James Cagney
in the trailer for the film Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
Born	James Francis Cagney Jr. Love Me or Leave Me is a 1955 biographical film which tells the life story of Ruth Etting, a singer who rose from Dancer to movie star July 17, 1899(1899-07-17)[1] New York, New York
Died	March 30, 1986 (aged 86) Stanfordville, New York
Years active	1930-1981
Spouse(s)	Frances Cagney (1922-1986)

James Francis Cagney Jr. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The City of New York Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Stanford is a Town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. Events Top grossing films Tom Sawyer Whoopee! Common Clay Check Events January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor who won acclaim for a wide variety of roles, including the career-launching The Public Enemy. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works The Public Enemy is a 1931 Pre-Code American crime drama Film starring James Cagney and directed ^[2] He was an accomplished vaudeville performer, won an Oscar for Best Actor^[3] for his portrayal of a song-and-dance man in 1942 for his role in Yankee Doodle Dandy, but is still best known for his 'tough guy' roles ^[4]

Like James Stewart, Cagney became so familiar to audiences that they usually referred to him as "Jimmy" Cagney — a billing never found on any of his films. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize Yankee Doodle Dandy ( is a biographical film about George M Cohan, the actor-singer-dancer-playwright-songwriter-producer-theatre owner-director-choreographer James Maitland Stewart (20 May 1908 – 2 July 1997 popularly known as Jimmy Stewart, was an American Film and stage Actor ^[1]

In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Cagney eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 Part of the AFI 100 Years series, AFI's 100 Years 100 Stars is a list of the top 50 stars of American cinema ^[5]

Cagney was among Stanley Kubrick's favorite actors,^[6] and Warner Brothers would arrange private screenings of Cagney films for Winston Churchill. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 ^[7]

He earned the nickname The Professional Againster and walked out on major studio Warner Brothers numerous times, each time coming back on improved personal and artistic terms. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and He was president of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms, and made numerous morale boosting tours of troops during the Second World War. The Screen Actors Guild ( SAG) is an American labor union representing over 120000 Film and television principal performers and background World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Biography

Early life

Cagney was born on the Lower East Side, New York above his father's saloon on the corner of Avenue D and 8th Street ^[1] to James Cagney Sr. The Lower East Side is a Neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. The City of New York Avenue D is the easternmost named Avenue in the East Village neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, though several Eighth Street is a Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan that runs from Sixth Avenue to Third Avenue, and , an Irish American bartender and amateur boxer, and Carolyn Nelson;^[1] his maternal grandfather was a Norwegian ship captain^[2] while his maternal grandmother was an Irish American. Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. ^[8] The family moved twice when Cagney was still young, first to East Seventy-Ninth Street, and then to East Ninety-Sixth Street. ^[9] Cagney was the second of seven children, two of whom died within months of birth; Cagney himself had been very sick as a young child, so much so that his mother feared he would die before being christened, all of which was a product of the level of poverty that they grew up in. ^{[9] [10]} All the children were raised Catholic, all receiving Holy Communion and all being Confirmed. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those ^[9]

The red-haired, blue-eyed Cagney graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City in 1918 and attended, for a single semester, Columbia College of Columbia University ^[11], where he took German and intended to major in Art ^[1] and considered himself an art student, as well as joining the Student Army Training Corps. Stuyvesant High School ( IPA: /ˈstаɪvɛsənt/ commonly referred to as Stuy ( IPA: /ˈstаɪ/ is a New York City Public high school The City of New York History Columbia College was founded as King’s College by royal charter of King George II of England in the ^[12] He dropped out and returned home on the death of his father in a flu epidemic. ^[1]

He had a range of jobs early in his life, all contributing to the family fund: junior architect, copy boy for the New York Sun, book custodian at the New York Public Library, bellhop, draughtsman and a night doorman. The New York Sun was a contemporary five-day Daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 until 2008 The New York Public Library ( NYPL) is one of the leading public libraries of the world and is one of America's most significant Research libraries. A bellhop, also bellboy ( or bellman, is a Hotel porter, who helps Patrons with their Luggage while checking in ^[1] Cagney believed in hard work: "It was good for me. I feel sorry for the kid who has too cushy a time of it. Suddenly he has to come to face-to-face with the realities of life without any mama or papa to do his thinking for him^[1]"

He started tap dancing as a boy (a skill that would eventually contribute to his Academy Award) and was nicknamed 'Cellar-Door Cagney' after his habit of dancing on slanted cellar doors. Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century and is popular nowadays in many parts of the world He was also a good street fighter, fighting on his older med-student brother Harry's behalf when necessary ^[9] and taking on all-comers as necessary, ^[10] as well as boxing as an amateur, including a runner-up in the New York State lightweight title. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous He was good enough for his coaches to encourage him to turn professional, though his mother would not let him. ^[13] He also played semi-professional baseball for a local side, ^[1] and indeed was good enough to harbour dreams of playing in the Major Leagues ^[13]

