Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

As William Jefferson Clinton turned over the Presidency to George W. Bush, I dusted off my copy of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" for another Inaugural Day viewing.

While many people remember Jimmy Cagney as the hoodlum, I think of his song-and-dance days. In fact, this was Cagney's own favorite movie. He started as a singer and hoofer and he felt this film was the reward he got for all those exhausting years in rehearsal halls - along with the Best Actor of 1942 Academy Award which was bestowed on him for playing George M. Cohan.

The biographical plot revolves around Cohan's rise from his family's vaudeville act to the great Broadway showman who produced 40 musicals and wrote more than 1,000 songs. The most impressive musical numbers in the film are "Yankee Doodle Boy," "Harrigan," "45 Minutes from Broadway," "Mary's a Grand Old Name," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and, of course, "Give My Regards to Broadway."

Production started on "Yankee Doodle Dandy" the day after Pearl Harbor - December 8, 1941. While producer Hal Wallis loyally maintained throughout his life that Cagney was his first choice for the role of Cohan, Cagney admitted to friends that he got the part only after Fred Astaire turned it down.

Jimmy Cagney's portrayal of such an all-American, patriotic man served to quiet murmurs that he was a "pinko" - at a time when Communist-baiting was on the rise.

The Irish-looking Cagney was, physically, perfect for the part. Cohan was 5'6" tall and Cagney was about 5'8" tall. They both weighed about 150 pounds. Cohan was blond, while Cagney was a red-head but, since the film is in black-and-white, that didn't seem to make a difference.

What's uncanny is how Cagney embodies Cohan - with his jutting jaw, his stiff-legged stride, his side-of-the-mouth singing and his habit of nodding and winking to express approval.

Cagney actually met the real Cohan only once. He had seen him on the stage but he felt that didn't count. What did count was a brief encounter in the office of an agent, Chamberlain Brown, where Cagney came for an interview for a show that Cohan was part of. The encounter obviously didn't go well, according to Cagney, because he never received a call-back.

"Yankee Doodle Dandy" received three other Oscars and eight nominations. Nathan Levinson won for Sound, while Heinz Roemheld and Ray Heindorf won for their musical scoring. While this film was indeed nominated for Best Picture, it lost out to "Mrs. Miniver." Robert Buckner's original story was nominated, as was Michael Curtiz's direction.

Why should you see "Yankee Doodle Dandy"? Because it's fun. It's one of the most cheerful, happy biographies ever made by the Hollywood film factory. And it celebrates a classic trouper.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12
Special Effects: Well at least you can't see the strings