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James Cagney

​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, he 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 for 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.


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Born:
Jul 17, 1899 In New York City, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
120
First Appeared:
In the movie Sinners' Holiday 1930-10-11
Latest Project:
Movie AFI Life Achievement Award: 50th Anniversary Special 2023-12-30
Known For
Poster of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Poster of Torrid Zone
Poster of The Mayor of Hell
Filmography
Movie AFI Life Achievement Award: 50th Anniversary Special Self (archive footage) 2023-12-30
Movie Sly Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 2023-09-16
Movie Parkinson at 50 Self (archive footage) 2021-08-28
Movie This Is Bob Hope... Self (archive footage) 2017-12-29
Movie And the Oscar Goes To... Self (archive footage) 2014-02-01
Movie 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year Self (archive footage) 2009-07-02
Movie You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story Self (archive footage) 2008-05-15
Movie Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film Self (archive footage) 2008-10-21
Movie Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History 2008-10-14
Movie Billy Wilder Speaks 2006-06-22
Movie Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public Self (archive footage) 2005-01-01
Movie Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say? Self (archive footage) 2005-01-01
Movie White Heat: Top of the World Self (archive footage) 2005-01-01
Movie Complicated Women Self (archive footage) 2003-05-06
Movie The Kid Stays in the Picture Self (archive footage) 2002-08-16
Movie Bogart: The Untold Story Self (archive footage) 1997-01-05
Movie Harlow: The Blonde Bombshell Self (archive footage) 1993-02-06
Movie Movie Tough Guys Self (archive footage) 1991-01-01
Movie That's Dancing! From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage) 1985-01-18
Movie Going Hollywood: The '30s (archive footage) 1984-01-01
Movie Terrible Joe Moran Joe Moran 1984-03-26
Movie Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1983-02-25
Movie Zelig Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1983-07-15
Movie Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (in "White Heat") (archive footage) 1982-05-21
Movie Night of 100 Stars Self 1982-03-08
Movie Showbiz Goes to War (archive footage) 1982-12-31
Movie Ragtime New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo 1981-11-20
Movie Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years Self 1979-12-13
Series The Kennedy Center Honors Unknown 1978-12-28
Movie It's Showtime Self (archive footage) 1976-03-31
Movie That's Entertainment, Part II (archive footage) 1976-05-16
Movie Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Self (archive footage) 1975-08-06
Movie Arizona Bushwhackers Narrator 1968-03-01
Movie The Ballad of Smokey the Bear Narrator (voice) 1966-11-24
Movie The Road to the Wall Narrator 1962-01-01
Movie One, Two, Three C.R. MacNamara 1961-12-15
Movie The Gallant Hours Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey 1960-06-13
Movie Never Steal Anything Small Jake MacIllaney 1959-02-11
Movie Shake Hands with the Devil Sean Lenihan 1959-06-24
Movie Short Cut to Hell Himself (prologue) 1957-09-01
Movie Man of a Thousand Faces Lon Chaney 1957-08-15
Movie Tribute to a Bad Man Jeremy Rodack 1956-03-30
Movie These Wilder Years Steve Bradford 1956-08-17
Movie Run for Cover Matt Dow 1955-04-29
Movie Love Me or Leave Me Martin Snyder 1955-05-26
Movie Mister Roberts The Captain 1955-07-10
Movie The Seven Little Foys George M. Cohan 1955-09-30
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Movie A Lion Is in the Streets Hank Martin 1953-09-23