His introduction to movies was unusual; when visiting an aunt in Brooklyn who lived opposite Vitagraph Studios, Cagney would climb over the fence to watch the filming of John Bunny films. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. American Vitagraph was a United States Movie studio, founded by J John Bunny (born September 21, 1863 in New York City, United States; died April 26, 1915 in Brooklyn New York ^[1] He also became involved in amateur dramatics, starting as a scenery boy for a Chinese pantomime at the London Hill Settlement House, where his brother Harry was on-stage. WikiProject {{{1}}} The definition of Community Theatre differs in the US from the UK For the organisations for kibbutzim and moshavim see Settlement movement (Israel The settlement movement was involved in the creation of "settlement He was quite happy working behind the scenes, he had no interest in performing. One night, however, he stood in for his brother Harry who had been taken ill. James was not an understudy, but his photographic memory of rehearsals allowed him to stand in for his brother without making a mistake. Eidetic memory, photographic memory, or total recall is the ability to recall Images Sounds, or objects in Memory ^[14] After that he joined as a performer, he performed in a variety of roles for a number of companies. ^[1]

Early career

While working at Wanamaker's Department Store in 1919 Cagney learned (from a work colleague who had already seen him dance) of a role in the upcoming Every Sailor based on Every Woman, a war-time play in which the chorus is made up of service-men dressed as women. Wanamaker's Department store was the first department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the first department stores in the United States Cagney auditioned for the role of a chorus-girl, despite considering it a waste of time ^[14] because he only knew one dance step (the Peabody), a complicated step which he knew perfectly. Dance moves or Dance steps, are the building blocks of many Dances More complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures or However, the step was enough to convince that he could dance, copying other dancers moves while waiting to go on. ^[12] He didn't find it odd, nor was he embarrassed at playing a woman on stage, and recalled later how he was able to shed his own natural shy persona when he stepped onto the stage:

Had Cagney's mother had her way, his stage career would have ended when he quit Every Sailor after two months; proud as she was of his performance, she felt it better that he get an education. ^[14]Cagney though appreciated the money, $35 a week, "A mountain of money for me in those worrisome days. " ^[14][12] In deference to his mother's worries, he got yet another job, this time as a brokerage house runner. ^[12] This didn't stop him looking for more stage work though, and he went on and successfully auditioned for a chorus part in Pitter Patter^[1][2], for which he earned $55 a week, of which he sent $40 a week back to his mother. ^[12] So strong was his habit of working more than one job at a time, he also acted as a dresser for one of the leads, portering the casts' luggage and understudying the lead. ^[12][1] Amongst the chorus line was 16 year-old Frances Willard 'Billie' Vernon, who he would marry in 1922. ^[1][2] The show began a 10 year association with vaudeville and Broadway. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located

Pitter Patter was not hugely successful, but did well enough to run for 32 weeks and allowed Cagney to join the vaudeville circuit. Cagney and Vernon toured separately with a number of different troops, reuniting as Vernon and Nye to do simple comedy routines and musical numbers. The Nye was a rearrangement of the last syllable of Cagney's surname. ^[1][15] One of the troops that Cagney would join was Parker, Rand and Leach when Leach left. Leach was Archie Leach, who went on to fame as Cary Grant. ^[12][15]

After more years of touring, performing and struggling to make money to live and survive, in 1924 they moved to Hawthorne, California, partly for Cagney to meet his new mother-in-law who had just moved there from Chicago and to investigate breaking into the movies. Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County California. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Their train fares were paid for by a friend of theirs, the press officer of Pitter Patter who was desperate to break into acting and felt that Hollywood was the place to do it. ^[15][16] They didn't have a lot of success; Cagney's dance studio had few clients and folded, he and Vernon toured the studios but could get no interest. Eventually they borrowed some money and headed back to New York and vaudeville (via Chicago and Milwaukee and repeated failures to make money on the stage ^[16]).

1925 saw Cagney secure his first significant non dancing role. Significantly, he played a young tough guy in the three act play by Maxwell Anderson, Outside Looking In, earning him $200 a week. James Maxwell Anderson ( 15 December 1888 &ndash 28 February 1959) better known as Maxwell Anderson, was a Pulitzer Prize As with Pitter Patter, Cagney went to the audition with little confidence of getting the part; this was drama, not vaudeville. ^[16] Cagney felt that he only got the part of 'Little Red' as he was one of the two red-headed performers in New York, and assumed he got the part because his hair was redder than Alan Bunce's. ^[12] Nevertheless, the play generally, and Cagney in particular received good reviews: Life magazine wrote: "Mr Cagney, in a less spectacular role [than his co-star] makes a few minutes silence during his mock-trial scene something that many a more established actor might watch with profit", Burns Mantle that it "contained the most honest acting now to be seen in New York". ^[1]

After the four month run ended, Cagney went back to vaudeville for the next couple of years, again with varied success, but off the back of Outside Looking In the Cagney's were much better able to pay their bills. During this period, Cagney met George M. Cohen, whom he would go on to portray in Yankee Doodle Dandy, though they never actually spoke. George Michael Cohan ( July 3, 1878 &ndash November 5, 1942) was a United States Entertainer, Playwright, ^[16].

