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