Movie What Price Glory Captain Flagg 1952-08-22
Series This Is Your Life Unknown 1952-10-01
Movie Come Fill the Cup Lew Marsh 1951-10-24
Movie Starlift James Cagney 1951-12-14
Movie Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye Ralph Cotter 1950-08-19
Series Robert Montgomery Presents Unknown 1950-01-30
Movie The West Point Story Elwin Bixby 1950-11-25
Movie White Heat Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett 1949-09-02
Series The Ed Sullivan Show Unknown 1948-06-20
Movie The Time of Your Life Joseph 1948-09-03
Movie 13 Rue Madeleine Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey 1947-01-15
Movie Blow-Ups of 1947 Self 1947-12-31
Movie Okay for Sound Tommy Powers (archive footage) 1946-09-07
Movie Blood on the Sun Nick Condon 1945-04-26
Movie Show-Business at War Self 1943-05-21
Movie Johnny Come Lately Tom Richards 1943-09-03
Movie You, John Jones! John Jones 1943-01-14
Movie The Voice That Thrilled the World Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage) 1943-10-16
Movie Oklahoma Outlaws Kincaid (archive footage) (uncredited) 1943-09-14
Movie Captains of the Clouds Brian MacLean (bush pilot) 1942-02-12
Movie Yankee Doodle Dandy George M. Cohan 1942-05-29
Movie The Strawberry Blonde Biff Grimes 1941-02-21
Movie The Bride Came C.O.D. Steve Collins 1941-07-12
Movie Breakdowns of 1941 Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1941-11-14
Movie Torrid Zone Nick Butler 1940-05-18
Movie The Fighting 69th Jerry Plunkett 1940-01-27
Movie City for Conquest Danny Kenny 1940-09-21
Movie Breakdowns of 1940 Self 1940-12-31
Movie Hollywood Hobbies Himself (uncredited) 1939-05-03
Movie The Oklahoma Kid Jim Kincaid 1939-03-11
Movie The Roaring Twenties Eddie Bartlett 1939-10-28
Movie Each Dawn I Die Frank Ross 1939-08-19
Movie Breakdowns of 1939 Self 1939-12-31
Movie Boy Meets Girl Robert Law 1938-08-27
Movie Angels with Dirty Faces Rocky Sullivan 1938-11-26
Movie Mother Goose Goes Hollywood Joe Penner, 1938-12-23
Movie Something to Sing About Terrence 'Terry' Rooney 1937-09-30
Movie Great Guy Johnny 'Red' Cave 1936-12-01
Movie Ceiling Zero Dizzy Davies 1936-01-16
Movie Breakdowns of 1936 Self 1936-12-30
Movie 'G' Men ‘Brick' Davis 1935-05-04
Movie Devil Dogs of the Air Tommy O'Toole 1935-02-09
Movie The Irish in Us Danny O'Hara 1935-07-31
Movie A Trip Through A Hollywood Studio Himself (uncredited) 1935-02-02
Movie Things You Never See on the Screen Self 1935-12-01
Movie A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom 1935-10-09
Movie Frisco Kid Bat Morgan 1935-11-30
Movie A Dream Comes True Himself (uncredited) 1935-12-31
Movie Mutiny on the Bounty (uncredited) 1935-11-22
Movie Jimmy the Gent Jimmy Corrigan 1934-03-09
Movie Screen Snapshots No. 11 Himself 1934-01-01
Movie He Was Her Man Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen 1934-06-16
Movie The Hollywood Gad-About Self (uncredited) 1934-10-04
Movie Here Comes the Navy Chesty O'Conner 1934-07-21
Movie The St. Louis Kid Eddie Kennedy 1934-11-10
Movie Picture Snatcher Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean 1933-05-06
Movie Hard to Handle Lefty Merrill 1933-01-28
Movie The Mayor of Hell Richard 'Patsy' Gargan 1933-06-24
Movie Lady Killer Dan Quigley 1933-12-09
Movie Footlight Parade Chester Kent 1933-10-21
Movie The Crowd Roars Joe Greer 1932-04-16
Movie Winner Take All Jim 'Jimmy' Kane 1932-07-16
Movie How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 11: 'Practice Shots' Himself 1931-04-15
Movie Other Men's Women Ed 'Eddie' Bailey 1931-01-17
Movie The Public Enemy Tom Powers 1931-04-23
Movie Smart Money Jack 1931-06-11
Movie The Millionaire Schofield 1931-05-01
Movie Taxi! Matt Nolan 1931-12-29
Movie Blonde Crazy Albert 'Bert' Harris 1931-09-16
Movie Sinners' Holiday Harry Delano 1930-10-11
Movie The Doorway to Hell Steve Mileaway 1930-10-18