Cagney secured the lead role in the 1926-27 season West End production of Broadway by George Abbott. West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland" George Francis Abbott ( June 25, 1887 - January 31, 1995) was an American Theater producer and director, Playwright However, the show's management insisted that Cagney copied Broadway lead Lee Tracy's performance but Cagney was uncomfortable in trying to do so. Lee Tracy (born William Lee Tracy) ( April 14, 1898 – October 18, 1968) was an Academy Award -nominated American The day before the show sailed for England, however, the management decided that Cagney should be replaced. ^[12][16] This was a devastating turn of events for Cagney. Apart from the logistical difficulties this turn of events presented (their luggage was in the hold of the ship and they had given up their apartment), he almost quit show business. As Billie recalled:

Fortunately for the Cagneys (Billie was in the chorus line of the show), they had run-of-the-play contracts, and with help from the Actors Equity Association, Cagney took up the understudy role to Tracy on the Broadway show, providing them with a desperately needed steady income. Cagney also set-up a dance school for professionals to expand their skills. He then picked up another role in the play Women Go On Forever, directed by John Cromwell that ran for four months. Elwood Dager John Cromwell ( December 23, 1887 – September 26, 1979) was an American Film director, Actor By the end of the run, Cagney was exhausted after both acting and running the dance school.

However, he had built up a reputation as an innovative teacher, and so when he was cast as the lead in Grand Street Follies of 1928 he also was appointed the choreographer, and the show got rave reviews. See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" ^[17] This was followed by Grand Street Follies of 1929.

These led onto a part in George Kelly's Maggie the Magnificent, a play not liked by the critics, although Cagney's performance was. Cagney saw this role, (and Women Go on Forever) as significant because of the talent that directed them, he learnt

Playing opposite Cagney in Maggie the Magnificent was Joan Blondell, and the two were reunited a few months later in Marie Baumer's new play Penny Arcade ^[1], a show that would change Cagney's life forever, and ensure that he would never know poverty again. Rose Joan Blondell, known as Joan Blondell, ( August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an Oscar -nominated American ^[17]

Warner Bros. part I

Whilst the critics did not take to Penny Arcade, Cagney and Blondell were both highly praised. Al Jolson, sensing a potential film success, bought the rights $20,000 and sold the play to Warner Brothers with the stipulation that Cagney and Blondell be cast in the film version, which became Sinners' Holiday and was released in 1930. Al Jolson (May 26 1886 October 23 1950 born in Lithuania, Russian Empire, was a highly acclaimed American singer comedian and actor and the first openly Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and ^[1] Cagney was given a $500 a week, three week contract. ^[17] Cagney's character, Harry Delano, is a tough guy who ends up a killer, but generates sympathy because of his upbringing, and so Cagney's first screen role highlighted a trait that would continue through his career, that of sympathy for the 'bad' guy. ^[1] Cagney would also demonstrate the stubbornness that would also characterise his career during filming; arguing with director John Adolfi about a line:

Despite this outburst, the studio liked him, and before his three week contract was up and whilst shooting was still going on on the film,^[18] they gave Cagney a three week extension and then a full seven year contract at $400 a week. ^[17] It was not all great for Cagney however; the contract allowed Warner to drop him at the end of any 40 week period, effectively guaranteeing him 40 weeks income and after that there would be no further guarantees. As when he was growing up, Cagney shared his money around his family. ^[17]

With the good reviews that Cagney received, he immediately stared in another gangster role in Doorway to Hell which was a financial hit, helping cement Cagney's growing reputation. ^[1] He made four more movies before his breakthrough role.

