rd which makes total nonsense of the entire first ten or fifteen minutes of the film. A nauseating performance by Walter Huston – actively abetting this lie – doesn't help either. Another equally outlandish falsehood occurs in the later stages of the film when Cohan denies having made any movies whereas he made several, including two sound films — The Phantom President (1932) and Gambling (1934).Oddly, and to my great surprise, Cohan himself hated the movie, which is surprising in view of the fact that it so vigorously abets the lie that he was born on July 4. The problem no doubt is that the movie lies on such an enormous raft of other details as well. It is really a fairy tale rather than a genuine "life".Nonetheless, this is rousing, bouncy entertainment, with Cagney flashily hoofing and singing such Cohan standards as "Give My Regards to Broadway", "I Was Born In Virginia" and "Over There".One of the highlights of the film are the two long scenes from the stage presentation of "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Cagney deserved his Best Actor Award. He dominates the entire film. He tells the story in flashback and appears in just about every scene, except of course the early ones with the child actors. Aside from his opening scenes, Huston is effective, also sings his own songs and does his own hoofing, but the other principal players are either colorless or put in the shade by Cagney, particularly Jeanne Cagney and to a lesser extent De Camp, Leslie and Whorf. Irene Manning tends to over-act and does not come across too attractively though she sings in her own voice. As in "Lillian Russell", Eddie Foy does his father again to perfection, but alas has only one unimportant scene with Cagney. What could be omitted is a lot of the routine domestic trivia with which the director seems as bored as we are. Curtiz comes to life during the parades and songs and Siegel has provided a couple of lively montages, including an extremely elaborate one of the neon lights of Old Broadway. Production values are superlative.AVAILABLE on a superb Warner DVD.

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kcterrell-25046
1942/06/04

Watch the very limited episodes of George M. Cohan dancing and you will see that Cagney captures every spirit and every nuance of Cohan. It is a performance that links us to a genius, or one genius to another. This film is without any imperfection. Candid, touching, emotional, enjoyable, and inspiring. But, don't forget Curtiz directing. It is revolutionizing for its day. The focus of the stage performances, ever shifting, but always keeping its eye where it should be. The complete picture is perfect. Never another film quite so well, in addition to its contribution to American History.The total eclipse of Cohan's life, the greatest composer in American history, but more importantly, the most important entrepreneur of Broadway, which is developed in the film. Cogney is non pareil, and all supporting cast as well. Perfectly cast, directed, and performed.

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richard-1787
1942/06/05

This movie is too long for what it has to offer. It has real dead spots in it. Some of the acting is flat. Despite all that, it remains a thoroughly remarkable movie because, when it rises to its best, it rises as high as any movie ever has - perhaps not surprising when you remember that it was directly by Michael Curtiz, who also directed Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood, the Sea Hawk, etc.Unlike those three and many other great Curtiz movies, this one doesn't have a great sense of pacing. The musical numbers are often spectacular, not just because they have a lot of people on stage but because they move forward with a drive and energy second to none. Some of the "straight" scenes between those numbers border on the maudlin, however. And yes, there are very heart-on-your-sleeve patriotic numbers that have to be watched through a recollection that we had just been drawn into World War II, and many Americans, after Pearl Harbor, needed reassurance and wondered if we would survive intact.This won't always hold you riveted to your seat. There are plenty of moments best designed for going out to the kitchen to get popcorn, since corn is on the menu. But for the great scenes, and they are many, you will forget all about your popcorn and just marvel at the energy and life in this movie, a great deal of which emanates from the deservedly Oscar-winning performance of its star, James Cagney.-------------------------I just finished watching the new Ken Burns series on The Roosevelts. The last two, devoted to FDR's time as president and his health problems, put Cagney's performance of "Off the record" from the Rogers and Hart show "I'd rather be right", in a new perspective. FDR contracted polio in 1921 and never walked without braces again. Though he was careful to keep pictures of himself being wheeled and carried out of the media, the nation still knew that he no longer walked under his own power.When this movie was put together in 1942, "Off the record" was one of the Cohan successes that was given real prominence. I don't know how Cohan performed it in the 1937 Broadway show, but in the 1942 movie, Cagney makes a very striking image of Roosevelt striding vigorously back and forth across the stage. Surely this was meant to suggest that the president had a vigor that, at least physically, was no longer his to command. The fact that it was Warner Brothers' biggest success up until that point also suggests what influence that image must have had, even if only subconsciously, on the American voting public.

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