Yankee Doodle Dandy DVD (1942)

Yankee Doodle Dandy details

Format:	U DVD
Starring:	James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston
Director:	Michael Curtiz
Genre:	Music/Musical - Musical
Collections:	American Film Institute's top 100

DVD 1 disc

Name	Discs
Yankee Doodle Dandy	U Feature

DVD Information

Run time:	2 hours 6 minutes
Rental release:	Not currently released
Main languages:	English

Write your own review

Most helpful review Yankee Doodle Dandy

Yankee Doodle Dandy

By James J Lee from London , 12 Aug 2010

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

[Highly rated reviewer]

Five star performance by James Cagney in this wartime flagwaver about the life and career of the great vaudeville/broadway song and dance man George M Cohen. Cagney brings a great zest to this role and deserved the Oscar for this energetic and believable performance. There are some showstoppers along the way, none more so that his Johnny Jones routine when he sings Yankee Doodle Dandy and dances on the stage like he is ice skating. It's a swaggering, staggering performance by Cagney who until this film was best known for his gangster roles. In Cohen you feel the buzz of broadway and the great hope that existed during the austerity of WW1 and the great American depression. Made in 1942 during WW2, this was an unapologetic propaganda piece but nonetheless you can't help getting swept away in the patriotic euphoria of the great songs and incredible dancing. Though Cagney is the centrepiece of the movie he is given great support by the veteran Walter Huston, George Tobias, Joan Leslie and Rosemary De Camp. Walter Huston (father of the legendary Director John Huston and Grandfather of actress Angelica Huston) plays Cohen's father (also a vaudevillan) superbly, providing some solid foil for Cagney's spontaneous magic. Behind the lens Michael Curtiz films some modest sets and locations, but still pulls off a well polished piece of cinema. Look out for Cagney's exit from the White House. Walking down the grand staircase he breaks into a tap dance routine all down the steps. It's quite breathtaking and even more so when one considers it was never in the script but just Cagney delivering an impromptu dance routine. Simply wonderful entertainment, it's hard to believe this classic biopic is still unavailable on DVD in the UK.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review

All reviews

(1)

Sort by:

Yankee Doodle Dandy

By James J Lee from London , 12 Aug 2010

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

Five star performance by James Cagney in this wartime flagwaver about the life and career of the great vaudeville/broadway song and dance man George M Cohen. Cagney brings a great zest to this role and deserved the Oscar for this energetic and believable performance. There are some showstoppers along the way, none more so that his Johnny Jones routine when he sings Yankee Doodle Dandy and dances on the stage like he is ice skating. It's a swaggering, staggering performance by Cagney who until this film was best known for his gangster roles. In Cohen you feel the buzz of broadway and the great hope that existed during the austerity of WW1 and the great American depression. Made in 1942 during WW2, this was an unapologetic propaganda piece but nonetheless you can't help getting swept away in the patriotic euphoria of the great songs and incredible dancing. Though Cagney is the centrepiece of the movie he is given great support by the veteran Walter Huston, George Tobias, Joan Leslie and Rosemary De Camp. Walter Huston (father of the legendary Director John Huston and Grandfather of actress Angelica Huston) plays Cohen's father (also a vaudevillan) superbly, providing some solid foil for Cagney's spontaneous magic. Behind the lens Michael Curtiz films some modest sets and locations, but still pulls off a well polished piece of cinema. Look out for Cagney's exit from the White House. Walking down the grand staircase he breaks into a tap dance routine all down the steps. It's quite breathtaking and even more so when one considers it was never in the script but just Cagney delivering an impromptu dance routine. Simply wonderful entertainment, it's hard to believe this classic biopic is still unavailable on DVD in the UK.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review