Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Robert Buckner (screenplay) and
Edmund Joseph (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 June 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Based on the story of GEORGE M. COHAN with the Greatest of all his Great Music

Plot:

A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer George M. Cohan.

Plot Keywords:

Vaudeville | Playwright | Dancer | Comeback | Songwriter

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

James Cagney	...	George M. Cohan
Joan Leslie	...	Mary
Walter Huston	...	Jerry Cohan
Richard Whorf	...	Sam Harris
Irene Manning	...	Fay Templeton
George Tobias	...	Dietz
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Nellie Cohan
Jeanne Cagney	...	Josie Cohan
Frances Langford	...	Singer
George Barbier	...	Erlanger
S.Z. Sakall	...	Schwab
Walter Catlett	...	Theatre Manager
Douglas Croft	...	George M. Cohan, As a Boy of 13
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	Eddie Foy
Minor Watson	...	Albee
Chester Clute	...	Goff
Odette Myrtil	...	Madame Bartholdi
Patsy Parsons	...	Josie Cohan, As a Girl of 12 (as Patsy Lee Parsons)
Jack Young	...	The President (as Capt. Jack Young)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Acuff	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	Wiseguy (uncredited)
Ernest Anderson	...	George M. Cohan's valet (uncredited)
Vivian Austin	...	Pianist (uncredited)
Leon Belasco	...	Magician (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Dressing room guest (uncredited)
Henry Blair	...	George M. Cohan at 7 (uncredited)
Walter Brooke	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Leslie Brooks	...	Chorus girl ('Little Johnny Jones' number) (uncredited)
Georgia Carroll	...	Betsy Ross (uncredited)
Glen Cavender	...	Colony Opera House stagehand (uncredited)
Dick Chandlee	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Spencer Charters	...	Colony Opera House stage manager (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt (uncredited)
Alan Copeland	...	Choirboy (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	New York stage manager (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Actor, railroad station (uncredited)
Bill Edwards	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Sergeant on parade (last scene) (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Sgt. Lewis (White House guard) (uncredited)
Robert Flatley	...	Dancer (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Union Army veteran #1 on caisson (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Critic #1 (uncredited)
William Gillespie	...	Baritone solo: Grand Old Flag number (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice) (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	(uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Telegraph operator (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Recruiting officer (uncredited)
Harry Hayden	...	Dr. Llewellyn (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Backstage actor, 'Peck's Bad Boy' (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Joyce Horne	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Horse race announcer, 'Little Johnny Jones' number (uncredited)
Thomas E. Jackson	...	Stage manager, 'Peck's Bad Boy' (uncredited)
Marijo James	...	Sister act (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Wilson ('Little Johnny Jones' number) (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Critic #2 (uncredited)
Dorothy Kelly	...	Sister act (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Irish cop in 'Pecks Bad Boy' (uncredited)
Phyllis Kennedy	...	Fanny (uncredited)
Vera Lewis	...	(uncredited)
Audrey Long	...	Dietz & Goff's receptionst (uncredited)
Jerrie Lynne	...	Singer (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Peck's Bad Boy stagehand (uncredited)
Jo Ann Marlowe	...	Josie Cohan, age 6 (uncredited)
Louis Mason	...	Boarder (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Hotel clerk #2 (uncredited)
Lon McCallister	...	(uncredited)
Edward McWade	...	New York stage doorman (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Hotel clerk #1 (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Horse race official (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Pedestrian seeking newspaper (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Maurice Ruppe (music publisher) (uncredited)
Dolores Moran	...	Girl (uncredited)
Charles Morton	...	Friendly man at restaurant window on New Year's Eve (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Backstage actor, 'Peck's Bad Boy' (uncredited)
Lee Murray	...	Jockey (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Army clerk (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Robinsons Theater stagehand (uncredited)
Francis Pierlot	...	Dr. Anderson (uncredited)
Joyce Reynolds	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Ruth Robinson	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Clinton Rosemond	...	White House butler (uncredited)
Thomas W. Ross	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Star boarder (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	O'Rourke's Varieties stagehand (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Boarder (uncredited)
Charles Smith	...	Teenager (uncredited)
Elliott Sullivan	...	Army recruiter examiner (uncredited)
Frank Sully	...	Army recruiter (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent	...	Schults, grocer in 'Peck's Bad Boy' (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Union Army veteran #2 on caisson (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Backstage actor, 'Peck's Bad Boy' (uncredited)
Poppy Wilde	...	Chorus girl ('Little Johnny Jones' number) (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Stage Manager, 'Peck's Bad Boy' (uncredited)
Joan Winfield	...	Sally (uncredited)
Jack Wise	...	Boarder (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits
Robert Buckner		(screenplay) and
Edmund Joseph		(screenplay)
Robert Buckner		(story)
Julius J. Epstein		uncredited
Philip G. Epstein		uncredited

Produced by
William Cagney	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ray Heindorf		(uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Film Editing by
George Amy

Art Direction by
Carl Jules Weyl

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Everett A. Brown	....	sound
Nathan Levinson	....	sound (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Ray Heindorf	....	orchestral arranger
Heinz Roemheld	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Boyle	....	choreographer: James Cagney's dances (as John Boyle)
William Collier Sr.	....	technical advisor
Seymour Felix	....	dance number stager and director
Hugh MacMullan	....	dialogue director
LeRoy Prinz	....	dance number stager and director (as Leroy Prinz)
Don Siegel	....	montages

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Sociedade Importadora de Filmes (SIF) (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #7929) | Canada:G (video rating) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Fred Astaire was first offered the leading role but turned it down.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: The boom mic's shadow falls across the back wall as Cohan and Harris head to the Western Union office.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Critic #1: I call it a hit. What'll your review say?
Critic #2: I like it too, so I guess I'll pan it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Blue Skies, Gray Skies

Focus on the dancing talent of James Cagney

There are many, many James Cagney films that show his enormous talent as an actor. He was equally at home in musicals, dramas and comedies. While I have always been a fan and appreciate his unusual scope, this movie in particular caught my eye and totally blew me away when the scene I'm about to describe unfolded.

Near the very end of the film Cagney's character (George M. Cohan) bids farewell to the President and leaves the room. There is a long, open staircase he starts walking down. As he walks you sense a bit of a bounce beginning to take over his step.....one that quickly gives way to an awesome dance as he navigates the stairway. Many will not note, but this dance was a fantastic achievement on two fronts. One, it was done in one "take"...that is, the camera never stopped; the scene never "cut." The camera stays with him in one shot all the way through. Second, Mr. Cagney never ONCE looks at his feet or down at the steps. It's almost impossible to WALK down a staircase without looking down or hanging on to a banister....this man DANCED down a staircase without benefit of seeing or touching anything.

Couple this feat with the brilliant display of "hoofing" he gives earlier in the film when he literally dances up the walls and you have a movie that deserves its "classic" rating. If you haven't seen it please make it a point to do so. Any movie that is awe inspiring 62 years later must be worth a peek, don't you agree?