Episode 142 - Yankee Doodle Dandy

With its theatrical release a few months after the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” from 1942 is a tribute to the musical career of George M. Cohan. This is a well-crafted and patriotic film. Michael Curtiz had a career as Director of over 150 films in Europe and then the U.S. He left no stone unturned when it came to putting this movie together. James Cagney as George M. Cohan embodies the patriotic fervor of the time and gives a performance that earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and revived his career. Mary Cohan played by Joan Leslie is a composite of Mr. Cohan’s two wives. Walter Huston as Jerry Cohan, Rosemary DeCamp as Nellie Cohan, Richard Whorf as Sam Harris, Jeanne Cagney as Josie Cohan and a fine cast add to the film’s story and more than twenty musical numbers. While watching the film we reminded ourself to view it from the perspective of 1942 and not 2020. The film was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won in 3 categories.