This is why It's called The Golden Age of Hollywood. When was the last time you saw a Movie that made you feel the way this movie makes you feel, the way you do. As it ends.
None- they try, but the magic just isn't there anymore, perhaps the innocence is gone, we're 'too knowing, too cynical' to just enjoy spectacles like this anymore- makes me deeply sad.
You know it wasn't planned for him to dance down the steps, he said he just did it spontaneously, and it worked wonderfully. Cagney is great. I watch this every July 4th.
He said the director couldn't believe he did that. "Are you nuts?", He asked him. "You could have fallen and broken your neck!" To which Cagney replied, "Not a chance, It's in my contract, I don't do stunt work."
The clip contains one of the greatest and most famous ab libs in movie history. Originally, the scene just called for James Cagney as George M. Cohan to walk down the stairs. Cagney, on his own, just broke into the dance steps & was later scored with "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and the moment became golden for generations of movie fans.
Because it epitomized what the movie was about. The human spirit of hard work, perseverance, exuberance, freedom of expression, of pure joy and happiness of just being alive, entertaining others and making them feel good about themselves and their country. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-" To use the talents that God has given you to make life both better for yourself and for others. That is what that little dance down the stairs symbolises. It's what made the subject of the movie - George Cohen played by the immortal James Cagney, worthy of your country's deep and abiding respect. It was a symbol of what it once meant to be an American. You should certainly cherish that spirit, remember it well...celebrate it and keep it alive so that others can follow in the footsteps of the likes of your Cohen's and Cagney 's and help to Make America Great Again.
James Cagney was so talented! They don’t make movies like they used to. Back then , people had to sing, dance and act to be a star. Today anyone can be a star for doing nothing significant. I absolutely love old movies! I am 31 years old and I love all those antique classics!
@JadeZee He did! I knew the gentleman who played the guitar for this, the late Alton (Al) Hendrickson and he said Cagney did improvise this scene. Cagney was one of the greatest tap dancers ever!, and Alton Hendrickson was the greatest guitar player ever!
This is one movie I never get tired of watching. James Cagney will always be George M. Cohen. What a marvelous actor and person he was. Thank you Mr. Cohen and Mr. Cagney for the legacy you both left behind for us to enjoy. Las Vegas, NV June 17, 2019
I've always loved this movie; the final scene never fails to bring tears to my eyes. James Cagney was and is one of the greatest actors of all time. Portraying a vicious criminal, check. Comedy, song and dance man, straight drama, check, check, and check. The man could do it all. Thank you for posting this; with the 4th of July just around the corner, it's a perfect time to watch the whole movie!
@@jeaninefrank8019 You cry because the National Socialists got their butts kicked. BTW, the blacks, Asians and Mexicans don't need some whitebread snowflake to speak for them.
@@oldschool1993 Agreed, people would call this ‘racist, homophobic, sexist’ and whole lotta shit now. But me and you? We think this is a masterpiece of the American Spirit. Don’t care what you say, this is a masterpiece. And the snowflake thing? True. Just watch EMMA, Compare that and this then tell me what you think, pal.
The late Richard Attenborough once said in a TV interview that he loved the way movies could lift us up or make us cry or smile. He confessed that his favourite schmaltzy moment in all Cinema was Cagney tapping down those White House stairs !!
william wright: I, too, cry @ movies, just None out of Hollywood 4 sev-eral decades... rarely. Garbage nowadays. Clint Eastwood is 'on' 2 something: mak-ing movies w/ real people that don't have an Agenda of hating America.
Every time I see this scene I am blown away by Cagney’s dancing talent. I like to consider myself a film buff and I rate that scene as one of the most memorable of all time.
I am Australian but I have always loved this movie along with my late parents. This song always moved me to tears and I can still remember my father's feet tapping every time he heard it to. James Cagney was a favourite in my household.
This is one of my favorite movies. The man could dance! I saw a clip of Cagney and Bob Hope dancing and they were great. Seems like most people loved Cagney except his children.
OMG, I first watched this when I was in 8th grade, and to this day I'm 52 I get that incredible feeling I had when I was 13. Classic! Just inspiring :}
Saw this when I was pre-teen, and watched it more times than any movie ever. I smiled, laughed and cried over scenes, but this ending was by far the most heart wrenching. I was inspired and in awe of that staircase dance. Still can't get enough of it to this day, 60 years after first seeing it. No wonder it was Cagney's favorite role, and of course my top movie of all time.
Dancing down the stairs a the end of the film was all ad-libbed! Can you imagine tap-dancing down that long staircase? Only the one and ONLY Jimmy Cagney could!
