This musical biography of George M. Cohan – songwriter, singer, dancer – was produced during wartime, in 1942, and its jingoistic patriotic fervor is both pervasive and apologetic. Even more infectious, though, is the exuberance, as actor, singer and especially as dancer, of James Cagney, the quintessential movie tough guy, who shows many different sets of talents here. Yankee Doodle Dandy was directed by Michael Curtiz, who went straight from this film to another gem filmed in wartime: Casablanca.