Yankee Doodle Dandy, 1942
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Writing credits: Robert Buckner (also story), Edmund Joseph
Starring:
James Cagney .... George M. Cohan
Joan Leslie .... Mary Cohan
Walter Huston .... Jerry Cohan
Richard Whorf .... Sam Harris
Irene Manning .... Fay Templeton
George Tobias .... Dietz
Rosemary DeCamp .... Nellie Cohan
Jeanne Cagney .... Josie Cohan
Academy Awards:
Best Actor: James Cagney
Best Music/Scoring of a Picture
Bio-pic on the life of George M. Cohan, who started life as part of the vaudvillian troop "The Four Cohans" with his family, and went on to write many memorable, patriotic Broadway shows and songs, many of which are still well known:
"Grand Old Flag"
"Over There"
"Mary"
"Give My Regards to Broadway"
"Harrigan"
and the title "Yankee Doodle Boy" from Little Johnny Jones
"My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I thank you."
The film came out in 1942, just as the US was entering World War II; watching the film, you definately get that sense.