The most famous scene from Cagney's breakthrough movie, The Public Enemy

Warner Brothers succession of gangster movie hits, in particular Edward G. Robinson's Little Caesar^[19], and Cagney's strong reviews in gangster movies in his short film career came together in the 1931 film The Public Enemy. The Public Enemy is a 1931 Pre-Code American crime drama Film starring James Cagney and directed Edward Goldenberg Robinson Sr (born Emanuel Goldenberg; Yiddish: עמנואל גאלדנבערג December 12 1893 &ndash January Little Caesar is a 1931 Crime film made during the Pre-Code era which tells the story of a man who works his way up the ranks of the mob The Public Enemy is a 1931 Pre-Code American crime drama Film starring James Cagney and directed Cagney was cast to play the nice-guy Matt Doyle, opposite Eddie Woods' Tom Powers. Tom Powers is also the name of a fictional Irish-American gangster played by James Cagney in The Public Enemy. However, after the initial rushes, the two were swapped. ^[20]. The film was low budget, costing only $151,000 to make, but went on to gross over $1million, one of the first low budget films to do so. ^[21]

If the quality of the film itself was not realized until much later, Cagney's performance certainly was. The New York Herald Tribune described Cagney's performance as "the most ruthless, unsentimental appraisal of the meanness of a petty killer the cinema has yet devised. The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald. "^[22] Cagney received top billing for the film ^[18] and whilst he acknowledged the importance of the role to his career, he always disputed that the role changed the way heroes and leading men were portrayed, citing Clark Gable's slapping of Barbara Stanwyck six months earlier as more important. Clark Gable (February 1 &ndashNovember 16) was an iconic American Actor nicknamed "The King of Hollywood" in his heyday Barbara Stanwyck ( July 16, &ndash January 20,) was an American actress, a star of film and television known during her 60-year career as a ^[22]

Cagney's stubbornness was starting to become well known behind the scenes, not least after his refusal to join in a 100% participation charity drive that was being pushed by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr, KBE, DSC ( December 9, 1909 &ndash May 7, 2000) was an American Actor Donating money to charity wasn't the issue, being forced to was. Already he had acquired the nickname The Professional Againster. ^[21]

Warners were quick to combine their two rising 'gangster' stars in Cagney and Robinson for Cagney's next film (for which he received second billing) Smart Money in 1931. Smart Money is a 1931 film starring Edward G Robinson and James Cagney, the only time Robinson and Cagney made a movie together despite being So keen were the studio to follow up the success of Robinson's Little Caesar that Cagney actual shot Smart Money at the same time as The Public Enemy. ^[21] As in The Public Enemy, Cagney is required to be physically violent to a woman, this time slapping co-star Evalyn Knapp, a signal that Warners were keen to keep Cagney in the public eye. Evalyn Knapp ( June 17, 1908 &ndash June 12, 1981) was an American Film actress of the late 1920s 1930s and into the ^[22]

With the introduction of the United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930, and particularly its edicts on on-screen violence, Warners decided to allow Cagney a change of pace, and so cast him in the comedy Blonde Crazy, again opposite Blondell. For the television broadcasting term please see Production code number. Blonde Crazy is a 1931 film by Roy Del Ruth, starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Ray Milland

As he completed filming of his comedy, The Public Enemy was filling cinemas with all-night showings and Cagney began to compare his pay with his peers, thinking his contract allowed for salary adjustments based on the success of his films. Warners disagreed, however, and refused to a pay rise, and also insisted that Cagney continued promoting studio films, even the ones he wasn't in, something he was opposed to. Cagney however wasn't prepared to be pushed around, and packed his trunks, left his apartment to his brother Bill to look after and went back to New York with Billie. ^[21]

While the Cagneys were in New York, brother Bill, who had effectively become James' agent, started talks with the studio about a substantial pay rise and more personal freedom. Warner's hand was forced by the success of Blonde Crazy, and they eventually offered Cagney an improved contract of $1000 a week. ^[23]

His first film on his return from New York as the 1932 film Taxi!, a significant film for two reasons: it was the first time that Cagney danced on screen and secondly it was the last time he would allow himself to be shot at with live ammunition, which was a common occurrence at the time, before blank cartridges and squibs had been perfected. Taxi! is a 1932 film starring James Cagney and Loretta Young. He had experienced it in The Public Enemy, but this time almost got hit. ^[23] The film was again praised by critics, and Warners had another hit on their hands, and was swiftly followed by The Crowd Roars and Winner Takes All.

Despite this success, Cagney was not happy with his contract, wanting more money for his successful films and offering to take a smaller salary should his star wane in the future. ^[22] Warners refused, and so Cagney once again walked out. He was holding out for $4000 a week ^[23], the same amount as Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. , and Kay Francis. Kay Francis (January 13 &ndashAugust 26) was an American stage and film actress ^[22] Warners this time refused to cave in, and suspended Cagney. Cagney announced that he would do his next three pictures for free if Warners canceled the remaining five years on his contract. He also threatened to quit Hollywood and go back to Columbia university and follow his brothers into Medicine. After six months of suspension, a deal, brokered by Frank Capra, saw Cagney receiving an improved salary of around $3000 a week and a guarantee of no more than four films a year and top billing. Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film

