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Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
James Cagney’s Oscar-winning portrayal of legendary showman George M. Cohan dominates this patriotic blockbuster that remains one of Curtiz’s finest films. The fictionalized biography of Cohan takes a back seat to stirring musical numbers including “Harrigan,” ”Mary,” “It’s a Grand Old Flag” and the coda of “Over There.” The James Wong Howe cinematography and non-pareil supporting cast of Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, Jeanne Cagney and Rosemary De Camp complement Curtiz’s splendid direction that garnered him his fourth Best Director nomination in seven years. Scripted by Robert Buckner and Edmund Joseph and the uncredited Epstein brothers, it remains a flag-waving triumph from a different era.
35mm, b/w, 126 min. Production/Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. Director: Michael Curtiz. Screenwriter: Robert Buckner, Edmund Joseph. Cinematographer: James Wong Howe. Editor: George Amy. Cast: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning.
New Restoration!
The Sea Wolf (1941)
Jack London’s classic tale of tyranny and revolt at sea has been beautifully restored to its original running time. Edward G. Robinson’s bravura performance as the sadistic Wolf Larsen is preeminent as is the overwhelming sense of dread aboard the Ghost experienced by a shanghaied John Garfield, escaped convict Ida Lupino and writer Alexander Knox. Far from a swashbuckling adventure, Curtiz crafts a tale of anxiety-laden trepidation that screenwriter Robert Rossen enlarges to an interpretation on fascist totalitarianism. The film features a brilliant supporting cast including a repellent Barry Fitzgerald, Gene Lockhart, Stanley Ridges and Howard Da Silva.
DCP, b/w, 100 min. Production/Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. Director: Michael Curtiz. Screenwriter: Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Jack London. Cinematographer: Sol Polito. Editor: George Amy. Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Alexander Knox, Gene Lockhart.