@@lbcharlie05 James Cagney was dancing long before he got into acting because he is from a long line of entertainers who learned their craft doing vaudeville until making movies came along!
I had no idea, the dance was ad- libbed🤭. Cagney, was a genius, only wanted to be a ‘song and dance’ man apparently. I read somewhere, he wanted the roll so much, he offered to do it without a fee❤️ don’t know if there’s any truth to it. Much loved, and greatly missed😢
I love this movie. It goes straight to the heart when James Cagney (as George M. Cohan) says, "My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I assure you, I thank you." Terri Johnson
This film really does my heart good. Great actor, great composer, great movie, in one of the greatest closing scenes of any movie in my lifetime. I am eternally grateful to James Cagney, George M. Cohan, President Roosevelt and the United States of America. We are so fortunate to be Americans.
All I can say about him dancing down the steps is, "kids, don't try this at home." What an amazing guy! James Cagney won his only Academy Award for best actor for this film. Incredible talent!
This is very patriotic and I love it, questioning authority when you think it's wrong is also very patriotic, and most importantly your right to do so as an American.
And Cagney appeared as Cohan again in "The Seven Little Foys" (1955), as a favor to Bob Hope. He refused to accept any salary for his appearance because the real Eddie Foy was a mentor to him when he first entered show business {even gave him a place to sleep when he couldn't afford a cheap hotel or boarding house to stay in}.
"Jimmy Cagney did a SUPERB version of Cohan!!!!, he put his heart into this movie for sure, Cagney was not only a great dance man and actor, but a very strong Patriot, and he put his feelings in this movie"!!!! 😉🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great scenes (thank you for posting these together). And look at the respect given to the US President Roosevelt in this scene. They filmed from the side and back as was customary in those days (and a fine FDR 'interpretation' by Capt. Jack Young playing President Roosevelt). Great patriotism without being in your face. A classic from Jimmy Cagney (and it was filmed starting on December 8, 1941 for the next 5-6 weeks, right after Pearl Harbor and during the furious Wake Island battle).
This movie gets my patriotic heart pumping. Great music. Just watching this clip brought tears of pride for my country. May God continue to bless America. And, may we continue to deserve it!
I remember sitting with my dad every year watching this great movie. My dad is long since gone but I still watch this movie every year and sometimes I'll pull out the DVD or VHS and just watch it. This is the best movie ever. I tear up all the time.
Every time I watch this scene I get so teared up and overly emotional... And I'm not even American! I consider myself lucky that my parents raised me on classic movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s. I feel like this didn't only help me become more well versed in the art of cinema, but it contributed in me becoming a better person as well.
George M Cohen was dying (Look it up) when this movie was made. Hollywood rushed to make the movie before George M Chen died. He was dying of Cancer of the Stomach in 1942. He died on November 5 1942 at the darkest period of when the US was in WWII when this movie was made. The movie had a huge effect on the sale of war bonds in the US and UK where the Allied powers got major funding to fight and beat the Axis! There were a lot of changes that were made in the movie that were not factually correct to make the movie more patriotic since we were fighting another World War. However, its a brilliant movie and I love watching it!
Cagney was a young man when this was made, and at the height of his physical condition. Certainly one of the finest all-round entertainers of all time.
They finished the cut, and Cohan's family sent their lawyer out to see it. He was a typical, cynical New Yorker type; seen it all, knows it all, bored with it all. He had been the Cohan lawyer for a long time. They were in the screening room, and the lawyer was sitting back in a big lounge chair. Jack Warner was seated close enough that he could touch the chair. As they got to the last scenes Warner realized that the lounge chair was shaking a little. And then he realized that the lawyer was crying.
@@geewhizz1970 Nope, the traitorous republican party has led us closer and closer to totalitarianism by letting the corrupt, criminal trump get away with whatever he wants. The original post here was made when President Obama was in office, not the sexual assaulter trump, who recently wished ghislaine maxwell well.
@@michaelcharlesmiller Time will tell who the real traitors are in this country, the book-burning lemmings of the MSM and their technocrats, and their Marxist/Leninist bots.
My daughter is the same age (26) and she and I watched old movies late at night by ourselves. We really bonded over them and she also felt that the "old" stars were so handsome. We are always comparing today's stars and they just don't measure up! I watched the same movies with my own mom-most of them were before even her time!
Only James Cagney could do that with a dance and that is really him doing it, such a class act! I thought he was really great in the movie (Mr. Roberts) with Henry Fonda, William Powell, Ward Bond, Jack Lemmon.
I could watch this film with my mum at one side and my grandchildren at the other side and not be embarrassed by any thing we saw or heard. Now that's entertainment for you.!!!😁😁😁😁🐈
I sit and watch it over and over again. Can't believe it looks so easy for the guy and I can't imagine me trying it! Cagney was in a class all his own.
