FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Byrdz "Yankee Doodle Dandy" is one of those pictures that define "Classic Film". It is amazingly watchable and re-watchable. No matter how many times you see it, it seems fresh and fun. It will make you laugh and cry and just plain feel good.Cagney is at his dancing best ! Watching him duplicate the intricate foot (and leg) work of George M. Cohan dancing up the walls and dancing down the White House staircase just cannot be beat. He rivals the efforts of such as Astaire and Kelly (not a small feat, that.) There is a clip of the real George M. available for viewing and Cagney's matching is amazing.The story is not historically perfect but that's the way Hollywood biographies are. The story as presented is just right for this viewer.The songs, singing, ensemble dancing, acting by all and sundry = A+++. If you've never seen it, remedy that situation ASAP. Watch the Black and White version not the pink and baby blue "colorized" one. You will swear that you saw it in color anyway. Warning : You will find yourself humming and singing the songs for days afterwards.

Chris Mizerak "A man may give his life to his country in many different ways, Mr. Cohan. And quite often he isn't the best judge of how much he has given. Your songs were a symbol of the American spirit. 'Over There' was just as powerful a weapon as any cannon, as any battleship we had in the First World War." That's a terrific piece of dialogue from the President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt (Cap. Jack Young) addressed to legendary Broadway songwriter and performer George M. Cohan (James Cagney) in director Michael Curtiz's 1942 musical biopic "Yankee Doodle Dandy". It follows the life of George M. Cohan starting from when he was born on the 4th of July (though a source I looked at says it's actually July 3rd). Amongst the big life events we follow Mr. Cohan through include joining his parents (Walter Huston, Rosemary DeCamp) and sister (Jeanne Cagney) in the family's vaudeville act as a young and cocky kid, meeting his future wife Mary (Joan Leslie) who is also in showbiz, and his successful partnership with struggling writer Sam Harris (Richard Whorf) in producing one popular musical production after another. Let's talk a little bit about the history of the picture's main actor, James Cagney. By doing this, it will help us understand what makes his portrayal of George M. Cohan so remarkable. Before this role, Mr. Cagney was best known for playing either gangsters or tough guys. Some of his best remembered roles included gangster pictures such as "The Public Enemy" (1931), "Angels with Dirty Faces" (1938), and "White Heat" (1949). By keeping this in mind, one can understand why an actor used to playing bad guys wouldn't seem like the ideal choice for playing a patriotic musician. It's difficult enough for an actor to try acting in a different type of picture. It's even more challenging for an actor to make us forget about what they did before throughout a role that's out of their comfort zone. But even with all these forces against him, James Cagney managed to pull off this role surprisingly well. Granted, we see that Mr. Cohan was a little mischievous when he was a young lad, whether it was carelessly interfering with a business conversation between his parents and a theatrical agent or testing out a song he wrote against the theater manager's wishes. Aside from that, you always got the sense that this person could do no wrong. I say that because he was not only a big sensation on Broadway (though maybe not with the critics apparently), but he was also a generous family man taking care of his family, wife, and business partner. From Cagney's performance, you got a sense that Mr. Cohen was looking out for the average Joe whether it was with his inspiring songs or his loyalty to the United States of America. If I were to explain why "Yankee Doodle Dandy" was on the list of the AFI's greatest films, it would be because of James Cagney's work since it proved that actors aren't limited to one film genre. Because this is a biopic about a famous musician, naturally we get a good variety of musical numbers, all of which were written by the real- life George M. Cohan himself. Obviously, the songs are very well done with the notable standouts being "Over There" (A song that helped motivate the troops during World War I), "Yankee Doodle Boy", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "For The Record" (A number with charm and energy to spare), and "You're A Grand Old Flag". All these numbers are given the high-end production values and quality sets that they deserve. The presentation of the "You're A Grand Old Flag" number particularly comes to mind when naming a number that has tremendous production value. The massive amount of people in the background, the camera angles, the scope of the sets, it's all there. They truly don't make musicals like this or any other musicals from that era any more. I have to admit though that while George M. Cohan and Mary are well- rounded characters, I was very underwhelmed by the other characters in this story. Specifically, the development of Mr. Cohan's family save for the father seemed hastily rushed. When certain plot developments came around in the second half, I felt they all went by a tad too quick and a bit out of nowhere. Because of this, the development of the mother and the sister felt very lacking and unsubstantial. There was also a big death scene with a major character in the film's second half that I found a tad problematic. The reason being was that I was more convinced that this person was exhausted from a hard day's work than undergoing an actual death. Nothing's bad about these characters as they are. They just simply needed more screen time in able to truly leave more of an impact on me. "Yankee Doodle Dandy" – even by looking at the title alone, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how much this picture relishes the spirit of the United States of America. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if people viewed "Yankee Doodle Dandy" every 4th of July since it truly deserves it. And this viewer can assure you that it's not just because it loves America and what it stands for. It's also because it further proves that any actor in the U.S.A., especially James Cagney, can be in any motion picture that they desire. America is a free country, so we can do what we want. I think "Yankee Doodle Dandy" is pretty awesome for subliminally reminding us of that and that is why I'm proud to be an American. And to you I say, Happy Early Fourth of July!

MartinHafer I have seen this film several times--including just recently. However, somehow I forgot to review the movie--and I noticed this today.This is a difficult film to rate, as it's so unique. After all, seeing Jimmy Cagney in the lead is a bit surreal. You don't expect to see this tough-guy performing as a hoofer. You also don't expect to see his style of tap dancing. It is NOTHING like Fred Astaire--full of grace and style. Instead, it's pure energy and is, at times, a bit gangly. Now this isn't to say it's bad--it just isn't subtle as Cagney throws EVERYTHING into the dances. His tapping is a bit more like stomping---but, it is still a marvel to watch.The film is a VERY Hollywoodized version of the life of the writer/performer George M. Cohan. Much of the guy's life is in the film but also much of the film is pure fiction meant to entertain. This is VERY typical of a film of this era. However, despite the style of dance and liberties the film takes, it is also incredibly entertaining and fun--filled with unabashed patriotism and spirit. Well worth seeing.

gavin6942 A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer George M. Cohan (played by James Cagney).While I am not big on musicals (with some exceptions) and not particularly fond of patriotic pictures... and I had never heard of George Cohan before seeing this film... I was quite impressed.Not necessarily impressed by the singing, dancing, acting and more, but impressed by who was doing it: James Cagney. Having seen Cagney as no fewer than three gangsters, I was thinking those were the roles he was meant to play. And while I still think that, I am impressed that he could sing and tap dance and more...Was Cagney typecast? It appears that way. But, at least for the audience, we were given some of the finest gangster films ever made because of it. And thanks to this film, Cagney received his much-deserved Oscar.