James Cagney
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.
Photos
Movies (130)
Becoming Marilyn
2022 · (archive footage)
Parkinson at 50
2021 · Self (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope...
2017 · Self (archive footage)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009 · Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
2009 · Self (archive footage)
Warner at War
2008 · (archive footage)
Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film
2008 · Self (archive footage)
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
2008 · Self (archive footage)
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006 · Self (archive footage) (voice)
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
2005 · Self (archive footage)
White Heat: Top of the World
2005 · Self (archive footage)
Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?
2005 · Self (archive footage)
Remembering Ragtime
2004 · NY Police Commissioner Rheinlander Waldo (archive footage)
Tupac: Resurrection
2003 · Self (archival)
Complicated Women
2003 · Self (archive footage)
Doris Day: It's Magic
1998 · Self
Vaudeville
1997 · Self (archive footage)
Bogart: The Untold Story
1997 · Self (archive footage)
James Cagney: Top of the World
1992 · Self (Archive footage)
Movie Tough Guys
1991 · Self (archive footage)
I Don't Even Like Apple Pie...
1989 · Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Routine Pleasures
1986 · Ed "Eddie" Bailey (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
1985 · From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985 · Self (archive footage)
Terrible Joe Moran
1984 · Joe Moran
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984 · (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Showbiz Goes to War
1982 · (archive footage)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982 · (in "White Heat") (archive footage)
Showbiz Ballyhoo
1982 · Self (archive footage)
Night of 100 Stars
1982 · Self
James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy
1981
Ragtime
1981 · New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
1979 · Self
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976 · (archive footage)
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · (archive footage) (uncredited)
It's Showtime
1976 · Self (archive footage)
Hooray for Hollywood
1976 · Self (archive footage)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
1975 · (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975 · Self (archive footage)
Dynamite Chicken
1971 · Self (archive footage)
Arizona Bushwhackers
1968 · Narrator
Ballad of Smokey the Bear
1966 · Narrator (voice)
The Day of the Oath
1965 · Narrator
The Road to the Wall
1962 · Narrator
One, Two, Three
1961 · C.R. MacNamara
The Gallant Hours
1960 · Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey, Producer
Shake Hands with the Devil
1959 · Sean Lenihan
Never Steal Anything Small
1959 · Jake MacIllaney
Short Cut to Hell
1957 · Himself (prologue), Director
Man of a Thousand Faces
1957 · Lon Chaney
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
1956 · Himself
These Wilder Years
1956 · Steve Bradford
Tribute to a Bad Man
1956 · Jeremy Rodack
The Seven Little Foys
1955 · George M. Cohan
Mister Roberts
1955 · Captain Morton
Love Me or Leave Me
1955 · Martin Snyder
Run for Cover
1955 · Matt Dow
A Lion Is in the Streets
1953 · Hank Martin
What Price Glory
1952 · Captain Flagg
Starlift
1951 · James Cagney
Come Fill the Cup
1951 · Lew Marsh
The West Point Story
1950 · Elwin Bixby
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
1950 · Ralph Cotter
White Heat
1949 · Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
The Time of Your Life
1948 · Joseph
Blow-Ups of 1947
1947 · Self
13 Rue Madeleine
1947 · Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey
Okay for Sound
1946 · Tommy Powers (archive footage)
Blood on the Sun
1945 · Nick Condon
The Voice That Thrilled the World
1943 · Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage)
Johnny Come Lately
1943 · Tom Richards
Show-Business at War
1943 · Self
You, John Jones!
1943 · John Jones
Yankee Doodle Dandy
1942 · George M. Cohan
Captains of the Clouds
1942 · Brian MacLean
Calling All Girls
1942 · Himself (archive footage)
Breakdowns of 1941
1941 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Bride Came C.O.D.
1941 · Steve Collins
The Strawberry Blonde
1941 · Biff Grimes
Breakdowns of 1940
1940 · Self
City for Conquest
1940 · Danny Kenny
Torrid Zone
1940 · Nick Butler
The Fighting 69th
1940 · Jerry Plunkett
Breakdowns of 1939
1939 · Self
The Roaring Twenties
1939 · Eddie Bartlett
Each Dawn I Die
1939 · Frank Ross
Hollywood Hobbies
1939 · Self (uncredited)
The Oklahoma Kid
1939 · Jim Kincaid
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938 · Rocky Sullivan
Boy Meets Girl
1938 · Robert Law
Something to Sing About
1937 · Terry Rooney
Breakdowns of 1936
1936 · Self
Great Guy
1936 · Johnny 'Red' Cave
Ceiling Zero
1936 · Dizzy Davies
A Dream Comes True
1935 · Himself (uncredited)
Things You Never See on the Screen
1935 · Self
Frisco Kid
1935 · Bat Morgan
Mutiny on the Bounty
1935 · (uncredited)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1935 · Bottom
The Irish in Us
1935 · Danny O'Hara
'G' Men
1935 · ‘Brick' Davis
Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8
1935
Devil Dogs of the Air
1935 · Tommy O'Toole
A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
1935 · Himself (uncredited)
The St. Louis Kid
1934 · Eddie Kennedy
The Hollywood Gad-About
1934 · Self (uncredited)
Here Comes the Navy
1934 · Chesty O'Conner
He Was Her Man
1934 · Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen
Jimmy the Gent
1934 · Jimmy Corrigan
Screen Snapshots No. 11
1934 · Himself
Lady Killer
1933 · Dan
Footlight Parade
1933 · Chester Kent
The Mayor of Hell
1933 · Richard 'Patsy' Gargan
Picture Snatcher
1933 · Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean
Hard to Handle
1933 · Lefty Merrill
Winner Take All
1932 · Jim 'Jimmy' Kane
The Crowd Roars
1932 · Joe Greer
Taxi!
1932 · Matt Nolan
Intimate Interviews: James Cagney
1931 · Himself
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 11: 'Practice Shots'
1931 · Himself
Blonde Crazy
1931 · Albert 'Bert' Harris
Smart Money
1931 · Jack
The Millionaire
1931 · Schofield
The Public Enemy
1931 · Tom Powers
Other Men's Women
1931 · Ed 'Eddie' Bailey
The Doorway to Hell
1930 · Steve Mileaway
Sinners' Holiday
1930 · Harry Delano
The Singing Fool
1928 · Handsy Patron at Blackie Joe's (uncredited)
TV shows (10)
Legends
2006 · Martin Snyder (archive footage) (uncredited)
Parkinson
2004 · Self - Guest (archive footage)
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978 · Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973 · Self
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · Self
MGM Parade
1955 · self
The Oscars
1953 · Self
What's My Line?
1950 · Self
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950 · George Bridgeman
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · Self, Self (uncredited)