They were shooting this movie when Dec. 7, 1941 happened. On the set the next day Jimmy had all the cast and crew together. He said a prayer, and told everyone "Now, our job is to make the best movie we can for the United States, and all our people." Wonderful movie; one of my favorites. And James Cagney was an American treasure!
I grew up on Cagney in Brooklyn being baby sat by my granny. She would sit me down and say "Now today we're gonna watch Jimmy Cagney the world's greatest Irishman!" I stopped counting my watches of YDD after 51! How 'bout a shout out to Irene Manning for a dazzling Faye Templeton!!
I grew up watching many of the old classics. we only have a few of these great stars left and now there are none to take their place. We have many good actors today nothing on the caliber of what the golden era of old Hollywood produced. I know the studio system had its' problems, but those studios produced some truly great stars. I am glad we are able to watch these old movies still. I do miss the occasional re-releases they used to do of some of the classic films in major theaters. thank you
I never tire of watching the stair dance, even though it frustrates me not being able to follow it close enough to be able to copy it it I had to. And he improved it! Cagney's performing gifts were never ending!
I always thought I'd like to own one of Cagney's suits from this film, but now I want the shoes he wore going down the stairs at the end. Those would be priceless.
I wonder if anyone has ever watched this without crying? As a kid (probably about 10 or so), Million Dollar Movie showed this movie every night for a solid week. It was the only time in my childhood that I got my way and my father put it on every one of those nights. I didn't know it until years later, but the only reason he did it was because everyone laughed when I started crying...I never knew that until I was an adult. I still find it kind of sad that the rest of my family was so cruel and heartless.
Angela Roquemore That makes it so much more powerful for the audience - it is like we are in on an inside joke. We’d all love to tell that soldier and watch his look of amazement! What a great movie ending’
This is the best film of its time, some come & some go, but, this Film keeps coming & going with tear stained eyes I keep watching it. I'm sentimental about this Film.
It is true that dance sequence down the stairs was not scripted and it was Cagney who felt that it would be a great finale...turned out to be one of the highlights of an unforgetable film. Cagney was quite an athlete. In the restored colour footage of Gold Diggers 0f 1929 two male dancers come on and do some remarkable tap dancing (including somersaults and landing on the heads). The one on the right with the red hair is presumed to be a young Cagney. Watching that rare footage is like watching the formation of a cosmic star.
It's interesting to think that, at the time this was being filmed, America had just entered WW2, so this song took on a significant meaning. This was a wonderful movie that no doubt helped increase patriotic fervor during those tense times of WW2, but even today, it's still a very enjoyable film!
When I see this it reminds me how lucky we are to live in this great country of ours . When I was young every kid knew all the words of all the Cohen songs . God bless the U.S.A.
Stay proud of your Irish forefathers. There was a time in Boston and New York and other Northeast cities the Irish were villianized. There were signs in shop windows , NINA.(no Irish need apply) They had their own schools, and becauae mist werw Catholic, their own churches. Talk about segregation. Thank heavens those days are behind us. Remember..JFK was an Irish American!!🇺🇸🇺🇸
I have watched this movie every year for over 65 years. I saw the play "Cagney" on Broadway, and think he was the greatest actor of all time. I also loved him in "Strawberry Blond", West Point Story, City For Conquest and Mr. Roberts! His acting range was incredible! His gangsters and criminals were scary! RIP James Cagney! From an Italian immigrant family.
@@johnjones5354 Then you probably don't remember the commercial:" You don't have to be Jewish to Love Levy's." (rye bread)? Just like you don't have to be Irish to love James Cagney or Yankee Doodle Dandy! That was the point I was trying to convey to Craig Clarke.
Tears come to my eyes with pride in MY Country listening to those who went before! And tears for the fact that Shit Holes like Seattle, WA would protest this song and it's sentiment! Now if that doesn't just make you mad!
Who Else But The Late Great James Cagney To Play The Late Song And Dance Man George M.Cohan,In 1942 Film Classic "Yankee Doodle Dandy"? It Was Role James Cagney Was Born To Play.
Matthew Bulger Oh I agree.. I watch it every year thanks goodness for Turner Classics and now a DVR one can tape it.. certain parts just tug at one.. these last two scenes especially.. :)
James Cagney made the Irish proud of their heritage. I used to use these dance steps when I was young and people would throw money on the stage at me. I signed so many autographs that it made me think I was going to become rich and famous. Then earth hit my feet.
