#98: Yankee Doodle Dandy

Last night David & I watched #98 on the AFI top 100 list, Yankee Doodle Dandy. It was my favorite so far, with the music, the acting - it was just fabulous. Yes, it's a gung-ho patriotic film, with its fair share of cheesiness, and definitely some historical innaccuracies, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable film. Fun to watch, with several sentimental moments thrown in.

Yankee Doodle Dandy is based on George M. Cohan's life. While I recognized the name, I didn't realize just what an impact he had on theater. He was born into a theatrical family, and was raised travelling the country, performing in small and big towns. From vaudeville to Broadway, this movie does a great job of showcasing Cohan's successes and it was very entertaining. But I love musicals. The songs, the dance....

I know that James Cagney was an excellent actor, and I think this role really showcased his skills. I also can't help but think actresses in that time were much prettier than actresses now. I know that's probably terrible to think about their looks, and certainly I'm generalizing, but I just look at these women in the older movies we've watched and think "wow, they are beautiful" - there's just something about them.

Up next: Blade Runner...just checked the library website & one copy is lost & the other is checked out.