Original artwork, not a still
My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.
— Yankee Doodle Dandy · 1942
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speech is humility and showmanship at once: a star crediting his family for his success. In 1942 wartime America it also stood for loyalty to the people who raised you. The line remains a familiar way to close a speech, and the AFI lists it among the 100 best movie quotes.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Yankee Doodle DandyShow the scene
In Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), James Cagney plays Broadway star George M. Cohan, and the line is Cohan's trademark curtain-call speech. It comes from his real vaudeville days with the family act The Four Cohans, where he thanked the crowd on behalf of his parents and sister. The film repeats it, including at the White House when Cohan receives a medal from the president. Cagney won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role, and the film premiered in New York on 29 May 1942.
Sources (3)
- George M. Cohan (Wikipedia)Vaudeville yearsReference checked
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (Wikipedia)Awards and AFI listReference checked
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (TCM database)SummaryReference checked
Context reviewed