Ricky Reynolds do your or your wife have a video clip of u playing gutar when u were younger?? or to this day?? if so would u guys email it to me?? does your wife play guitar also?? if she did i would love to see the 2 of you doing a duet together?? but if u have one of u playing to i'd like to see it i love the guitar that is whyy i asked if your wife played, for i figured you would've taught her if she didn't already know how. all i can do is a little keys but have always wanted to pick it back up i love the keyboard, nothing like seeing Michael Mcdonald standing at them playing with such ease. do either of you play keys??
We need another George M. Cohen for this day and time. These are the best and people today need to be reminded of what our Great Country was and could be again ❤
Unfortunately, if another George Cohan showed up he would promptly be 'cancelled' as racist, sexist and any other 'ist' there is. Patriotism and national pride is not in favor these days. 😢
I always liked to think that the man standing next to James Cagney in the crowd at 3:20-3:25, when he turned to look at Cagney and made that face, it was because he recognized him as George Cohan and realized they were all singing his song. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but I like to think so.
This is why It's called The Golden Age of Hollywood. When was the last time you saw a Movie that made you feel the way this movie makes you feel, the way you do. As it ends.
absolutely correct, no modern movies come close
None- they try, but the magic just isn't there anymore, perhaps the innocence is gone, we're 'too knowing, too cynical' to just enjoy spectacles like this anymore- makes me deeply sad.
This was It! When Hollywood was Patriotic.
As a kid this was and still is one of my all-time favorites ....HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA
Definitely. Wow! James cagney, was, is an amazing actor 👏.
That dance down the stairs was not rehearsed he just did it, brilliant.
Cagney tap-dancing down those stairs never fails to put a lump in my throat and a tear to my eye... 🙂
That's the best part of the movie.
That was not part of the movie. Cagney made it up on the spot.
Yep. The whole movie was great, but that moment put the lump in my throat.
Exactly... everytime
Damn he could dance
You know it wasn't planned for him to dance down the steps, he said he just did it spontaneously, and it worked wonderfully. Cagney is great. I watch this every July 4th.
He said the director couldn't believe he did that. "Are you nuts?", He asked him. "You could have fallen and broken your neck!" To which Cagney replied, "Not a chance, It's in my contract, I don't do stunt work."
@@albundy6008 He learned it in Vaudville as part of an act then.
"Everything I know I learned in Vaudebille" -Cagney.
@@albundy6008 o
He was a brilliant man..we need one like him right now.
The clip contains one of the greatest and most famous ab libs in movie history. Originally, the scene just called for James Cagney as George M. Cohan to walk down the stairs. Cagney, on his own, just broke into the dance steps & was later scored with "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and the moment became golden for generations of movie fans.
Because it epitomized what the movie was about. The human spirit of hard work, perseverance, exuberance, freedom of expression, of pure joy and happiness of just being alive, entertaining others and making them feel good about themselves and their country.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-"
To use the talents that God has given you to make life both better for yourself and for others.
That is what that little dance down the stairs symbolises. It's what made the subject of the movie - George Cohen played by the immortal James Cagney, worthy of your country's deep and abiding respect. It was a symbol of what it once meant to be an American.
You should certainly cherish that spirit, remember it well...celebrate it and keep it alive so that others can follow in the footsteps of the likes of your Cohen's and Cagney 's and help to Make America Great Again.
James Cagney was so talented! They don’t make movies like they used to. Back then , people had to sing, dance and act to be a star. Today anyone can be a star for doing nothing significant. I absolutely love old movies! I am 31 years old and I love all those antique classics!
a GREAT scene..Cagney tap dancing down those stairs is one of the great iconic scenes in all of film....and i believe he improvised it!!
@JadeZee He did! I knew the gentleman who played the guitar for this, the late Alton (Al) Hendrickson and he said Cagney did improvise this scene. Cagney was one of the greatest tap dancers ever!, and Alton Hendrickson was the greatest guitar player ever!
This is one movie I never get tired of watching. James Cagney will always be George M. Cohen. What a marvelous actor and person he was. Thank you Mr. Cohen and Mr. Cagney for the legacy you both left behind for us to enjoy. Las Vegas, NV June 17, 2019
I like the gangster movies with Cagney more.
@@mucro849 True he was a great ganster actor. Mesa, AZ 11/3/2023
This movie still brings a tear to my eye. Whenever I feel pent up emotionally, I watch this movie and feel totally free of the problems of the day.
I've always loved this movie; the final scene never fails to bring tears to my eyes. James Cagney was and is one of the greatest actors of all time. Portraying a vicious criminal, check. Comedy, song and dance man, straight drama, check, check, and check. The man could do it all. Thank you for posting this; with the 4th of July just around the corner, it's a perfect time to watch the whole movie!
where are all the other Men..that served in that War?.. black..asian..mexican...yes, i cry too now, at the Finale..but for a different reason....
