#98 Yankee Doodle Dandy

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy - 1942

Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Written by: Robert Buckner and Edmund Joseph (screenplay) Robert Buckner (story)

Starring: James Cagney

Previous viewing status: First viewing.


At long last I finally watched Yankee Doodle Dandy thanks to my good friend, Keegan, who had the (possible) joy of seeing the film with me. This film was extremely difficult to find; either renting or online, and after watching it I've found out why that is... there are some slightly racist portrayals in the film. There is a scene where the main character, George M. Cohan, and his family are performing a vaudville show in blackface. Obviously, this would register on anyone's "uncomfortable meter" as fucking uncomfortable. The film was made in 1942, but it was a biopic film pre-1942; there is even a contemporary character of Franklin Delano Roosevelt which is always an added amusement considering he was still alive at the time the film was made.

The film follows the birth of Cohan (named George after President Washington because he was born on 4th of July), and through his career as a hit musical writer, dancer, singer and producer. There were many patriotic songs that I remembered learning in elementary school to sing for Memorial Day or President's Day assemblies (Yankee Doodle Dandy *duh*, Over There). All in all, I felt there was something missing in the film because I honestly had never heard of George M. Cohan before, and I wasn't sure if the story was new and they wrote the songs for the film, or if the songs and Mr. Cohan were the basis of the story.

I can't say that I felt there was any heart and soul in this movie. The overt patriotism tends to override any interpersonal emotions that are portrayed in the film; everyone is too "Johnny-Do-Gooder", such as the scene where America is suddenly involved in the first World War and Cohan goes down to enlist in the army and they tell him they'd love him to fight, but he's too old (forty-something) and he does some fancy dancing to show them all he's more fit than many younger-a-man, but sadly, gramps is told he can't go sit in a trench in Europe for his country.

The best part of this film is James Cagney's dancing. For someone famous for being a villainous mafia guy, he can dance the socks off of the best of 'em! There's a scene where after being presented with the congressional medal of honor from FDR (for reals; he was the first artist ever bestowed this award), Cagney is walking down the steps (supposedly as a 70+ year old George Cohan), and he starts to dance, and if you weren't paying attention you wouldn't notice it; he's just that smooth. He ended up winning best actor for his amazing dance skillz and that alone is the scene that I feel pretty good about touting as extraordinary. Too bad it's only 13 seconds long.