Product Description

Yankee Doodle Dandy: Special Edition (Dbl DVD)

Legendary actor James Cagney stars in the role for which he won an Academy Award--the life of singer, dancer and songwriter George M. Cohan, a true Yankee Doodle Dandy. This non-stop musical tour de force sings, dances and celebrates the life and career of a music man who lifted a nation, the first entertainer awarded the United States Congressional Medal of Honor for his contribution to morale. From his early days as a vaudeville performer to his stardom on Broadway, George M. Cohan composed the songs that defined his generation. Directed with gusto by Michael (Casablanca) Curtiz, the film has long been a national treasure, winning 2 additional Academy Awards (Best Musical Score and Best Sound Recording), and was nominated for 5 additional Academy Awards. The film was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1993. as a work of enduring importance to American culture. Special Features: Leonard Maltin hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1942 with Casablanca trailer, 1942 newsreel, Warner Bros. short "Beyond the Call of Duty", Warner Bros. vintage cartoon "Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid"; James Cagney in wartime short "You, John Jones"; Yankee Doodle Dandy theatrical trailer; Let Freedom Sing!: The Story of Yankee Doodle Dandy documentary; audio commentary with Warner Bros. historian Rudy Behlmer; "John Travolta remembers James Cagney" featurette; audio-only extras - radio show and pre-recording session outtakes/rehearsals; vintage Warner Bros. cartoon "Yankee Doodle Daffy".

Set Contains:

Two 45-minute documentaries highlight the Yankee Doodle Dandy two-DVD set. Michael J. Fox hosts James Cagney: Top of the World, a 1992 biography of the film's star that incorporates a rare audio interview with footage and photos from his film and stage career. Let Freedom Sing! The Story of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" is a 2003 exploration of the film itself, including George M. Cohan's tight control over the project (he wanted Fred Astaire to play him) and profiles of the cast and crew (Joan Leslie, who played Cohan's wife, is interviewed and still looks lovely over 60 years later). Of course some material overlaps both documentaries, such as how a Communist accusation compelled Cagney to pursue this ultra-patriotic project, and how news of Pearl Harbor arrived during filming. Other significant features are historian Rudy Behlmer's trivia-laden commentary track and the nightmarish 1943 short "You, John Jones," in which Cagney is forced to envision his daughter (a pre-Meet Me in St. Louis Margaret O'Brien) suffering in wartime conditions around the world. The transfer isn't as eye-popping as on some of Warner's classics, but of course the chief reason to celebrate is that a great musical is finally available on DVD with plenty of interesting features. --David Horiuchi