One of my most favorite actors!
Mine too!
@@jeaninefrank8019 You cry because the National Socialists got their butts kicked. BTW, the blacks, Asians and Mexicans don't need some whitebread snowflake to speak for them.
@@oldschool1993 Agreed, people would call this ‘racist, homophobic, sexist’ and whole lotta shit now. But me and you? We think this is a masterpiece of the American Spirit. Don’t care what you say, this is a masterpiece. And the snowflake thing? True. Just watch EMMA, Compare that and this then tell me what you think, pal.
The late Richard Attenborough once said in a TV interview that he loved the way movies could lift us up or make us cry or smile. He confessed that his favourite schmaltzy moment in all Cinema was Cagney tapping down those White House stairs !!
william wright: I, too, cry @ movies, just None out of Hollywood 4 sev-eral decades... rarely. Garbage nowadays. Clint Eastwood is 'on' 2 something: mak-ing movies w/ real people that don't have an Agenda of hating America.
Just got through watching this movie. One of the greatest patriotic movies of all time and an outstanding performance by Cagney!!
One of the greatest talents of all time. He could do it all
Lovely stuff. Cagney was unique. Tough, talented and tender. Nice to see people still remember him.
jc y 32 😎
This remains one of my favorite movies. Cagney' s dancing and Cohan's music make this something truly special.
Every time I see this scene I am blown away by Cagney’s dancing talent. I like to consider myself a film buff and I rate that scene as one of the most memorable of all time.
I am Australian but I have always loved this movie along with my late parents. This song always moved me to tears and I can still remember my father's feet tapping every time he heard it to. James Cagney was a favourite in my household.
This is one of my favorite movies. The man could dance! I saw a clip of Cagney and Bob Hope dancing and they were great. Seems like most people loved Cagney except his children.
The Seven Little Foys!
Jimmy Cagney they only come around once god bless him Legend
OMG, I first watched this when I was in 8th grade, and to this day I'm 52 I get that incredible feeling I had when I was 13. Classic! Just inspiring :}
Powerful scene. I've seen the movie many times and can't help but cry at this every time.
Saw this when I was pre-teen, and watched it more times than any movie ever. I smiled, laughed and cried over scenes, but this ending was by far the most heart wrenching. I was inspired and in awe of that staircase dance. Still can't get enough of it to this day, 60 years after first seeing it. No wonder it was Cagney's favorite role, and of course my top movie of all time.
Dancing down the stairs a the end of the film was all ad-libbed! Can you imagine tap-dancing down that long staircase? Only the one and ONLY Jimmy Cagney could!
I would love to see ANY actor today perform that. Not some dancer turned actor. Cagney paid his dues before he was recognized for his greatness.
@@lbcharlie05 James Cagney was dancing long before he got into acting because he is from a long line of entertainers who learned their craft doing vaudeville until making movies came along!
I had no idea, the dance was ad- libbed🤭. Cagney, was a genius, only wanted to be a ‘song and dance’ man apparently. I read somewhere, he wanted the roll so much, he offered to do it without a fee❤️ don’t know if there’s any truth to it. Much loved, and greatly missed😢
Because Jimmy Cagney did that, they put that tune in that scene.
Finest actor there ever was.☺
I love this movie. It goes straight to the heart when James Cagney (as George M. Cohan) says, "My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I assure you, I thank you." Terri Johnson
This film really does my heart good. Great actor, great composer, great movie, in one of the greatest closing scenes of any movie in my lifetime. I am eternally grateful to James Cagney, George M. Cohan, President Roosevelt and the United States of America. We are so fortunate to be Americans.
All I can say about him dancing down the steps is, "kids, don't try this at home." What an amazing guy! James Cagney won his only Academy Award for best actor for this film. Incredible talent!
This is very patriotic and I love it, questioning authority when you think it's wrong is also very patriotic, and most importantly your right to do so as an American.
The movies today will never compare to the old Hollywood movies NEVER
James Cagney was an amazing talent like Sammy Davis Jr. he could do so many things. He is GREAT in this movie. So happy to see this post.
Cagney's favorite role. And a great movie. We have much to give thanks for in this country. Celebrate what unites us, not divides us.
And Cagney appeared as Cohan again in "The Seven Little Foys" (1955), as a favor to Bob Hope. He refused to accept any salary for his appearance because the real Eddie Foy was a mentor to him when he first entered show business {even gave him a place to sleep when he couldn't afford a cheap hotel or boarding house to stay in}.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as GMC in Yankee Doodle Dandy. And well deserved it was!
