Yankee Doodle Dandy

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Yankee Doodle Dandy

1942

2h 6m

Musical

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Brought to the White House to receive a Congressional Gold Medal from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Broadway legend George M. Cohan (James Cagney) reflects on his life. Flashbacks trace Cohan's rise, from a childhood performing in his family's vaudeville act to his early days as a struggling Tin Pan Alley songwriter to his overwhelming success as an actor, writer, director and producer known for patriotic songs like Yankee Doodle Dandy, You're a Grand Old Flag and Over There.

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Critics Consensus

James Cagney deploys his musical gifts to galvanizing effect in Yankee Doodle Dandy, a celebration of patriotic fervor as much as it is a biopic of George M. Cohan.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Raucous, vulgar, over long.

Jun 24, 2006

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

You will find as warm and delightful a musical picture as has hit the screen in years, a corking good entertainment and as affectionate, if not as accurate, a film biography as has ever -- yes, ever -- been made.

Rated: 5/5

May 20, 2003

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Variety

Yankee Doodle Dandy is rah-rah, no matter how you slice it.

Feb 13, 2001

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Ian Kane

Epoch Times

“Yankee Doodle Dandy” harks back to the golden days of cinema and is exceptional even among Hollywood’s greatest musicals.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 22, 2023

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

A perfect tribute to a figure who embodied Broadway musicals and its patriotic jingles during the First World War.

Mar 7, 2023

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Yankee Doodle Dandy might take liberties with Cohan's life but Cagney is at his finest in this celebration of the musical multi-hyphenate entertainer.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 4, 2022

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Russ R

Excellent piece of Americana. If you trashed this classic Hollywood gem, you probably don't belong here.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

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Eye C

Very emotional and that’s from someone that is not from USA. Cagney is great.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/26/25

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Alec B

Cagney is so damn great here, which is honestly all that matters.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

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Sara B

Incredible dancing, feel good, and patriotic. You can't help but get a little choked up at the end. And I can't even imagine dancing down stairs.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/04/23

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Shay C

A nice glimpse into a bygone era. Wholesome, funny.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/11/23

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Audience Member

Cagney is so damn great here, which is honestly all that matters.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Michael Curtiz

Director

James Cagney

George M. Cohan

Joan Leslie

Mary

Walter Huston

Jerry Cohan

Richard Whorf

Sam Harris

George Tobias

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Synopsis

Brought to the White House to receive a Congressional Gold Medal from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Broadway legend George M. Cohan (James Cagney) reflects on his life. Flashbacks trace Cohan's rise, from a childhood performing in his family's vaudeville act to his early days as a struggling Tin Pan Alley songwriter to his overwhelming success as an actor, writer, director and producer known for patriotic songs like Yankee Doodle Dandy, You're a Grand Old Flag and Over There.

Director: Michael Curtiz
Screenwriter: Robert Buckner, Edmund Joseph
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 7, 2016
Runtime: 2h 6m

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