James Cagney
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1899-07-17
Day of Death
1986-03-30 (86 years old)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
James Cagney
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys". In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time.
In his first performing role, Cagney danced dressed as a woman in the chorus line of the 1919 revue Every Sailor. He spent several years in vaudeville as a hoofer and comedian until his first major acting role in 1925. He secured several other roles, receiving good reviews before landing the lead in the 1929 play Penny Arcade. After rave reviews for his acting, Warners signed him for an initial $500 a week, three-week contract to reprise his role; this was quickly extended to a seven year contract. Cagney's seventh film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Notable for its famous grapefruit scene, the film thrust Cagney into the spotlight, making him one of Warners' and Hollywood's biggest stars.
In 1938, he received his first Academy Award Best Actor nomination for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired for 20 years in 1961, spending time on his farm before returning for a part in Ragtime mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke.
Cagney walked out on Warners several times over his career, each time coming back on improved personal and artistic terms. In 1935, he sued Warners for breach of contract and won; this marked one of the first times an actor had beaten a studio over a contract issue. He worked for an independent film company for a year while the suit was settled, and also established his own production company, Cagney Productions, in 1942 before returning to Warners again four years later. Jack Warner called him "The Professional Againster", in reference to Cagney’s refusal to be pushed around. Cagney also made numerous morale-boosting troop tours before and during World War II, and was President of the Screen Actors Guild for two years.
Description above from the Wikipedia article James Cagney, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Acting
(2023)
Sly
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2021)
Parkinson at 50
as Self (archive footage)
(2017)
This Is Bob Hope...
as Self (archive footage)
(2014)
And the Oscar Goes To...
as Self (archive footage)
(2009)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
as Self (archive footage)
(2009)
(2008)
Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film
as Self (archive footage)
(2008)
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
as Self (archive footage)
(2005)
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
as Self (archive footage)
(2005)
Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?
as Self (archive footage)
(2005)
White Heat: Top of the World
as Self (archive footage)
(2004)
Los Angeles Plays Itself
as Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
(2004)
Remembering Ragtime
as NY Police Commissioner Rheinlander Waldo (archive footage)
(2003)
Tupac: Resurrection
as Self (archival)
(2003)
Complicated Women
as Self (archive footage)
(2002)
The Kid Stays in the Picture
as Self (archive footage)
(1998)
Doris Day: It's Magic
as Self
(1997)
Bogart: The Untold Story
as Self (archive footage)
(1993)
Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell
as Self (archive footage)
(1992)
James Cagney: Top of the World
as Self (Archive footage)
(1991)
Movie Tough Guys
as Self (archive footage)
(1988)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
as Self (archive footage)
(1985)
That's Dancing!
as From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage)
(1985)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
as Self (archive footage)
(1984)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage)
(1984)
Terrible Joe Moran
as Joe Moran
(1983)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
(1982)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as (in "White Heat") (archive footage)
(1982)
Night of 100 Stars
as Self
(1982)
Showbiz Goes to War
as (archive footage)
(1981)
Ragtime
as New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
(1981)
(1979)
(1976)
That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage)
(1976)
Hooray for Hollywood
as Self (archive footage)
(1976)
It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)
(1975)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
(1975)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
as (archive footage)
(1968)
Arizona Bushwhackers
as Narrator
(1966)
Ballad of Smokey the Bear
as Narrator (voice)
(1962)
The Road to the Wall
as Narrator
(1961)
One, Two, Three
as C.R. MacNamara
(1960)
The Gallant Hours
as Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey
(1959)
Shake Hands with the Devil
as Sean Lenihan
(1959)
Never Steal Anything Small
as Jake MacIllaney
(1957)
Man of a Thousand Faces
as Lon Chaney
(1957)
Short Cut to Hell
as Himself (prologue)
(1956)
Tribute to a Bad Man
as Jeremy Rodack
(1956)
These Wilder Years
as Steve Bradford
(1956)
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
as Himself
(1955)
Mister Roberts
as Captain Morton
(1955)
Love Me or Leave Me
as Martin Snyder
(1955)
Run for Cover
as Matt Dow
(1955)
The Seven Little Foys
as George M. Cohan
(1953)
A Lion Is in the Streets
as Hank Martin
(1952)
What Price Glory
as Captain Flagg
(1951)
Starlift
as James Cagney
(1951)
Come Fill the Cup
as Lew Marsh
(1950)
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
as Ralph Cotter
(1950)
The West Point Story
as Elwin Bixby
(1949)
White Heat
as Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
(1948)
The Time of Your Life
as Joseph
(1947)
13 Rue Madeleine
as Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey
(1947)
Blow-Ups of 1947
as Self
(1946)
Okay for Sound
as Tommy Powers (archive footage)
(1945)
Blood on the Sun
as Nick Condon
(1943)
Show-Business at War
as Self
(1943)
Johnny Come Lately
as Tom Richards
(1943)
The Voice That Thrilled the World
as Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage)
(1943)
You, John Jones!