I LOVED Cagney! He WAS the triple threat that Walken, ans so many others wanted to be. THIS fella could DO IT ALL! May God Bless him!
Great Cagney!
The best one going down the stairs.
"Jimmy Cagney did a SUPERB version of Cohan!!!!, he put his heart into this movie for sure, Cagney was not only a great dance man and actor, but a very strong Patriot, and he put his feelings in this movie"!!!! 😉🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great scenes (thank you for posting these together). And look at the respect given to the US President Roosevelt in this scene. They filmed from the side and back as was customary in those days (and a fine FDR 'interpretation' by Capt. Jack Young playing President Roosevelt). Great patriotism without being in your face. A classic from Jimmy Cagney (and it was filmed starting on December 8, 1941 for the next 5-6 weeks, right after Pearl Harbor and during the furious Wake Island battle).
For sure! At first I literally thought they got the President to be in the movie!
This movie gets my patriotic heart pumping. Great music. Just watching this clip brought tears of pride for my country. May God continue to bless America. And, may we continue to deserve it!
I remember sitting with my dad every year watching this great movie. My dad is long since gone but I still watch this movie every year and sometimes I'll pull out the DVD or VHS and just watch it. This is the best movie ever. I tear up all the time.
Every time I watch this scene I get so teared up and overly emotional... And I'm not even American!
I consider myself lucky that my parents raised me on classic movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s. I feel like this didn't only help me become more well versed in the art of cinema, but it contributed in me becoming a better person as well.
George M Cohen was dying (Look it up) when this movie was made. Hollywood rushed to make the movie before George M Chen died. He was dying of Cancer of the Stomach in 1942. He died on November 5 1942 at the darkest period of when the US was in WWII when this movie was made. The movie had a huge effect on the sale of war bonds in the US and UK where the Allied powers got major funding to fight and beat the Axis! There were a lot of changes that were made in the movie that were not factually correct to make the movie more patriotic since we were fighting another World War. However, its a brilliant movie and I love watching it!
Yeah, that would be about right.
Garret Ross )
Garret Ross: Thank you so very much 4 the history, thanks 2 the up-loader: may GOD Bless you both!!!
Cagney was a young man when this was made, and at the height of his physical condition. Certainly one of the finest all-round entertainers of all time.
They finished the cut, and Cohan's family sent their lawyer out to see it. He was a typical, cynical New Yorker type; seen it all, knows it all, bored with it all. He had been the Cohan lawyer for a long time. They were in the screening room, and the lawyer was sitting back in a big lounge chair. Jack Warner was seated close enough that he could touch the chair. As they got to the last scenes Warner realized that the lounge chair was shaking a little. And then he realized that the lawyer was crying.
Jimmy going down those steps is so cool.
I have always LOVED that movie!! We as Americans need to watch it more often!!
We need to strengthen and spread the spirit. I'm proud to be an American.
@Wagner PD Better than being a republitard
@@geewhizz1970 Nope, the traitorous republican party has led us closer and closer to totalitarianism by letting the corrupt, criminal trump get away with whatever he wants. The original post here was made when President Obama was in office, not the sexual assaulter trump, who recently wished ghislaine maxwell well.
@@michaelcharlesmiller Time will tell who the real traitors are in this country, the book-burning lemmings of the MSM and their technocrats, and their Marxist/Leninist bots.
NOT scripted!!! Purely ad libbed tap dance down the stairs. Irish and PROUD!
That step he does down the stairs is called a "buck and wing."
It's on today, Feb. 10, 2019 on Turner Classic Movies at 1:15 pm. I can't wait!!😎
(!)
Hell yes... Forever... I adore him
I'd like to give you a 1,000 thumbs up but they'll only let me give you 1.
Thank goodness for TH-cam for videoing this scene. Seeing Cagney dancing down the stairs was pure magic.
The ending *always* brings tears to my eyes. Lovely lovely film. Great actors like James Cagney are an endangered species.
My daughter is the same age (26) and she and I watched old movies late at night by ourselves. We really bonded over them and she also felt that the "old" stars were so handsome. We are always comparing today's stars and they just don't measure up! I watched the same movies with my own mom-most of them were before even her time!
Only James Cagney could do that with a dance and that is really him doing it, such a class act! I thought he was really great in the movie (Mr. Roberts) with Henry Fonda, William Powell, Ward Bond, Jack Lemmon.
Jimmy Cagney was one of the most talented men in Hollywood EVER !!!!
One of the greatest scenes ever filmed.
Class act.....thank you Mr. Cagney...I wish today’s actors had your talent and wisdom.
I could watch this film with my mum at one side and my grandchildren at the other side and not be embarrassed by any thing we saw or heard. Now that's entertainment for you.!!!😁😁😁😁🐈
Christopher Fisher w
This was a great movie. I remember watching it as a child whenever it was on channel 9 in Los Angeles. Made you proud to be an American.
