Review of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) by Seth S — 14 Jul 2012
My all time favorite musical. It's not simply that the movie has great songs, it has a great story too, and an incredible performance by Jimmy Cagney. Also of note is the unabashed patriotism in this movie. This has got to be one of, if not the most flag waving movies I have seen. I love it!
The story is of George M. Cohan. The movie starts with George as an obnoxious teen, growing up on stage with his family. They are a family of actors who tour the country, and George may be the most talented of them all. The movie shows how George eventually starts out on his own, writing, directing, and starring in his plays.
James Cagney stars as George. His magnum opus, it is wonderful to not see him playing his classic "dirty rat" role. No doubt his best performance as an actor, but he also sings and dances in the movie. His dancing is top notch, which is something you wouldn't expect from Cagney. Also, George is full of witty lines, and Cagney has the fast talking wise guy down to a tee. Walter Huston plays George's father Jerry Cohan. He leads this wonderful supporting cast that consists of Joan Leslie, George Tobias, and Cuddles Sakall, among many others.
The musical numbers play a large part as well. They are all phenomenal, with great songs like 45 Minutes from Broadway, Over There, Your a Grand Ole Flag, and of course, Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Overall, an fantastic movie. A fantastic musical. And a fantastic performance by Jimmy Cagney.
"My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you." 10/10.
This review of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) was written by Seth S on 14 Jul 2012.
Yankee Doodle Dandy has generally received very positive reviews.
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