This may have seemed ruthless considering the backdrop of the Great Depression, but Cagney, having learned about the block-booking studio system that almost guaranteed them huge profits, was determined to spread the wealth. The studio system was a means of film production and distribution dominant in Hollywood from the early 1920s through the early 1950s ^[24][18] He would also send money and goods to old friends from his neighborhood, though he didn't generally make this known. ^[24] Cagney's insistence on no more than four films a year was based on his experience of the Hollywood acting trade where actors would regularly work 100 hours a week turning out films, even teenagers. This experience would also be an integral part of his involvement in the formation of the Screen Actors Guild, which came into existence in 1933. The Screen Actors Guild ( SAG) is an American labor union representing over 120000 Film and television principal performers and background

Cagney returned to the studio and made Hard to Handle, followed by a steady stream of films, including the highly regarded Footlight Parade^[24], which gave Cagney the chance to return to his song-and-dance roots, and was Warners first real attempt at the musical genre. Hard to Handle ( 1933) is a Comedy film starring James Cagney as a breezily clowning con artist who organizes a Depression -era ^[25] It was thought of as one of Cagney's best early films, featuring particular show-stopping scenes in the Busby Berkeley choreographed routines. Busby Berkeley ( November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) born William Berkeley Enos in Los Angeles California, was a highly ^[22] His next notable film was 1934's Here Comes the Navy which saw him pair up with Pat O'Brien for the first time, which would lead them to a long friendship. Here Comes the Navy is a 1934 romantic comedy starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien and Gloria Stuart. Pat O'Brien is the name of Pat O'Brien (actor (1899&ndash1983 who appeared in Some Like It Hot and other films Pat O'Brien (New ^[25]

1935 was a critical year for Cagney. He was listed as one of the 'Top Ten Moneymakers in Hollywood' for the first time. ^[25] He was cast more frequently outside of gangster roles; in G-Men he played a lawyer who joined the FBI, and he also took on his first, and only, Shakespearean role, as Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, which featured Mickey Rooney as Puck, though it was not critically well received. G-Man (short for G overnment Man) is Slang for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI agent William Shakespeare ( baptised Nick Bottom is a character in Shakespeare 's A Midsummer Night's Dream who provides Comic relief throughout the play and is famously known A Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, suggested by " The Knight's Tale " from Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose This article is about Puck the character in Shakespeare's play for the mythological figure this is based on see Puck (mythology Puck, also known ^[25]

Cagney's last 1935 movie was Ceiling Zero and his third with Pat O'Brien. Ceiling Zero is a 1936 adventure / Drama film distributed by Warner Bros Significantly though, O'Brien received top billing, above Cagney in what was a clear breach of his (Cagney's) contract. This, combined with the fact that he had made five movies in 1934, again against his contract terms, was too much for Cagney, and he brought legal proceedings against Warners for breach of contract. Breach of contract is a Legal concept in which a Binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance ^[26][27] The dispute dragged on for several months. Cagney received calls from David Selznick and Sam Goldwyn, but neither felt in a position to offer him work while the dispute went on. David O Selznick, born David Selznick ( May 10, 1902 &ndash June 22, 1965) was one of the iconic Hollywood producers Samuel Goldwyn ( ca. July 1879 &ndash 31 January 1974) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning producer ^[26]

While the legal dispute rumbled on, with Cagney's brother Bill representing James in court, James and Billie went back to New York and looked for a country property where he could indulge in his passion for farming. ^[26]

Independent years part I

Cagney spent most of the next year on his farm, and only went back to work when Edward L. Alperson from the new, independent Grand National films approached him to make movies at $100,000 a film and 10% of the profits. ^{[28] [26]}. Cagney made two films, Great Guy and Something to Sing About. Cagney received good reviews for both ^[22], but overall the production quality was not up to Warner standards and the films did not do especially well. A third film was planned (Dynamite) but Grand National ran out of money. ^[26]

The timing was fortuitous for Cagney, as the courts decided the Warners lawsuit in Cagney's favor. He had done what many would have though unthinkable; taken on the studios and won, ^[26]. Not only did he win the suit, but Warners knew that he was still a huge star, and invited him back in a 5-year, $150,000 a film deal, with no more than 2 films a year and with Cagney having full say over what films he did and didn't make. ^[26] William Cagney was also guaranteed a deal in an assistant producer for the films James would star in^[29].

Cagney had established the power of the walkout as keeping the studios to their word:

"I walked out because I depended on the studio heads to keep their word on this, that or other promise, and when the promise was not kept, my only recourse was to deprive them of my services. " ^[18]

Cagney himself acknowledged the importance of the walkout for other actors in breaking the dominance of the studio system. Normally when stars walked out, the time they were absent as added on to the end of their already long contract, as happened with Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davies. Olivia Mary de Havilland (born July 1, 1916) is a two-time Academy Award -winning actress. Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (April 5 1908 – October 6 1989 was an American actress of Film, Television and Theatre. ^[18] Cagney could walk out and came back with an improved contract. Unsurprisingly, the whole of Hollywood watched the case closely for hints of how future contracts might be handled. ^[22].

