James Cagney

Lore & Background

Cagney was born in 1899 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan; biographers disagree on the exact location. He was the second of five children, two of whom died in infancy. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1914 or 1915 and attended Columbia College, intending to major in Art, but dropped out after only a few weeks upon his father's death due to financial need. He held various jobs including junior architect, copy boy, and night doorkeeper, giving all earnings to his family. He started tap dance as a boy and was a good street fighter and amateur boxer, runner-up for the New York state lightweight title.

His film career began after Al Jolson bought the rights to the play Penny Arcade (1929), securing Cagney's part in the Warner Bros. adaptation released in 1930. His fifth film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. He received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 1939 for Angels with Dirty Faces, and won the Academy Award for his role of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired from acting in 1961, but came out of retirement 20 years later for a part in Ragtime (1981), drawn by the role and director Milos Forman's persuasion.

Cagney walked out on Warner Bros. twice, each time returning on improved terms. In 1935, he sued Warner for breach of contract and signed with Grand National Pictures. In 1942, he established his own production company, Cagney Productions, before returning to Warner seven years later. Jack L. Warner called him 'the Professional Againster'. Cagney made numerous USO troop tours before and during World War II and served as president of the Screen Actors Guild for two years.

Reader's Guide

James Cagney's significance lies in his transformation of the gangster archetype into a complex, energetic figure, and his ability to blend tough-guy roles with musical and comedic performances. His Academy Award-winning portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy showcased his dancing skills, which he negotiated into his film contracts. Orson Welles described him as 'maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera.' Cagney's career spanned from vaudeville to the Golden Age of Hollywood, and his refusal to be pushed around by studio executives set a precedent for actor autonomy. His legacy endures through his influential films and his ranking as the eighth greatest male star of the Golden Age of Hollywood by the American Film Institute in 1999.

Did You Know?

• Cagney was nicknamed 'Cellar-Door Cagney' after his habit of dancing on slanted cellar doors as a boy.
• He was a runner-up for the New York state lightweight title in amateur boxing.
• His first acting role was in a wartime play called Every Sailor, where he performed in the chorus dressed as a woman.
• Cagney's funeral service was held at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Manhattan, the same church where he was confirmed.