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Photo of James Cagney

James Cagney

Actor, Producer, Director
Born July 17, 1899Died March 30, 1986 (86 years)
​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.
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • Blood on the Sun
  • Great Guy
Known For
  • White Heat
  • Angels with Dirty Faces
  • Yankee Doodle Dandy
  • The Public Enemy
  • One, Two, Three
  • The Roaring Twenties
  • Mister Roberts
  • Footlight Parade
  • 'G' Men
  • The Strawberry Blonde
  • Each Dawn I Die
  • The Bride Came C.O.D.
  • 13 Rue Madeleine
  • Man of a Thousand Faces
  • Love Me or Leave Me
  • City for Conquest
  • The Oklahoma Kid
  • Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
  • Blonde Crazy
  • Blood on the Sun
  • The Fighting 69th
  • Jimmy the Gent
  • Lady Killer
  • The Gallant Hours

Filmography

2022
Becoming Marilyn · as Cody Jarrett
2011
These Amazing Shadows · as George M. Cohan (clip From Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942))
2008
2004
2004
2003
2003
Los Angeles Plays Itself · as Tom Powers In The Public Enemy (archive Footage)
1998
1993
The Eye of Vichy · as Undetermined Film Role: Gambling
1985
That's Dancing! · as From 'yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive Footage)
1984
Terrible Joe Moran · as Joe Moran
1984
Going Hollywood: The '30s · as (archive Footage)
1982
Showbiz Goes to War · as (archive Footage)
1982
Henry Fonda: The Man and His Movies · as Actor In 'mr. Roberts'
1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid · as (in "white Heat") (archive Footage)
1982
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actor - 'mr. Roberts'
1981
Ragtime · as New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
1976
America at the Movies · as George M. Cohan
1976
That's Entertainment, Part II · as (archive Footage)
1969
1968
Arizona Bushwhackers · as Narrator
1966
The Ballad of Smokey the Bear · as Narrator (voice)
1963
Hollywood: The Great Stars · as Cody Jarrett
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
1956
These Wilder Years · as Steve Bradford
1956
Tribute to a Bad Man · as Jeremy Rodack
1955
Mister Roberts · as The Captain
1955
Love Me or Leave Me · as Martin Snyder
1955
The Seven Little Foys · as George M. Cohan
1955
Run for Cover · as Matt Dow
1953
A Lion Is in the Streets · as Hank Martin
1952
What Price Glory · as Captain Flagg
1951
Come Fill the Cup · as Lew Marsh
1950
The West Point Story · as Elwin Bixby
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye · as Ralph Cotter
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre (TV Series) · as George Bridgeman
1949
White Heat · as Arthur 'cody' Jarrett
1948
1947
13 Rue Madeleine · as Robert Emmett 'bob' Sharkey
1945
Blood on the Sun · as Nick Condon
1943
Johnny Come Lately · as Tom Richards
1942
Yankee Doodle Dandy · as George M. Cohan
1942
Captains of the Clouds · as Brian Maclean (bush Pilot)
1941
The Bride Came C.O.D. · as Steve Collins
1941
The Strawberry Blonde · as Biff Grimes
1940
City for Conquest · as Danny Kenny
1940
Torrid Zone · as Nick Butler
1940
Tear Gas Squad · as Rocky Sullivan
1940
The Fighting 69th · as Jerry Plunkett
1939
The Roaring Twenties · as Eddie Bartlett
1939
Each Dawn I Die · as Frank Ross
1939
The Oklahoma Kid · as Jim Kincaid
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
1935
Frisco Kid · as Bat Morgan
1935
Mutiny on the Bounty · as (uncredited)
1935
1935
The Irish in Us · as Danny O'hara
1935
'G' Men · as ‘brick' Davis
1935
Devil Dogs of the Air · as Tommy O'toole
1934
The St. Louis Kid · as Eddie Kennedy
1934
Here Comes the Navy · as Chesty O'conner
1934
He Was Her Man · as Flicker Hayes, Aka Jerry Allen
1934
Jimmy the Gent · as Jimmy Corrigan
1933
Lady Killer · as Dan Quigley
1933
Footlight Parade · as Chester Kent
1933
The Mayor of Hell · as Richard 'patsy' Gargan
1933
Picture Snatcher · as Daniel Patrick "danny" Kean
1933
Hard to Handle · as Lefty Merrill
1932
Winner Take All · as Jim 'jimmy' Kane
1932
The Crowd Roars · as Joe Greer
1931
Taxi · as Matt Nolan
1931
Blonde Crazy · as Albert 'bert' Harris
1931
Smart Money · as Jack
1931
The Public Enemy · as Tom Powers
1931
The Millionaire · as Schofield
1930
Other Men's Women · as Ed 'eddie' Bailey
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)

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