James Cagney
Born
July 17, 1899
Died
March 30, 1986 (86 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
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.
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Known For
Sly
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2023
Parkinson at 50
Self (archive footage)
2021
This Is Bob Hope...
Self (archive footage)
2017
And the Oscar Goes To...
Self (archive footage)
2014
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Self (archive footage)
2009
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
Self (archive)
2009
Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film
Self (archive footage)
2008
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
Self (archive footage)
2008
Legends
Martin Snyder (archive footage) (uncredited) · (1 episode)
2006
White Heat: Top of the World
Self (archive footage)
2005
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
Self (archive footage)
2005
Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?
Self (archive footage)
2005
Remembering Ragtime
NY Police Commissioner Rheinlander Waldo (archive footage)
2004
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
2004
Tupac: Resurrection
Self (archival)
2003
Complicated Women
Self (archive footage)
2003
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Self (archive footage)
2002
Doris Day: It's Magic
Self
1998
Bogart: The Untold Story
Self (archive footage)
1997
Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell
Self (archive footage)
1993
James Cagney: Top of the World
Self (Archive footage)
1992
Movie Tough Guys
Self (archive footage)
1991
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Self (archive footage)
1988
That's Dancing!
From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage)
1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
Terrible Joe Moran
Joe Moran
1984
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(archive footage)
1984
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
Showbiz Goes to War
(archive footage)
1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
(in "White Heat") (archive footage)
1982
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy
1981
Ragtime
New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
1981
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
Self
1979
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self · (1 episode)
1978
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
1976
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
1976
Hooray for Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
1976
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
(archive footage)
1975
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Self (archive footage)
1975
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self · (1 episode)
1973
Dynamite Chicken
Self (archive footage)
1971
Arizona Bushwhackers
Narrator
1968
Ballad of Smokey the Bear
Narrator (voice)
1966
The Road to the Wall
Narrator
1962
One, Two, Three
C.R. MacNamara
1961
The Mike Douglas Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1961
The Gallant Hours
Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey
1960
Shake Hands with the Devil
Sean Lenihan
1959
Never Steal Anything Small
Jake MacIllaney
1959
Short Cut to Hell
Himself (prologue)
1957
Man of a Thousand Faces
Lon Chaney
1957
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
Himself
1956
These Wilder Years
Steve Bradford
1956
Tribute to a Bad Man
Jeremy Rodack
1956
The Seven Little Foys
George M. Cohan
1955
Mister Roberts
Captain Morton
1955
Love Me or Leave Me
Martin Snyder
1955
Run for Cover
Matt Dow
1955
A Lion Is in the Streets
Hank Martin
1953
The Oscars
Self · (2 episodes)
1953
What Price Glory
Captain Flagg
1952
Starlift
James Cagney
1951
Come Fill the Cup
Lew Marsh
1951
The West Point Story
Elwin Bixby
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Ralph Cotter
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (1 episode)
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
George Bridgeman · (1 episode)
1950
White Heat
Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
1949
The Time of Your Life
Joseph
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (3 episodes)
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1948
Blow-Ups of 1947
Self
1947
13 Rue Madeleine
Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey
1947
Okay for Sound
Tommy Powers (archive footage)
1946
Blood on the Sun
Nick Condon
1945
The Voice That Thrilled the World
Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage)
1943
Johnny Come Lately
Tom Richards
1943
Show-Business at War
Self
1943
You, John Jones!
John Jones
1943
Yankee Doodle Dandy
George M. Cohan
1942
Captains of the Clouds
Brian MacLean (bush pilot)
1942
Calling All Girls
Himself (archive footage)
1942
Breakdowns of 1941
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1941
The Bride Came C.O.D.
Steve Collins
1941
The Strawberry Blonde
Biff Grimes
1941
Breakdowns of 1940
Self
1940
City for Conquest
Danny Kenny
1940
Torrid Zone
Nick Butler
1940
The Fighting 69th
Jerry Plunkett
1940
Breakdowns of 1939
Self
1939
The Roaring Twenties
Eddie Bartlett
1939
Each Dawn I Die
Frank Ross
1939
Hollywood Hobbies
Self (uncredited)
1939
The Oklahoma Kid
Jim Kincaid
1939
Angels with Dirty Faces
Rocky Sullivan
1938
Boy Meets Girl
Robert Law
1938
Something to Sing About
Terrence 'Terry' Rooney
1937
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
1936
Great Guy
Johnny 'Red' Cave
1936
Ceiling Zero
Dizzy Davies
1936
A Dream Comes True
Himself (uncredited)
1935
Things You Never See on the Screen
Self
1935
Frisco Kid
Bat Morgan
1935
Mutiny on the Bounty
(uncredited)
1935
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Bottom
1935
The Irish in Us
Danny O'Hara
1935
'G' Men
‘Brick' Davis
1935
Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8
1935
Devil Dogs of the Air
Tommy O'Toole
1935
A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
Himself (uncredited)
1935
The St. Louis Kid
Eddie Kennedy
1934
The Hollywood Gad-About
Self (uncredited)
1934
Here Comes the Navy
Chesty O'Conner
1934
He Was Her Man
Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen
1934
Jimmy the Gent
Jimmy Corrigan
1934
Screen Snapshots No. 11
Himself
1934
Lady Killer
Dan Quigley
1933
Footlight Parade
Chester Kent
1933
The Mayor of Hell
Richard 'Patsy' Gargan
1933
Picture Snatcher
Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean
1933
Hard to Handle
Lefty Merrill
1933
Winner Take All
Jim 'Jimmy' Kane
1932
The Crowd Roars
Joe Greer
1932
Taxi!
Matt Nolan
1931
Intimate Interviews: James Cagney
Himself
1931
Blonde Crazy
Albert 'Bert' Harris
1931
Smart Money
Jack
1931
The Millionaire
Schofield
1931
The Public Enemy
Tom Powers
1931
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 11: 'Practice Shots'
Himself
1931
Other Men's Women
Ed 'Eddie' Bailey
1931
The Doorway to Hell
Steve Mileaway
1930
Sinners' Holiday
Harry Delano
1930
The Singing Fool
Handsy Patron at Blackie Joe's (uncredited)
1928