Me, too, only on whatever station it was in NYC.
Million Dollar Movie WOR Channel 9
They truly don't make actors like Jimmy Cagney anymore. What a phenomenon!
I sit and watch it over and over again. Can't believe it looks so easy for the guy and I can't imagine me trying it! Cagney was in a class all his own.
They were shooting this movie when Dec. 7, 1941 happened. On the set the next day Jimmy had all the cast and crew together. He said a prayer, and told everyone "Now, our job is to make the best movie we can for the United States, and all our people." Wonderful movie; one of my favorites. And James
Cagney was an American treasure!
I grew up with this. James Cagney became my hero as a young man. This IS what it means to be an AMERICAN, in my humble opinion.
I grew up on Cagney in Brooklyn being baby sat by my granny. She would sit me down and say "Now today we're gonna watch Jimmy Cagney the world's greatest Irishman!" I stopped counting my watches of YDD after 51! How 'bout a shout out to Irene Manning for a dazzling Faye Templeton!!
I grew up watching many of the old classics. we only have a few of these great stars left and now there are none to take their place. We have many good actors today nothing on the caliber of what the golden era of old Hollywood produced. I know the studio system had its' problems, but those studios produced some truly great stars.
I am glad we are able to watch these old movies still. I do miss the occasional re-releases they used to do of some of the classic films in major theaters. thank you
When I went to New York City back in 2004 I made sure I got my picture taken next to George Cohan statue in Times Square
That's amazing
Before someone becomes offended and has it removed, like Kate Smith's!
Mr Cagney....for your brilliance and patriotism, my wife thanks you, my children thank you, and I assure you, I thank you.
I never tire of watching the stair dance, even though it frustrates me not being able to follow it close enough to be able to copy it it I had to. And he improved it! Cagney's performing gifts were never ending!
I always thought I'd like to own one of Cagney's suits from this film, but now I want the shoes he wore going down the stairs at the end. Those would be priceless.
I remember watching this, one wet Saturday afternoon as a kid, wayback in the 70's. He still knocks me out with his dancing skills
I wonder if anyone has ever watched this without crying? As a kid (probably about 10 or so), Million Dollar Movie showed this movie every night for a solid week. It was the only time in my childhood that I got my way and my father put it on every one of those nights. I didn't know it until years later, but the only reason he did it was because everyone laughed when I started crying...I never knew that until I was an adult. I still find it kind of sad that the rest of my family was so cruel and heartless.
If that soldier only knew who he was calling an "old timer," he'd probably crap himself... .
Angela Roquemore That makes it so much more powerful for the audience - it is like we are in on an inside joke. We’d all love to tell that soldier and watch his look of amazement! What a great movie ending’
Ha!Ha!
That soldier later was on a tv show in the 60s. He was the father of Donnie Gills
Damn they don’t make ‘em like this anymore!
I love this movie and I watched it over and over and over again. It has such meaning to me.
Can’t get better than that!!!! What a legend, what a movie!!! Brilliant!!!!!
This is the best film of its time,
some come & some go, but, this
Film keeps coming & going with tear
stained eyes I keep watching it.
I'm sentimental about this Film.
The Golden Age Of Hollywood at its Greatest.
In 2023, think Hollywood could make a movie this patriotic? Not a chance.
Today Hollywood is too infested.
It is true that dance sequence down the stairs was not scripted and it was Cagney who felt that it would be a great finale...turned out to be one of the highlights of an unforgetable film. Cagney was quite an athlete. In the restored colour footage of Gold Diggers 0f 1929 two male dancers come on and do some remarkable tap dancing (including somersaults and landing on the heads). The one on the right with the red hair is presumed to be a young Cagney. Watching that rare footage is like watching the formation of a cosmic star.
The tears on his face. Unbelievable actor
.Jimmy your the greatest and I hope you know it
Loved this movie. Love how he dances down the stairs.
No one else could play Cohan as great as Cagney. Thank You.
One of his best roles! Watch it frequently. 🇺🇸👍💖
I saw this movie when I was a teenager and it brought tears to my eyes.
It's interesting to think that, at the time this was being filmed, America had just entered WW2, so this song took on a significant meaning. This was a wonderful movie that no doubt helped increase patriotic fervor during those tense times of WW2, but even today, it's still a very enjoyable film!
One of my favorite childhood memories watching this every 4th of July, My daughter Julia loves it and she is only 7 Happy Independence day.
sweettrt: I pray your daughter Doesn't attend a large public school like we gotz in Brazzaville Texis!
