Yankee Doodle Dandy

One of my favorite movies, one that our family developed a tradition of watching every year on (or near) the Fourth of July, is Yankee Doodle Dandy starring James Cagney. Every time we watched it, we came away whistling or singing the lyrics of the theme song:

"I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy,

Yankee Doodle Do or die,

A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam,

Born on the Fourth of July."

That movie premiered in New York City on this date in 1942, during the first dark days of World War II. It was a morale booster for the American people, and it can still stir patriotic feelings to this very day among those who love America.

The movie is a biopic about the life of composer and performer George M. Cohan, and, after the first few opening scenes, the bulk of the movie is a flashback to the events of his life. The script was written by Robert Buckner, directed by Michael Curtiz, and starred a host of prominent and accomplished actors and actresses. But James Cagney clearly was the preeminent star. He even won an Academy Award for Best Actor as a result of his stunning performance.

James Cagney publicity photo

Cohan, who was a consultant on the production, originally wanted Fred Astaire to play the part of him, but Astaire turned it down in favor of Cagney. That was wise. The movie would never have had the same impact without Cagney in the leading role. Cagney had a naturally cocky, egotistical, and driven personality necessary for the role; Astaire was too refined, aloof, and fluid in his movements.

Scenes that best feature Cagney's dancing style and personality are his singing and dancing to "Yankee Doodle Boy" (I especially like it when he dances off the wall) and when he dances down the White House steps after having met with President Roosevelt. Here is a video link to the first of those scenes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKeYS1P9j1c

The movie features a plethora of memorable, toe-tapping musical numbers, including "While Strolling Through the Park One Day," "Harrigan," "Mary's a Grand Old Name," "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway," "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," and, of course, "Yankee Doodle Boy."

Yankee Doodle Dandy was a financial windfall for Warner Brothers. It was their biggest hit in their history to that point, earning them more than $4.5 million in the U.S. market and almost $2 million overseas. It also won critical acclaim and numerous awards in addition to Cagney's Academy Award. It clearly deserved the award for Best Music. Several actors were nominated for their own performances, including Walter Huston for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing.

Among the memorable lines of dialogue that are so appliable to the United States in our own times are these:

"It seems it always happens. Whenever we get too high-hat and too sophisticated for flag-waving, some thug nation decides we're a pushover ready to be blackjacked. And it isn't long before we're looking up, mighty anxiously, to be sure the flag's still waving over us."

Another comes at the end of the movie when Cagney says in "Off the Record,"

"I can't forget how Lafayette helped give us our first chance, to win our fight for liberty and now they've taken France. We'll take it back from Hitler and put ants in his Japants--and that's for the record!"

The movie ends with Cagney (Cohen) marching along Pennsylvania Avenue alongside soldiers who are parting for the war and singing "Over There," a song originally written for World War I but applicable as well for World War II, showing the nation's determination to win the fight.

"We'll be over! We're coming over! And we won't come back till it's over over there!"

Here's a video clip of Cagney leaving the White House, dancing down the stairs and marching along while singing "Over There": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5oWH6JWBJY

If you've never seen Yankee Doodle Dandy, you should. If you have seen it, it's worth seeing again. And again and again.