Erlanger: He's the most original thing that ever hit Broadway. And do you know why? Because he's the whole darn country squeezed into one pair of pants. His writing, his songs, why even his walk and his talk. They all touch something way down here in people. Don't ask me why it is, but it happens every time the curtain goes up. It's pure magic.
George Cohen: My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.
This movie was better than I was expecting, and just as bad as Tyler was expecting.
He is not a fan of musicals, not even musicals with a lot of military songs (George M. Cohen originals, like Over There, The Yankee Doodle Boy, and You're a Grand Old Flag).
I tried to negotiate with him -if he watched Yankee Doodle Dandy with me, I would watch Blade Runner with him -but it was a no go. The clever fellow picked up on the fact that Blade Runner is on the list too (#97), and that I will therefore be watching it anyway. He caught just enough of it to know it was not for him.
I actually thought it was pretty good. It's a biopic about George M. Cohen, a big name in musical theater. He's played by James Cagney, who was amazing (he won the Academy Award for Best Actor). I wasn't a big fan of his singing voice, but his performance was terrific, and he's an amazing dancer. I don't think I've ever seen him in anything before, so I don't know if that's how he normally sings, or if he was impersonating Cohen's singing voice. If he was impersonating Cohen, then I redact my comment.
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| James Cagney and a photo of the real George M. Cohen. |
The movie was made in 1942, so I have to try to put myself into the mindset of someone from that time, in the midst of WWII. It's extremely patriotic (Cohen: "It seems it always happens. Whenever we get too high-hat and too sophisticated for flag-waving, some thug nation decides we're a push-over all ready to be blackjacked. And it isn't long before we're looking up, mighty anxiously, to be sure the flag's still waving over us."), which isn't especially in vogue now for a lot of people, but was important for people at the time. The movie that beat Yankee Doodle Dandy at the Academy Awards was Mrs. Miniver, another movie designed to raise war-time spirits.
The story was cute. It showed Cohen growing up traveling with his parents and sister as part of a vaudeville act, and then making his way to Broadway with gumption, talent, and the occasional flare up of his ego.
The musical numbers were great, but did start to drag in the later half of the movie.
A third person watched part of the movie with me, and that was my 1 year-old niece. She was riveted, and applauded at the end of the songs, so a strong endorsement from that age group.
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| As soldiers sing Over There: Sergeant on parade: What's the matter, old timer? Don't you remember this song? George M. Cohan: Seems to me I do. |
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