Me too
Love this movie. Thanks mom for when I was young to get me interested in great films
Kills me every time. Fabulous movie, fabulous ending.
When I see this it reminds me how lucky we are to live in this great country of ours . When I was young every kid knew all the words of all the Cohen songs . God bless the U.S.A.
I grew up on this movie, every 4th of July. I know all the songs by heart. It brought a tear to my eye.
I watch this every Fourth of July. When he goes down the steps it’s one of the best movie scenes ever.
Cagney... Dance? Check. Sing? Check. Comedy? Check. Drama? Check. A true artist of his craft.
James cagney was a one off. The most talented actor ever
Being Irish ☘️ we watch this movie every 4th of July.
Stay proud of your Irish forefathers. There was a time in Boston and New York and other Northeast cities the Irish were villianized. There were signs in shop windows , NINA.(no Irish need apply) They had their own schools, and becauae mist werw Catholic, their own churches. Talk about segregation. Thank heavens those days are behind us. Remember..JFK was an Irish American!!🇺🇸🇺🇸
I have watched this movie every year for over 65 years. I saw the play "Cagney" on Broadway, and think he was the greatest actor of all time. I also loved him in "Strawberry Blond", West Point Story, City For Conquest and Mr. Roberts! His acting range was incredible! His gangsters and criminals were scary! RIP James Cagney! From an Italian immigrant family.
@@maryleone2023 Wow. You've got me beat. I'm somewhere in the 40 year range.
@@johnjones5354 Then you probably don't remember the commercial:" You don't have to be Jewish to Love Levy's." (rye bread)? Just like you don't have to be Irish to love James Cagney or Yankee Doodle Dandy! That was the point I was trying to convey to Craig Clarke.
One of my fav movies thank god George M Cohan lived just long enough to see it. Both he and James Cagney were both unique and sorely missed.
That’s how you go down a flight of stairs!
Not a dry eye in the house! Thanks to all vets of all wars. You are the reason we are here...cause you were “Over There”
Tears come to my eyes with pride in MY Country listening to those who went before! And tears for the fact that Shit Holes like Seattle, WA would protest this song and it's sentiment! Now if that doesn't just make you mad!
I choke up a bit every time I watch this movie. One of my all-time favorites.
That's what you call Real Talent, Cagney had it all, never tire of Watching his films 😎
Who Else But The Late Great James Cagney To Play The Late Song And Dance Man George M.Cohan,In 1942 Film Classic "Yankee Doodle Dandy"? It Was Role James Cagney Was Born To Play.
Matthew Bulger Oh I agree.. I watch it every year thanks goodness for Turner Classics and now a DVR one can tape it.. certain parts just tug at one.. these last two scenes especially.. :)
2:27 when Cagney tapdances down the stairs really made your heart feel warm.
this never fails to make me tear up. One of my favorite movies, ever...
James Cagney made the Irish proud of their heritage. I used to use these dance steps when I was young and people would throw money on the stage at me. I signed so many autographs that it made me think I was going to become rich and famous. Then earth hit my feet.
love him ricky, so you could dance so young & u were an entrapauner making$$$$ at an early age using his steps ,cool dude.u still dance
Not as much as I would like.
Ricky Reynolds do your or your wife have a video clip of u playing gutar when u were younger?? or to this day?? if so would u guys email it to me?? does your wife play guitar also?? if she did i would love to see the 2 of you doing a duet together?? but if u have one of u playing to i'd like to see it i love the guitar that is whyy i asked if your wife played, for i figured you would've taught her if she didn't already know how. all i can do is a little keys but have always wanted to pick it back up i love the keyboard, nothing like seeing Michael Mcdonald standing at them playing with such ease. do either of you play keys??
Ricky Reynolds 0
Ricky Reynolds: I can dance Better than Cagney, probly You, too... but then I awake.
Jimmy Cagney, always one of my favorites!
When I first saw this movie I was so baffled on how he tapdanced down those stairs.
He was an Irish American. That is what they did
Cagney did that on his own. It wasn't in the script, he said he was so moved by the scene he just had to throw that in.
A great Irish American played on screen by another great Irish American...gotta love America.
This is one of my favorite movies Cagney made.
We need another George M. Cohen for this day and time. These are the best and people today need to be reminded of what our Great Country was and could be again ❤
Unfortunately, if another George Cohan showed up he would promptly be 'cancelled' as racist, sexist and any other 'ist' there is. Patriotism and national pride is not in favor these days. 😢
I always liked to think that the man standing next to James Cagney in the crowd at 3:20-3:25, when he turned to look at Cagney and made that face, it was because he recognized him as George Cohan and realized they were all singing his song. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but I like to think so.