Cast

James Cagney

Acting

Cast

James Cagney

Known for

Acting

Born

1899-07-17

From

New York City, New York, USA

Died

1986-03-30

Also known as Jimmy Cagney, James Francis Cagney, Джеймс Кэгни

Biography

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.

James Cagney

James Cagney

Biography

Footlight Parade

One, Two, Three

Mutiny on the Bounty

Yankee Doodle Dandy

White Heat

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Angels with Dirty Faces

What Price Glory

The Public Enemy

Vaudeville

Run for Cover

The Gallant Hours

'G' Men

The Roaring Twenties

Short Cut to Hell

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Millionaire

Love Me or Leave Me

Bob Hope's World of Comedy

Jimmy the Gent

That's Entertainment, Part II

Blood on the Sun

That's Dancing!

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

The Bride Came C.O.D.

Tupac: Resurrection

It's Showtime

A Lion Is in the Streets

Other Men's Women

James Cagney: Top of the World

Tribute to a Bad Man

This Is Bob Hope...

Man of a Thousand Faces

White Heat: Top of the World

Hooray for Hollywood

The Mayor of Hell

Picture Snatcher

The Oklahoma Kid

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Shake Hands with the Devil

Night of 100 Stars

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Warner at War

Remembering Ragtime

Breakdowns of 1941

The Strawberry Blonde

Ragtime

Captains of the Clouds

I Don't Even Like Apple Pie...

Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film

The Fighting 69th

Devil Dogs of the Air

City for Conquest

Smart Money

Parkinson at 50

13 Rue Madeleine

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

The Time of Your Life

James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy

Mister Roberts

Each Dawn I Die

The Seven Little Foys

Arizona Bushwhackers

Terrible Joe Moran

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

Complicated Women

Boy Meets Girl

Showbiz Goes to War

Lady Killer

These Wilder Years

Show-Business at War

Frisco Kid

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

Bogart: The Untold Story

Come Fill the Cup

Johnny Come Lately

Taxi!