Artistically, the Grand National experiment was a success for Cagney, who was able to move away from his traditional Warners tough guy roles to more sympathetic characters. ^[26][22] How far he could have experimented and developed can never be known, but certainly back in the Warners fold he was back playing tough guys. ^[22]

Warner Bros. part II

Cagney's two films of 1938 both co-starred Pat O'Brien, Boy Meets Girl and Angels with Dirty Faces. Angels with Dirty Faces is a 1938 Warner Brothers Gangster film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney, The former saw Cagney in a comedy role that received mixed reviews. Warners had allowed Cagney his change of pace,^[26] but they were keen to get him back to doing what made them money, namely playing tough guys. Ironically, the script for Angels was one that Cagney had hoped to do while with Grand National, but the studio had been unable to secure funding. ^[26]

Cagney starred as Rocky Sullivan, a gangster fresh out of jail looking for his former associate (played by supporting player Humphrey Bogart, their first film together) who owes him money. Whilst revisiting his old haunts he runs into his old friend Jerry Connolly who is now a priest looking after the Dead End Kids. The Dead End Kids were a group of young actors from New York who appeared in Sidney Kingsley 's Broadway play Dead End in 1935 The kids idolize Rocky, much to Connolly's concern. After a messy shoot-out, Sullivan is eventually captured by the police and sentenced to death by electric chair. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Execution by electrocution (usually referred to after its method of implementation as the Electric Chair) is an execution method originating in the United States in which the Connolly pleads with Rocky to 'turn yellow' on his way to the chair so that the Kids lose their respect for him, and hopefully avoid a life of crime. Sullivan refuses, but on his way to the chair does beg for his life. The film is ambiguous in whether this cowardice was for real or just for the Kids' benefit. Cagney himself refused to say, insisting he liked the ambiguity and the audience making its own mind up. ^[30] The film is regarded by many as one of Cagney's finest ^[22] and garnered him an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for 1938 (losing out to Spencer Tracy in Boys' Town, a role which, ironically Cagney had been considered for, but lost out on due to his tough guy image ^[31]), but winning the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor. Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to recognize The year 1938 in film involved some significant events Events January &mdash MGM announces that Judy Garland Spencer Tracy ( April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was a two-time Academy Award -winning Actor of stage and The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking

Cagney's earlier insistence on not filming with live ammunition came to good during the filming of Angels with Dirty Faces. Having been told he would film a scene with real machine gun bullets, Cagney refused, and insisted the shots be superimposed afterwards. As it turned out, he was right, a ricocheting bullet passing through exactly where his head would have been. ^[26][30]

Cagney's first year back at Warners saw him becoming the studio's highest earner, earning $324,000. ^[26]

Cagney completed his first decade of movie-making in 1939, with The Roaring Twenties, his first film with Raoul Walsh and last with Bogart. For the time period see Roaring Twenties and 1920s. Also there was a 1960s television series and 2008 Irish sitcom of the same name Raoul Walsh (born March 11, 1887 in New York City, died December 31, 1980 in Simi Valley CA) was an American It was, perhaps more surprisingly, his last 'gangster' film for ten years. Cagney again got good reviews, Graham Greene stating "Mr Cagney, of the bull-calf brow, is as always a superb and witty actor". Henry Graham Greene OM, CH (2 October 1904 &ndash 3 April 1991 was an English writer best known as a novelist but who also produced Short stories ^[22] The Roaring Twenties was also the last film where violence was explained as part of a poor upbringing or the environment around the character, as in The Public Enemy. From this point on, violence was attached to mania, as in White Heat^[22]

1939 also saw him second only to Gary Cooper in the national wage stakes, earning $368,333. White Heat is a 1949 Crime film starring James Cagney, Edmond O'Brien, Virginia Mayo, Margaret Wycherly Frank James “Gary” Cooper (May 7 &ndashMay 13) was an American film actor and iconic star ^[32]

His next notable career role was playing George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy, a film Cagney himself "took great pride in" ^[33] and considered his best film. George Michael Cohan ( July 3, 1878 &ndash November 5, 1942) was a United States Entertainer, Playwright, Yankee Doodle Dandy ( is a biographical film about George M Cohan, the actor-singer-dancer-playwright-songwriter-producer-theatre owner-director-choreographer ^[34]

Producer Hal Wallis said that having seen Cohen in I'd Rather Be Right, he never considered anyone other than Cagney for the role. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Hal B Wallis, CBE ( September 14, 1899 &ndash October 5, 1986) was an Academy Award -winning American ^[34] Cagney himself, on the other hand, insists that Fred Astaire had been the first choice and turned it down. Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award ^{[33] [34]}

