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

Jun 24, 2006

Raucous, vulgar, over long.

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

May 20, 2003

5/5

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.

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Variety

Feb 13, 2001

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

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 29, 2025

4/4

How sensational is Cagney? The real George M. Cohan saw the film shortly before he died of cancer in 1942 and, marveling at Cagney’s performance, exclaimed, "My God, what an act to follow!"

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Ian Kane

Epoch Times

Jul 22, 2023

4.5/5

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

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Jul 4, 2022

4/5

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.

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bruce F

@bruce999 Aug 15, 2026

classic songs, and dances, especially 'i'm...a yankee doodle dandy'. truly a great movie to watch.

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Russ R

@RT50144048 Jul 5, 2025

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

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Eye C

@ECinc Apr 26, 2025

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

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Alec B

@Alec97 Feb 20, 2024

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

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Shay C

@RT56568166 Mar 11, 2023

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

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Mar 20, 2022

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

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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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