Review of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) by Elliott F — 04 Jul 2012
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a good movie supported by a great performance. James Cagney is absolutely in top form here as George M. Cohan, the flag-waving, patriotic song-and-dance man who wrote some of America's best loved standards.
His performance is marvelous, astounding during the dance sequences and showing off his dramatic chops in the film's admittedly few bleak moments. Cagney's acting has aged much better than most from the early 1940s, and Michael Curtiz's film is made only the better because of it, especially considering this is little more than propaganda.
Well-made propaganda, but still propaganda. It's exactly what 1942 needed, however: a rousing tribute to America and the American spirit embodied in one man. The rest of the cast is fine, particularly the great Walter Huston as Jerry Cohan, Georgie's father, who is terrific and rather subdued, and Joan Leslie, as Cohan's wife Mary (the namesake for one of his best songs), is simply adorable.
Above all, this film is just such a good time, but Cagney's performance is one for all-time.
This review of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) was written by Elliott F on 04 Jul 2012.
Yankee Doodle Dandy has generally received very positive reviews.
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