4th of July Movies

So it's the Fourth of July weekend, picnics, fireworks, flags waving, the weekend we all are proud to be Americans. Based on my criteria for a holiday (movies and songs about the day), the Fourth of July is one of the top holidays of the year, (at least here in the good ole' US of A, take that England) so what are the top Fourth of July movies.

Yankee Doodle Dandy, The story of George M. Cohan staring James Cagney, Joan Leslie, and Walter Huston. It tells the story of one of America's greatest composer, playwright, actor, singer and dancer. From his start in Vaudeville to the bright lights of Broadway. Cagney sings and dances through the patriotic songs It's a Grand Old Flag, Over There and the title tune, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy. A must see for the holiday weekend.

1776, The film version of the Broadway musical comedy set in the days leading up to July 4, 1776. The film stars Ken Howard (The White Shadow) as Thomas Jefferson, William Daniels (St. Elsewhere, Boy Meets World) as John Adams and character actor Howard Da Silva as Ben Franklin. Unless it's raining this weekend feel free to miss this one.

The Patriot, Mel Gibson bravehearts the American Revolution with the help of Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight), Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood, Harry Potter), and Chris Cooper ( Bourne Identity, American Beauty). This film didn't fare well in England, aparently they didn't like the ending as much as Gibson's earlier film Braveheart.

Stars and Stripes Forever, The biographical story of John Phillip Sousa, America's "March King". The 1952 film stars Clifton Webb (Titanic, Heaven Can Wait), as Sousa, Robert Wagner (It Takes a Thief, Hart to Hart), and Debra Paget (The Ten Commandments, Love Me Tender). The film features the Sousa marches, The Washington Post March, Semper Fidelis and of course the title march, Stars and Stripes Forever.

So there are four movies for you to see this weekend, but really, don't spend time inside watching movies. Go out, have a burger and a beer, run the flag up the flagpole. Show the world just how proud we are to live in the greatest country in the world.

Tomorrow, a playlist of patriotic songs for your holiday picnic but till then....