The director Michael Curtiz was famed for his hard-driving no-nonsense nature. He first arrived on the set of Yankee Doodle Dandy (a musical about George M. Cohan) on December 8th, 1941 -- the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The dejected cast sat on a soundstage intently listening as President Roosevelt called for a declaration of war. Many of them were crying. At the conclusion of Roosevelt's speech, Curtiz turned off the radio and prepared to start shooting. James Cagney, however, interrupted him: "It seems to me," he declared, "that this is the time for a prayer." A brief silence followed -- broken by the impatient director: "All right now," he declared, "let's go to work and make a really wonderful picture!"
Sources
Paul Boller, Hollywood Anecdotes
