Silver Screen Icons: Wartime Musicals

YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) - James Cagney dusts off his dancing shoes for his portrayal of song-and-dance man George M. Cohan. Follow Cohan’s career from his boyhood days hoofing in the family vaudeville act through his years as author, producer and star of Broadway hits. THIS IS THE ARMY (1943) - Irving Berlin showed his love for his adopted country with the WWII stage show This Is the Army. This lively screen adaptation features George Murphy, Ronald Reagan and more in a tale of a father and son who put on one heckuva show before the son heads to war. THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS (1943) - This breezy, behind-the-Hollywood-scenes story about young talents hoping for a big break glitters with specialty numbers featuring Golden Era greats. Highlights include Humphrey Bogart being out-tough-guyed and Bette Davis performing a witty, wry jitterbug. HOLLYWOOD CANTEEEN (1944) - Built around a story involving a corporal who wins a date with winsome Joan Leslie, Hollywood Canteen is a salute to the WWII club for GIs. Real-life Canteen cofounders Bette Davis and John Garfield plus dozens more stars dazzle the troops and modern fans.