The movie was written by Robert Buckner and Edmund Joseph, and directed by Michael Curtiz.
The title song was Cohan's trademark piece, a patriotic pastiche drawing from the lyrics and melody of the old Revolutionary War number, Yankee Doodle. Other Cohan tunes in the movie included "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Harrigan", "Mary's a Grand Old Name"; and "Over There".
It won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Cagney), Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Best Sound, Recording. It was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Walter Huston), Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Writing, Original Story. The film has also been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.