May, 1042 – Yankee Doodle Dandy tells the story of a man with many hats. George M. Cohan, composer, dancer, playwright, singer, actor and producer, is brilliantly played by James Cagney. When Cohan decided to sell the rights to his story to Warner Brothers, he insisted Cagney play him. It was the perfect choice.
Cagney’s enthusiastic singing and dancing as the consummate showman begins with Cohan’s family experiences in vaudeville. We see him as part of the Four Cohans, his big break with Peck’s Bad Boy, a long and successful association with producer Sam Harris, continuing right up to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presenting him with a medal for his contributions to the American Musical Theater.
Yankee Doodle Dandy will entertain audiences with its nostalgia and inspire them with its patriotism for many years to come.
Starring – James Cagney (George M. Cohan), Joan Leslie (Mary Cohan), Walter Huston (Jerry Cohan), Richard Whorf (Sam Harris).
Description – A very entertaining story based on the life of renowned musical composer George M. Cohan. This film is packed with wonderful music and stars the perfectly cast James Cagney as the dancing vaudevillian.
Cagney’s dynamic performance highlights the story of Cohan’s life from child-star in his family’s vaudeville act to his entertainment comeback that earned him a medal from the president for his contributions to the United States.
Though somewhat Hollywood-ized, the film takes great care in reproducing the costumes, set design, and dance steps from the original stage presentations.
NOTABLE: The film won three Oscars; Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Cagney), Best Music, Scoring of an Original Picture, and Best Sound Recording. Five other nominations included Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Walter Huston), Best Director (Michael Curtiz), Best Writing Original Story, and Best Film Editing.
In 1993 the film was selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry.
The film is ranked #18 on the list of 100 Years of Musicals by the American Film Institute.
Yankee Doodle Dandy was the first computer-colorized film released be Ted Turner.
Actor James Cagney again played George M. Cohan in the film The Seven Little Foys. Cagney refused to be paid for this film offering his services as a tribute to Eddie Foy.
Actress Jeanne Cagney plays the role of Cohan’s sister and in real-life is the sister of James Cagney. Cagney’s brother William was the Associate Producer for the film.
This was Warner Brothers second highest-grossing film of 1942.
Premiere magazine ranked James Cagney’s performance 6th on its 100 Greatest Performances of All Time.
Cold-blooded murder, gang wars and explosions – was it a Hollywood production? No, it was the streets of Chicago during the 1920’s. The publics fascination with real crime and gangsters was a guilty pleasure that helped generate huge profits for Hollywood. What was happening on the streets during the 20’s would fuel the popularity of the crime and gangster movie genre in the 1930’s and 1940’s. So much so, that a new classification of movie emerged – film noir.
The history of the crime and gangster movie has its roots in the silent films of the early part of the 20th century. However, it wasn’t until the late 1920’s through the 30’s that these films became a bit more lifelike to moviegoers. The high-profile existence of actual gangsters, their crimes, and the amount of puplicity they received caused this movie genre to flourish. These included notorious names such as Al Capone and John Dillinger. Gangsters became as widely identifiable to the general public as presidents. On the movie screen, these characters were often portrayed as being money hungry, violent and inclined to shoot first and ask questions later. Film-goers loved it!
May, 1931 - Warner Brothers, fresh off the success of their gangster film Little Caesar starring Edward G. Robinson, has found a new star capable of effectively carrying both a gun and a film. James Cagney, a former vaudeville song-and-dance man, provided a dynamic performance as hoodlum Tom Powers in the Warner production of Public Enemy.
Originally slated to play the second lead to Edward Woods, it took only a few views of the daily rushes for Director William Wellman to realize Cagney was the better choice to play the snarling lead in this fast-paced portrait of the rise and fall of a vicious criminal.
Public Enemy, along with Little Caesar (1930) and Scarface (1932) opened the door to a whole new genre – the gangster film. This film made James Cagney a star and turned the grapefruit into an unlikely, but unforgettable, weapon. The final scene carries with it the perfect example for the old saying "crime does not pay."
Starring – James Cagney (Tom Powers), Jean Harlow (Gwen Allen), Edward Woods (Matt Doyle), Joan Blondell (Mamie), Donald Cook (Mike Powers).
Description – This is the fast-paced story of vicious criminal Tom Powers and his rise in the probation-era underworld. There is a fortune to be made in the bootlegging business and Tom wants it all.
Using violence as his tool, Tom soon gets what he wanted – and more. Strongly devoted to his widowed mother, and increasingly distant from his war veteran brother Mike, Tom success as a gangster continues until greed gets the better of him.
A great Cagney portrayal with a “crime doesn’t pay” finale, The Public Enemy is a classic.
NOTABLE: This film was nominated for and won an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story.
In 1998 the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
This film as been rated #8 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 10 greatest films in the “Gangster” genre.
James Cagney was not originally considered for the role of Tom Powers, but after Director William A. Wellman saw Cagney in rehearsals he realized the actor would be perfect for the role. The rest is cinematic history as Cagney’s portrayal was excellent.
Enjoy the famous grapefruit in the face scene with Cagney and actress Mae Clarke. Originally done as a joke on the crew, Director Wellman liked the scene so much he kept it in the film. In fact, for a number of years afterward, when dining in restaurants James Cagney often had grapefruits sent to his table from other diners. And most graciously, he would eat them.
The scene where Cagney’s character shoots and kills a horse was based on an actual event as noted in Carl Safikis’, ‘Encyclopedia Of American Crime’.
Personal Comment: This film is also included in the great Warner Bros. Gangster Collection Vol. 1 and has to also be considered a must see for gangster movie fans. Another excellent movie experience.
Starring – James Cagney (Ralph Cotter), Barbara Payton (Holiday Carleton), Helena Carter (Margaret Dobson), Ward Bond (Inspector Charles Weber), Luther Adler (Keith ‘Cherokee’ Mandon, Barton MacLane (Lt. John Reese).
Description – After escaping prison, ruthless gangster Ralph Cotter murders his former partner in crime. Returning to a life of crime, Ralph is immediately successful until running into a couple of corrupt cops who intend to shake him down.
A classic B gangster movie, violent and fact-paced as only Cagney can do it.
NOTABLE: This film was banned in Ohio where they felt it was “a sordid presentation of brutality and an extreme presentation of crime with explicit steps in commission.”
This film was produced by James Cagney’s brother William.
