The Phantom President (1932)

The presidential hopes of a charmless businessman (George M. Cohan) are dead on arrival until his political advisors hatch a desperate plan by hiring a look alike snake oil salesman (George M. Cohan) to impersonate him during the campaign. Based on the novel by George F. Worts and directed by Norman Taurog (BLUE HAWAII). A pre code musical political satire that hasn't worn well. The songs are by Rodgers and Hart and they're not among their best work. The film is notable as being one of the few films made by the legendary George M. Cohan (played by James Cagney in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY) and this was his first talkie and he made only one more movie after this one. It's all a little too obvious and pat to be really interesting and the film is a relic of its time. Cohan does a musical number in blackface, there's racial and ethnic stereotypes and when Jimmy Durante (as Cohan's right hand man) suspects a man might be homosexual, he tells him, "Swish, sister, swish!". With Claudette Colbert, Sidney Toler and George Barbier.