#98. Yankee Doodle Dandy

Year: 1942

Director: Michael Curtiz

Academy Awards:

• Best Actor in a Leading Role
• Best Music, Scoring of a Motion Picture
• Best Sound, Recording

Patriotism, singing, dancing, virtually no conflict... what's not to like? Yankee Doodle Dandy tells the life story of Vaudeville legend George M. Cohan (James Cagney). When it comes to classic song and dance flicks, I'm more of a Bing Crosby White Christmas kind of guy, but I can respect the talent showcased in this film.

Truthfully, I was never really sold on Cohan or Yankee Doodle Dandy. About halfway through the film, I realized that the only conflict that had arisen was the simple fact that Cohan was an overbearingly pompous character. I mean, sure, he has a few sad moments, but they are always quickly resolved as he dances his way onto the next show. I thought we would see some nice conflict when Cohan gives his wife's song to the more talented Fay Templeton, but apparently there's nothing flowers and a box of chocolates can't fix. In the latter stages we learn that the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, which gives Cohan a new purpose of writing music to inspire the troops. I suppose I began to warm up to the man toward the end, but I may have just been trying to morally salvage the last 126 minutes of my life.

While I found the story less than captivating, I can not give enough praise to the art direction. In the world of black and white film, art direction is critical. Yankee Doodle Dandy is filled with a multitude of color shades ranging everywhere from the blackest blacks to the whitest whites. There were actually moments when I almost forgot that I was watching in black and white. For example, when watching the giant flag showcased in "It's a Grand Old Flag."

You have to give props to James Cagney as well, and the Academy certainly acknowledged this. The man could sing, dance, and act. He was a true triple threat. The style of his song and dance wore on me from time to time, but the man was talented and there's just no way around it.

As portrayed in the film, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt did present Cohan with the Congressional Gold Medal for the morale his songs provided during World War I. The film closes nicely as Cohan, a man who felt outdated, marches off in a parade of soldiers and civilians as they sing his anthem, "Over There."Cohan walks silently, living in the moment until a soldier asks, "Hey, old timer! Don't you know this song?" Cohan smiles and marches on as he vigorously joins along in song. This is a powerful scene, even if it does set Congressional precedent for Toby Keith to receive a Congressional Medal of Honor...

With all this being said, I'm glad I took time to watch this classic. Cagney put on quite a show, the art direction was beautiful, and I can only imagine the morale boost this film must have provided for the United State of America during World War II. If you're a fan of "Yankee Doodle Dandy", "It's A Grand Old Flag" or "Give My Regards to Broadway", then I think you'll take quite a liking to Yankee Doodle Dandy.