Very emotional and that’s from someone that is not from USA. Cagney is great.

Cagney is so damn great here, which is honestly all that matters.

Incredible dancing, feel good, and patriotic. You can't help but get a little choked up at the end. And I can't even imagine dancing down stairs.

A nice glimpse into a bygone era. Wholesome, funny.

Cagney is so damn great here, which is honestly all that matters.

Has me hooked every time I hear the opening score. It's a grand movie, has a unique blend of stars, music, prescence. Creative. Only musical I like.

"I know I have talent, even if I am from Buffalo." Though Yankee Doodle Dandy is certainly a somewhat dated film, that line is incredibly funny even today. And how dare Joan Leslie say that, when today, December 20, 2020, the Bills are celebrating their first AFC East title after a quarter century. The film is inoffensive and packed with musical numbers, light on conflict, big on nostalgia, and nearly worshiping the American Dream in a way that is only slightly more subdued than Frank Capra. In other words, it was the perfect wartime distraction for the United States, filled with energy and diversion. It is also clearly a product of its time, with its reverent treatment of theatre in the manner that early film so often used, as if paying tribute to a more estimable medium (before box office receipts started to favor the screen, at least), not to mention the Vaudevillian blackface. What has aged well in this film is Cagney, who gives off charisma as easily as if he were walking down the street; his energy is infectious and has hardly gathered a speck of dust. His performance, while somewhat straightforward here compared to some of his more complex roles, is note-perfect and stands out against some of the rather rough performances of some of the less prominent supporting cast. Technically, it's a mixed bag, incorporating some of James Wong Howe's distinctive and creative cinematography, but arranged somewhat sloppily from a narrative standpoint, with rough pacing and long musical numbers that aren't integrated as neatly as they should have been. A popular film in its time whose star has dulled somewhat. (3/5)

A puff piece of patriotic poxiness. Cagney thinks he can play a 20 year old at the start of the film dating a 17 year old. If that doesn't gross you out then the desperately nationalistic dirge that ensues certainly will. Another all ta dancing, all singing, all tedious rubbish from this era. I'm not a fan btw.

James Cagney plays Broadway's George M. Cohan, a role which won him an Academy Award. The funny thing is Cagney doesn't really sing or dance well in this movie, but his outstanding acting skills will make you think he could do all those things in "Yankee Doodle Dandy." The movie starts with Cohan making his way to FDR at the White House. When he meets FDR, Cohan starts telling his story, which is also the story of his mother, father and sister –an entertainment troupe known as the The Four Cohans. It becomes obvious during these flashbacks that George is the most talented of the family and eventually he breaks out onto his own to become one of Broadway's most popular stars, song writers, lyricists and producers. I learned a lot about George M. Cohan watching this movie. I knew his name, but I didn't know just how famous he was having written some of the most popular songs of the World War I period. Besides "Yankee Doodle Boy" he also gave us "Over There," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Give My Regards to Broadway." He was a musical genius although at one point he writes a non-musical drama that shows even the most talented can sometimes produce a bomb. The short scenes with FDR in "Yankee Doodle Dandy" are rather meaningless in the grand scheme of this movie's story except for one reason – Cohan was the first ‘song and dance man' as he puts it to receive a Congressional Medal of Honor for his work and song "Over There," which FDR says were a symbol of the American spirit and helped America become victorious in World War I. I can't help but think that George M. Cohan is someone we need right now during these difficult times.

Nothing special and often cringe worthy

great songs, unashamed patriotism

Yankee Doodle Dandy is a biopic detailing the life of George M. Cohan. If you’re like me, and that name means nothing to you, he was a famous entertainer who is responsible for writing a number of famous songs we’d all recognize (including the titular song.) It was a tough story for me to get into because, from a young age, George is shown to be a cocky person. He thinks highly of himself, and isn’t afraid to say it either. Because of that personality trait and his unfailing determination, James Cagney was a good choice to play him. Cagney can portray that kind of braggart quite well. However, I just don’t see James Cagney as a song-and-dance man. His singing voice is not good, and he doesn’t have the stage presence of a man I’d expect to headline a big show. He’s a more convincing gangster than he is an entertainer. The story has some interesting ups-and-downs, and George does pay the price for his bad attitude, but I simply wasn’t all that invested in him as a character. The songs were the high point for me, even if I wish someone else were singing rather than Cagney. It’s a fine film, with a few exciting moments, but most of it didn’t work that well for me.

I have loved this movie since I first saw it on tv reruns at about age 10. Jimmy Cagney was so fantastic in it.

A relatively average movie saved by amazing musical numbers and James Cagney's amazing performance as Cohan. Feels like a firework being set off. His energy glows from the stage directly to the viewer. Worth owning and rewatching.

This fast-moving, fast-talking, fast-singing depiction of renowned playwright/musician/performer George M. Cohan's life is most notable for -- much like the subject at its center -- acting as a patriotic reminder of self-confidence during a time when the future of America was a little bit uncertain. What contemporary critics may notice about the film may range from the catchy song work, to the incredible dance numbers, or the earnest, old-fashioned feel to it all. But what this viewer took most to heart was the unceasingly charismatic, kinetic, and electrical performance at the center of the film. Taking home a much deserved Academy Award for his performance, James Cagney absolutely carries this movie on his shoulders from scene to scene, not only proving that he can turn on the charm and amiability like the best of Hollywood's leading men, but that he can dance too! And, man, what a dancer he is. Overall, this was a true delight of a musical biography, elucidating the -- mostly factual -- life of a man whose art really did inspire the best in a country's people. It's good stuff!

AFI 100 Greatest Films - #100 : I am not normally a fan of the biopic genre and enjoyed this one way more than I expected, largely because of Cagney. While having no previous impression of Cohan I can't speak to Cagney's authenticity in the role but his energy, charisma and overall likability is undeniable and surely what places this on AFI's list. This film can be viewed in another context too when taking into account the year it was released, causing some of the lines to begin to have a propagandist tone. The fact that I am still humming multiple numbers hours later has me worried I may break into spontaneous dance any minute.

Cagney is a man who can make anyone sensational, Curtiz is amazing always and the whole set takes the extra mile to make this the greatest non-musical film ever.

An undeniable standout in the show-biz-centric musicals of the era. Where most are disposable song-and-dance-and-not-much-else tales, this takes a deeper look at the changing of trends and the difficulty of relevance. Clearly influenced by the experimentation of Citizen Kane, it boasts cool cinematography and solid editing. Cagney (when not being asked to sing) is great, playing the flawed but lovable song-and-dance man. Even if it isn't as transcendent as its reputation holds, it's still a noble good time.

James Cagney moves from King of the Gangsters to a song and dance man in this sugary sweet Hollywood biopic of George M. Cohan. Looking at it from a view of sentimentality and admiring Cagney's versatile performance we can ignore the storyline's pitfalls of not really following Cohan's life. The dance numbers as illustrious and Cagney has quite the voice. He would win the 1942 Best Actor Oscar for his role; which was definitely deserved. One of the finest black and white musicals out there.

James Cagney gives the performance of a lifetime in this celebration of America.