But not for long! (And I doubt he'll be travelling anywhere near the North American continent for a while, of his own volition anyway). Kind regards, always, Jim.
Still think this is a cracking rendition of Dixie. Harder to find versions of the Battle Hymn that haven't been subjected to excessive warbling. Bit weird, but I've liked both songs since I was a kid.
Dixie is a great tune, though the man who wrote it (Dan Emmet, I believe) was not a Southerner. I am half a Southerner and I love the song, which does express some truth about the region. Old times there really are not forgotten, though they may alas be distorted and romanticized for political purposes. America is a country of today, if not tomorrow, but I am glad that we have a region like the South which is still aware of history (however misunderstood) and of yesterday.
I am a huge Cagney fan. He was a New Yorker, like me, and he exemplified the best of our city. He spent much of his life in Hollywood and then on a farm upstate not far from where I went to college [university to you] yet he always stayed in touch with his old neighborhood and to the people there he was always just the same old Jimmy.
And a much underrated actor (and dancer) too I think. From Mr Roberts to Love Me or Leave Me to White Heat. Classics all. And refreshing to hear he was a decent sort outside of the silver screen too. Kind regards, always, Jim.
To my mind, The Battle Cry of Freedom is one of our finest patriotic songs. It was written in 1862, during one of the many dark periods of our Civil War. McClellan's campaign against Richmond had been defeated by Lee, the war in the West had stagnated after Shiloh, and Lincoln had been forced to issue his second call for volunteers to sustain the Union armies. The best version of this song is the instrumental-only one done to accompany Ken Burns' flawed but moving Civil War documentary series of 25 years ago.
Cagney was an anomaly in Hollywood. He didn't drink to excess, he was a loyal and loving husband, and he had no star trip whatsoever. When he died, his funeral was held in his old neighborhood in New York. A TV interviewer asked a woman from the neighborhood who had known Cagney for most of his life what she thought of him. She said "He was a tough man. He was a kind man."
Cagney starred in Captains of the Clouds, some of which was filmed in my home town back in 1942. The old-timers spoke fondly about how he mixed with the local population and was very approachable.
I am very a much a product of my home and, like Adam, think Dixie is a cracking tune. We have a dog named Dixie. Well, her full name is Dixie Belle, a grand southern name. Also, James Cagny is a great actor and is in my favorite movie, Mister Roberts.
Kind of late, but I've been very busy this past weekend and just now have the time to surf the internet (I'm at work now). Anyway, Happy 4th and all that stuff. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1487106518135194 Turn it up loud!
My favorite is Angels with Dirty Faces. Final scene terrified me when I was a little kid. Pat O'Brien asked him to pretend to be scared so that the neighborhood kids wouldn't consider him a hero anymore.