Yankee Doodle Dandy

Who but theatre historians now bother with George M Cohan, author of songs like 'Mary's a Grand Old Name' and shows like 45 Minutes from Broadway? No one. But everyone remembers Cagney's impersonation, pitched as it is at fever level, even higher up the thermometer than Curtiz' direction or Ray Heindorf's musical arrangements. This was just the film to bombard American theatres with after Pearl Harbor: full of rousing sentiments and songs ('You're a Grand Old Flag', 'Over There' - Cohan's chief contribution to WWI), all designed to steel the morale of every patriot. Now it seems raucous, vulgar, over long; but if you like slick jobs, this is certainly one of the slickest.