MovieChat Forums > Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) Discussion > Most Emotional Scene Ever

Most Emotional Scene Ever

posted 19 years ago by Movie_Expert
9 replies | jump to latest

Yankee Doodle Dandy, IMO, features one of the most emotional scenes in movie history. That scene is not a singing and dancing one featuring Cagney like what most of the movie features, it is a quiet, intimate scene featuring what I think Cagney at his very best. That scene of course, is Walter Huston playing the Elder Cohan dying with James Cagney as George Cohan leaning over him saying "My Mother thanks You, My Father thanks you, My sister thanks you, And I thank You", then a with a smile on his face, the Elder Cohan dies. Everytime I think of this movie, my emotions surface and everytime I see it my emotions rises over the top. I cant help but cry during this scene as touched my own emotional chord so distinctly that even the 7-year resolution to the Star wars saga with the ending of Revenge of the Sith can't compare to. In other words, the scene is purely, magical. According to the wonderful DVD commentary by Rudy Behlmer, we can hear even Michael Curtiz crying off camera.

[–] FromFireIsland 17 years ago

Here, here, Movie Expert. I couldn't agree with you more. This is most emotional scene I've EVER seen in a move. However.....the ending of "To Each His Own" with the great Olivia DeHavilland runs a close second. If anyone likes a good tearjerker, check out this gem.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Henry-59 17 years ago

And don't forget the scene where John L. Sullivan comes to give his championship belt to Gentleman Jim Corbett in the movie of that name. It's all in the underplaying.

[–] VagrantThorn 15 years ago

Bette Davis at the end of "Dark Victory"... Gets me every time.

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[–] shulma2002 15 years ago

Yes, that was quite an emotional scene. It probably never happened of course. George just happened to arrive at his father's deathbed minutes before he expired but it was so sad. Glad it was put into the film.

[–] mts191 14 years ago

I think what really makes this scene so emotional--other than the fact that like the characters you miss the ones who had departed by then ("my mother" and "my sister"), are that Cagney himself loses it at the end, after such iron control up to that point... Just an amazing scene.

[–] revsolly 14 years ago

This is, indeed, a tremendous scene. Our family just watched this movie this evening. During it, my 13-year-old asked me if I had watched my step-father died. I told him I had watched my grandfather (my father figure) die, and it is, indeed quite rough.

However, I would say that the most emotional scene for me is the end of Field of Dreams, where Ray gets to have a catch with his long-dead dad. I never knew my dad, and I later learned that he and I shared a passion for baseball. So, you can imagine how that scene is for me.

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[–] WhoDo-YouDo 13 years ago

Yes, those great emotional scenes are all too rare, few and far between, and all too few can really handle them.

James Cagney does a spectatuclar job with that one, to be sure.

[–] joeparkson 12 years ago

Cagney had several emotional scenes in his movies.

The final scene in "City For Conquest" where Ann Sheridan reunites with Cagney's blinded ex-boxer;

The parting scene between Grace George and Cagney in "Johnny Come Lately" is not a tear jerker, but quietly touching.

In "The fighting 69th" Cagney cowardly character finds redemption in a bombed out church; not a word is spoken between him and Pat O'Brien, but the look they share says it all.

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