Yankee Doodle Dandy Page #10

catching the front end.

Folks always come back to where their

heart is. And we came back to the farm.

The farm we Cohans had dreamed of

when farmers were envying us.

Hey, mister. Our radiator needs some H2o.

Can we use your well?

Sure, go ahead.

Help yourselves.

Come on, Jack.

- Let's make this hop-up solid.

- Okay, Jackson. Come on.

- Radiator busted?

- No, it's only got high blood pressure.

What are you gonna do

when the tires give out?

Oh, it'll run a lot smoother on the rims.

"Stix nix hix pix."

- Greek. I'll bet that's Greek talk.

- That ain't Greek. That's Russian.

- "Stix nix hix pix."

- That's show business talk.

Here, I'll translate it for you.

Stix:
Small towns. Nix: Refuse.

Hix:
Rube. Pix: Pictures.

Small towns refuse rube pictures.

"Stix nix hix pix."

Stix nix hix pix.

- I thought that was new jive talk.

- New what talk?

- Jive talk.

- Oh.

- Are you an actor, sir?

- Used to be.

- What were your pictures?

- Oh, not in pictures.

I was on Broadway,

the legitimate theater.

- Oh. What's your name, sir?

- Cohan.

- Coen?

- Cohan. George M. Cohan.

- I guess you must've been before our time.

- Yes, guess I was.

- Were you ever in some big shows?

- Yeah, a few.

- Like what?

- Oh, like Little Nellie Kelly...

... The Tavern, Ah, Wilderness!

Raised in a vacuum bottle.

I guess your parents must have seen me.

Fathers and mothers.

Maybe they have.

I never heard them talk about it.

Ever hear of a song called

"Give My Regards to Broadway"?

- I don't think so.

- No, sir. Who sang it?

- Who sang it?

- Was it a theme song or something?

A follow-up to

"Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar"?

Or "Jeepers Creepers."

Come on, kids. Time's a-wasting.

We gotta scram now.

Swinging session!

Thank you very much, Mr...

- What was your name again, sir?

- Cohan. George Cohan.

Goodbye, Georgie.

You're cute!

- Nice old guy. Let's go!

- We've got places to go and things to do.

Bye!

They did that.

I'm not angry,

but it's very discouraging.

Kid asked me my name, I said, "Cohan."

He asked me again, I said, "Cohan."

Never even heard of me.

But you've been away from

the theater for years, George.

Nine or ten generations

have grown up since then.

Naturally they don't remember you.

Nobody's got that good a memory.

Why not? Many generations remembered my

father and mother in vaudeville.

That's because they were real troupers.

They stayed with it.

Your father could do a good buck

and wing when he was 60.

- What makes you think I can't?

- I'd hate to see you try it.

Your father never sat around an orchard,

listening to his arteries hardening.

Nothing wrong with my arteries.

No, not right now because

those kids got you all worked up.

You're picking on me for a reason, Mary.

You're trying to get a rise out of me.

Come on. Let's have it. What is it?

All right. Here it is.

I got a long-distance call

from Sam Harris this afternoon.

What about?

He's producing a new show

by Kaufman and Hart.

They're good writers.

Nothing I can do to improve their stuff.

Sam thinks you could,

if you played the lead.

Play the lead?

What is the matter with that man?

Hasn't he got any sense at all?

- What's he trying to do? Spoil all our fun?

- But are you having fun, George?

When we were in Europe,

you haunted every theater...

...not knowing a word

that was said on-stage.

Going back, congratulating the actors.

They didn't know what you were saying.

Just to smell the greasepaint again.

You think I'm stage-struck. I only go

to the theater to get out of the night air.

Fun? I'm having a wonderful time.

I'll have nothing to do with Broadway.

Sam says it's a great part. No other actor

in the world but you could do it.

That's just more of that Harris con.

He needs me as much as

he needs a hole in the head.

He really does need you, George.

He's in trouble.

If positions were reversed,

he'd help you out. You know he would.

Besides, he never said so,

but Sam's broke.

- Can you think of any more reasons?

- Yes. I want you to.

Well, that settled it.

I've never refused you anything, have I?

We'll do it.

- Come on. Let's get packing.

- We're all packed.

- What?

- We're all packed, dear.

Now you can start getting mad all over again

because I told Sam I'd talk you into it.

What are you laughing about?

Just full of news, aren't you?

Telling me all kinds of things.

I want you to know

I knew it all the time.

I was listening in on the phone downstairs

while you were talking to Sam.

Why, you devil!

You knew it all the time!

And what's more, I phoned Sam

right back and told him I'd play it.

Oh, I ought to pop you.

You... oh!

Good work, kids.

I'll see you at 11 in the morning.

And then came your wire.

And I was really worried.

Here I am going on like Tennyson's Brook,

giving you my life story.

I'm sorry.

You should've stopped me.

Why, I wanted to hear

the story of your life.

It has a direct bearing

on my sending for you.

Do you know what this is?

Congressional Medal of Honor.

Let's see what the inscription says.

"To George M. Cohan.

For his contribution to the American spirit.

'Over There' and 'Grand old Flag.'

Presented by act of Congress."

I congratulate you, Mr. Cohan.

I understand you're the first person

of your profession to receive this honor.

You should be very proud.

I am proud.

In fact, I'm flabbergasted.

For the first time in my life, I'm speechless.

- You're sure there isn't some mistake?

- Quite sure.

But this medal is for people who've given

their lives for their country.

I'm just a song-and-dance man.

Everybody knows that.

A man may give his life to his country

in many different ways, Mr. Cohan.

And quite often, he isn't the best judge

of how much he has given.

Your songs were a symbol

of the American spirit.

"Over There" was just as powerful

a weapon as any cannon...

...as any battleship we had

in the First World War.

Today we're all soldiers.

We're all on the front.

We need more songs to express America.

I know you and your comrades

will give them to us.

Mr. President,

I've just begun to earn this medal.

It's quite a thing.

Well, it's the best material we could find,

what with priorities and all.

Goodbye, sir.

And I want you to know that

I'm not the only one that's grateful.

My mother thanks you. My father

thanks you. My sister thanks you.

And I assure you, I thank you.

And I wouldn't worry about this country

if I were you. We've got this thing licked.

Where else in the world could a plain guy

like me come in and talk with the head man?

Well, that's about as good a definition

of America as any I've ever heard.

- Goodbye, Mr. Cohan, and good luck.

- Goodbye, sir. And good luck to you.

What's the matter, old timer,

don't you remember this song?

Seems to me I do.

Well, I don't hear anything.

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