Number 98 of the AFI Top 100 is a film I usually watch on the 4th of July, Yankee Doodle Dandy.  This film is a classic in every sense of the word.  Great music, great dancing, great acting, great dialogue, great direction, etc…  And so much charm.  James Cagney is infectious.

TCM gives this synopsis for Yankee Doodle Dandy:

A musical portrait of composer/singer/dancer George M. Cohan. From his early days as a child-star in his family’s vaudeville show up to the time of his comeback at which he received a medal from the president for his special contributions to the US, this is the life- story of George M. Cohan, who produced, directed, wrote and starred in his own musical shows for which he composed his famous songs.

The film was released in 1942, right at the start of WWII.  The Warners were 100% behind the war effort.  During a time when most other studios felt the general public had grown tired of war films, they continued to make them calling it their duty.  As with Yankee Doodle Dandy, when they did make a light-hearted film, it had plenty of flag-waving.  There were three premieres; one in London, one in New York, and one in Los Angeles.  To attend, the cost of a ticket was a U.S. War Bond.  That was a different era.

My favorite line in the movie comes during a scene in which Cohan and his producing partner are visiting a very famous actress to convince her to be in their next production.  Her manager says, “Miss Templeton hasn’t seen your work.”  To which George M. Cohan replies, “Oh?  Been sick or in Europe?”

It’s a story of what being persistent and believing in yourself can do for you.  We could learn a lot from George M. Cohan.  Nobody will have confidence in you unless you first have confidence in yourself.  And Cohan had that in spades.

Mr. Michael Curtiz of Casablanca fame directed this film, calling it the “pinochle of his career.”  That is saying a lot.  He’s got to be one of the most well-rounded directors ever.  He could do it all.  He’s made some of my favorite films of the classic era.  This is a quote by Mr. Curtiz on his goal as a filmmaker:

To make the best pictures I can that will give audiences their money’s worth; to please myself as much as I can without forgetting that the pleasure of my audiences comes first.  Thus only do I think I can make any substantial contribution to the art of motion pictures.

And if you like James Cagney in this, you should check out Footlight Parade. Also check out White Heat and Man of a Thousand Faces. Both very different performances that show you the kind of range he had.