as John Jones
(1942)
Yankee Doodle Dandy
as George M. Cohan
(1942)
Captains of the Clouds
as Brian MacLean (bush pilot)
(1942)
Calling All Girls
as Himself (archive footage)
(1941)
The Strawberry Blonde
as Biff Grimes
(1941)
The Bride Came C.O.D.
as Steve Collins
(1941)
Breakdowns of 1941
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
(1940)
The Fighting 69th
as Jerry Plunkett
(1940)
City for Conquest
as Danny Kenny
(1940)
Torrid Zone
as Nick Butler
(1940)
Breakdowns of 1940
as Self
(1939)
The Roaring Twenties
as Eddie Bartlett
(1939)
The Oklahoma Kid
as Jim Kincaid
(1939)
Each Dawn I Die
as Frank Ross
(1939)
Hollywood Hobbies
as Self (uncredited)
(1939)
Breakdowns of 1939
as Self
(1938)
Angels with Dirty Faces
as Rocky Sullivan
(1938)
Boy Meets Girl
as Robert Law
(1937)
Something to Sing About
as Terrence 'Terry' Rooney
(1936)
Great Guy
as Johnny 'Red' Cave
(1936)
Ceiling Zero
as Dizzy Davies
(1936)
Breakdowns of 1936
as Self
(1935)
Mutiny on the Bounty
as (uncredited)
(1935)
'G' Men
as ‘Brick' Davis
(1935)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
as Bottom
(1935)
Frisco Kid
as Bat Morgan
(1935)
A Dream Comes True
as Himself (uncredited)
(1935)
The Irish in Us
as Danny O'Hara
(1935)
(1935)
Devil Dogs of the Air
as Tommy O'Toole
(1935)
A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
as Himself (uncredited)
(1934)
Jimmy the Gent
as Jimmy Corrigan
(1934)
He Was Her Man
as Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen
(1934)
The Hollywood Gad-About
as Self (uncredited)
(1934)
Here Comes the Navy
as Chesty O'Conner
(1934)
The St. Louis Kid
as Eddie Kennedy
(1934)
Screen Snapshots No. 11
as Himself
(1933)
Lady Killer
as Dan Quigley
(1933)
Hard to Handle
as Lefty Merrill
(1933)
Footlight Parade
as Chester Kent
(1933)
The Mayor of Hell
as Richard 'Patsy' Gargan
(1933)
Picture Snatcher
as Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean
(1932)
The Crowd Roars
as Joe Greer
(1932)
Winner Take All
as Jim 'Jimmy' Kane
(1931)
The Public Enemy
as Tom Powers
(1931)
Blonde Crazy
as Albert 'Bert' Harris
(1931)
Smart Money
as Jack
(1931)
The Millionaire
as Schofield
(1931)
Taxi!
as Matt Nolan
(1931)
Other Men's Women
as Ed 'Eddie' Bailey
(1931)
(1931)
Intimate Interviews: James Cagney
as Himself
(1930)
The Doorway to Hell
as Steve Mileaway
(1930)
Sinners' Holiday
as Harry Delano
(1928)
The Singing Fool
as Handsy Patron at Blackie Joe's (uncredited)
Crew
(1960)
The Gallant Hours
Producer
(1957)
Short Cut to Hell
Director