Filming began the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the cast and crew worked in a "patriotic frenzy"^[34] as the US's early involvement in World War Two gave the cast and crew a feeling that "they might be sending the last message from the free world", according to actress Rosemary DeCamp. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Rosemary DeCamp ( November 14, 1910 - February 20, 2001) was an American television and movie actress ^[34]

Cohan himself had a private showing, shortly before his death, and thanked Cagney "for a wonderful job" ^[34]. A paid for premiere with seats ranging from $25 to $25,000, raised $5,750,000 in war bonds for the US treasury. War bonds are a type of Savings bond used by combatant nations to help fund a war effort and as a Monetary policy for controlling Inflation from an ^[22][34]

Many critics of the time and since have declared it to be Cagney's best film, and draw parallels between Cohan and Cagney; a career begun in vaudeville, years of struggle before reaching the peak of their profession, the surrounding with family (during his career, brothers Bill and Ed and sister Jeanne worked for Cagney Productions), early marriage, and a wife who was happy to sit back while he went on to stardom. ^[22][34]

Certainly it was Cagney's most important film in terms of awards, winning him the Best Actor Oscar (amongst three others Oscars for the film and eight nominations). In his acceptance speech, Cagney said

I've always maintained that in this business, you're only as good as the other fellow thinks you are. It's nice to know that you people thought I did a good job. And don't forget that it was a good part, too. ^[31]

Coming on the back of his biggest success, and particularly because it didn't come from a gangster movie, Cagney felt that it was time, once again, to leave Warners. He had lost out on Boys' Town to Tracy, and also lost the role of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne in Knute Rockne, All American to his friend Pat O'Brien, both because of the hard-man image that Warners had developed for him. The University of Notre Dame du Lac (or simply Notre Dame) (ˌnoʊtɚˈdeɪm is a private Roman Catholic Research university located in Knute (pronounced "kah-noot" ("noot" is the anglicized nickname Kenneth Rockne ( March 4, 1888 &ndash March 31, Knute Rockne All American is a 1940 biographical film which tells the story of Knute Rockne, perhaps the most famous of all of the football Pat O'Brien ( November 11, 1899 – October 15, 1983) was an American movie actor with over 100 screen credits ^[31]

Having won his Oscar just as his Warners contract was due for renewal, he could have asked for whatever he wanted and they would have given it to him, but Cagney was determined to be his own man, and so announced in March 1942 that he and brother Bill were setting up Cagney Productions to release films though United Artists^{[31] [28]}. This article is about the film studio Previously it was affiliated with a cinema chain bearing its name now owned by Regal Entertainment Group.

Independent years part II

Free of Warners again, Cagney spent some time relaxing on his farm in Martha's Vineyard, before volunteering to join the USO and spending several weeks touring the US entertaining troops with vaudeville routines and scenes from Yankee Doodle Dandy. Martha's Vineyard (adjoining the smaller Chappaquiddick Island) is an Island off the US east coast to the south of Cape Cod, both "USO" redirects here for other uses see USO (disambiguation The United Service Organizations Inc ^[31] In September 1942 he was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild. The Screen Actors Guild ( SAG) is an American labor union representing over 120000 Film and television principal performers and background

Almost a year after announcing the creation of his new production company, in March 1943 Cagney's new company produced its first film, Johnny Come Lately. While the main studios were producing patriotic war movies , Cagney was determined to stick to his own path and to continue to try and shake off his tough guy image^[35] and produced a movie that was a "complete and exhilarating exposition of the Cagney "alter-ego" on film" ^[36] According to Cagney, the film "made money but it was no great winner", and criticism of it varied from excellent in Time to the poor from New York's PM. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and PM was a leftist daily newspaper in New York City published by Ralph Ingersoll from June 1940 to June 1948, and bankrolled ^[35]

Following the completion of the film, Cagney went back to the USO and toured US military bases in the UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located He refused to do any interviews with the UK press, preferring to concentrate on rehearsals and performances, giving several shows a day for the Army Signal Corps. The show, called The American Cavalcade of Dance consisted of a history of American dance, from the earliest days through to Fred Astaire, and culminating with dances from Yankee Doodle Dandy. Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award

The second movie Cagney's company would produce was Blood On the Sun, a film for which Cagney, insisting on doing his own stunts, required judo training from Ken Kuniyuki, a judo expert, and Jack Halloran, a former policeman. meaning "gentle way" is a modern Japanese martial art ( Gendai budō) and Combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late ^[35]. The Cagneys had hoped that a more action based James Cagney film would appeal more to the audience, but the film faired worse at the box office than Johnny Come Lately.

