Yankee Doodle Dandy (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1942) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Oh what an out-and-out joy is this film!
As you know by now, the amazing James Cagney sings, dances and acts his way through this rousing biopic of George M. Cohan. He's directed by Michael Curtiz, a director who apparently could work in any genre of movie, and produce masterpieces. Pull up his name on imdb and you'll see what I mean.
Anyways, the film traces his life from his infant vaudevillian beginnings to his conquering of Broadway. After seeing this, you'll know why there's a statue of Cohan in Times Square.
The acting, as expected, is top-notch, with the sweet Joan Leslie as his love interest Mary, Walter Huston as his dad; Cagney's sister plays Cagney's sister...but what will bring you to see this movie again and again are the musical interludes.
Cagney is simply spectacular. He is a comet, bouncing around the Broadway stage. His dancing often flirts with straight-out levitation. I swear there are times when his feet fly across the screen...
Then consider the songs..."Yankee Doodle Dandy", "Mary", "Give My Regards to Broadway" and the most patriotic song I've ever heard, "Over There."
That song was written for the troops of WW I, and this film was being made when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The way this one song is used in this film, I guarantee, will stay with you forever. And knowing that this movie was made during that time only enhances your experience...but I didn't know it until afterwards, and it made no difference.
And that leads to the one thing I feel is overlooked in most reviews of this film: the script. It's has a strong story, great lines, terrific set-pieces and delightful twists. It's funny as all-get-out, and heart-wrenching when you least expect it.
The movie is as American as can be...the rags-to-riches rise of the central figure in Broadway history (the Broadway musical being essentially an American creation), the way his family travels to all the new states as they are incorporated...the evolution of New York City...WW I...WW II...it's all here!
And from beginning to end, Cohan (and the filmmakers) wear their "Grand Old Flag" on their proverbial sleeves, proudly and unabashedly. Patriotism is a definite theme througout the film, rising to dizzying heights right before the credits. Patriotism portrayed simply and honestly, without any hard political bent or satirical edge.
The DVD, one of those sweet Warner 2-disc sets, is exemplary...great transfer, nice extras...bravo Warner, again, for treating your classics with respect.
It's inarguable: this is one of the great films of all time. I envy those of you about to see it for the first time, and I assure you it won't be your last!

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Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection (Irving Berlin's This Is the Army / Thank Your Lucky Stars / Hollywood Canteen) (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These are three musical comedies from the WWII era. It's been some time since I've seen "This is the Army". I've seen the other two pretty recently. I intersperse the press releases with my own remarks.
This is the Army (1942)
Press release:
Irving Berlin showed his abiding love for his adopted country with, among other cultural accomplishments, decades of Broadway hits, the unofficial national anthem "God Bless America" and the World War II spirit-lifter This Is the Army. On stage it featured 350 real-life GIs, giving their singing-and- dancing all to raise nearly $2 million (then an astronomical sum) for Army Emergency Relief.
My remarks:
Irving Berlin actually sings in this one - and not too well. According to one story, after Berlin sang "Oh How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning", one stagehand was overheard saying to another, "If the guy who wrote that could've heard how this guy just sang that song, he'd roll over in his grave." I got this story from someone over at imdb, but I can believe it happened. Great music, but a rather weak storyline. However, you have to remember at this point it was early in the war and the outcome was yet unknown. With everything on the line, people needed this kind of escapist entertainment.
Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)
Press Release:
Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, and Dinah Shore come out to play in the joyous World War II-era Thank Your Lucky Stars. A breezy, behind-the-Hollywood-scenes story about young talents hoping for a big break glitters with specialty numbers featuring Golden Era greats.
My remarks:
The best of the three films in the bunch, this film does something that nothing else on DVD does to my knowledge - gives us a large dose of Eddie Cantor. Eddie Cantor insists upon being chairman of the Cavalcade of Stars benefit show, in return for the use of his vocalist, Dinah Shore. Eddie keeps disrupting the show and insisting on doing things his way. To complicate matters, there is a certain cab driver who very closely resembles Eddie. In fact, he can't get hired as an actor because of the close resemblance. Eddie does a great job of playing both roles. Other stars performing in the film as themselves include Olivia De Havilland, John Garfield, Ida Lupino, Ann Sheridan, and Jack Carson.
Hollywood Canteen (1944)
The real Hollywood Canteen was the invention of John Garfield and Bette Davis. It was a place where the stars did not only the performing but also waited on the troops. This is a light romantic tale involving a couple of soldiers spending three nights at the Canteen before they must return to duty. As with the other movies, the main reason to watch is the great entertainment provided by the Warner stars.
BONUS FEATURES
New Warner at War Documentary
Star/Historian Commentary
Outtake Song and Restored Overture
Exit Music on Irving Berlin's This is the Army
PLUS - On All Three: Warner NIght at the Movies:
Gallery of Music/Patriotic Shorts
Cartoons
Newsreels
Trailers
This looks to be a great collection and I'm looking forward to viewing both the movies and the extras.

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Genre: War/MilitaryRating: NRRelease Date: 11-NOV-2008Media Type: DVD

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