Review of Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) by Ross B — 14 Jan 2012

James Cagney stars in this semi accurate biopic of Broadway star George M. Cohan. Cohan wrote it himself and so obviously some of the facts have to be taken with a grain of salt. Historical inaccuracies aside, the film is a great representation of the old Hollywood musicals, in this case brought to you by Warner Brothers.

Cagney plays against type as Cohan and fills him with tons of tenacity, arrogance, and spunk that he commands every scene he is in. To some extent the entire film feels like Cohan reenacting his entire life on a stage in front of us the audience.

It is fairly jingoistic and overly patriotic but that is all part of the charm. Obviously the songs are extremely memorable from Yankee Doodle Dandy to Over There to Send My Regards to Broadway. The film is a great romp and is a celebration of not just Cohan's accomplishments but to the country that he loved, America.