At this time, Cagney heard of Audie Murphy, a young war hero who appeared on the front of Life magazine^[37]. Also see Audie Murphy legacy. Audie Leon Murphy (June 20 1926 – May 28 Cagney thought that he had the looks to be a success in movies, and suggested that he come to Hollywood for a try-out, but Murphy couldn't act, and his contract was loaned out then sold on. ^[35]

While negotiating the rights for their third independent film, Cagney took up an offer from 20th Century Fox to star in 13 Rue Madeleine at $300,000 for two months work. ^[38] . The film was a success, and Cagney wsa keen to pick up production of his new project, an adaptation of a Broadway play, William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life. William Saroyan ( August 31, 1908 - May 18 1981) was an Armenian American Author. The Time of Your Life a 1939 five-act play by American Playwright William Saroyan. Saroyan himself love the film but it was a commercial disaster, costing the company half a million dollars, ^[38] with audiences again struggling to accept Cagney out of tough guy roles. ^[36][38]

Cagney productions was in serious trouble; poor returns from the produced films and a legal dispute with Sam Goldwyn Studio over a rental agreement^[36][38] all forced Cagney back to Warners. Cagney signed a distribution-production deal with Warners for the film White Heat^[36], effectively Cagney Productions became a unit of Warner Brothers. White Heat is a 1949 Crime film starring James Cagney, Edmond O'Brien, Virginia Mayo, Margaret Wycherly ^[29]

Warner Bros. part III

James returned to his gangster roots in Raoul Walsh's film White Heat (1949) and played a tyrannical ship captain opposite Jack Lemmon and Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts (1955). Raoul Walsh (born March 11, 1887 in New York City, died December 31, 1980 in Simi Valley CA) was an American White Heat is a 1949 Crime film starring James Cagney, Edmond O'Brien, Virginia Mayo, Margaret Wycherly Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8 1925 &ndash June 27 2001 was an American Actor known principally for his comedic roles Henry Jaynes Fonda ( May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American Academy Award -winning Film and Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) By the late 1940s, however, Cagney's film career would also face its downfall^[28]. In 1953, Cagney Productions ended and William Cagney would also produce his last film, A Lion Is In The Streets. ^[28] Throughout the remainder of the 1950s, Cagney also worked with various different films studios before finally retiring from acting in 1961. ^[39] Cagney's health deteriorated substantially after 1979. Cagney's final appearance in a feature film was in Ragtime (1981), capping a career that covered over 70 films, although his last film prior to Ragtime had occurred 20 years earlier with Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three (1961). Ragtime is a 1981 motion picture based on the Historical novel Ragtime by E Billy Wilder ( June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian born Jewish - American Journalist One Two Three ( 1961) is a comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and written by I During the long hiatus, Cagney rebuffed all film offers, including a substantial role in My Fair Lady as well as a blank check from Charles Bluhdorn at Gulf & Western to play Vito Corleone in The Godfather, to devote time to learning how to paint (at which he became very accomplished), and tending to his beloved farm in Stanfordville, New York. My Fair Lady is a musical Film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical My Fair Lady, based in turn on the play Charles Blühdorn ( September 20, 1926 - February 20, 1983) was a Vienna Austrian born American Industrialist Gulf and Western Industries Inc, for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate. Vito Andolini "The Godfather" Corleone (December 7 1891 - August 14 1955 is a Fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel The Godfather The Godfather is a 1972 Crime drama film based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Mario Puzo and directed His roles in Ragtime and Terrible Joe Moran, a 1984 made-for-television movie, were designed to aid in his convalescence. Ragtime is a 1981 motion picture based on the Historical novel Ragtime by E

Personal life

The crypt of James Cagney in Gate of Heaven Cemetery

On September 28, 1922, he married dancer Frances Willard (aka: “Billie”) Vernon (1899 – 1994) with whom he remained for the rest of his life. The Gate of Heaven Cemetery, approximately 25 miles north of New York City, was established in 1917 at 10 West Stevens Ave Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. They adopted a son, James Cagney Jr, and a daughter, Cathleen “Casey” Cagney. James Cagney Jr was born on November 25, 1939 and died from a heart attack in January 1984 aged only 44 Both his brother William, who was also a producer, and sister Jeanne were actors. Jeanne Carolyn Cagney ( March 25 1919 &ndash December 7 1984) was an American film and television actress

James Cagney died at his Dutchess County farm in Stanfordville, New York, aged 86, of a heart attack. Dutchess County is a County located in the US state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. Stanford is a Town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply He is interred in the Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York. The Gate of Heaven Cemetery, approximately 25 miles north of New York City, was established in 1917 at 10 West Stevens Ave Hawthorne is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County New His pallbearers included boxer Floyd Patterson, Mikhail Baryshnikov (who had hoped to play Cagney on Broadway), actor Ralph Bellamy and director Miloš Forman. Floyd Patterson ( January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov (Михаил Николаевич Барышников (born January 27, 1948) is a Soviet -born Russian Ralph Rexford Bellamy ( June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American Actor with a career spanning sixty-two Jan Tomáš Forman (ˈjan ˈtomaːʃ ˈforman born February 18, 1932) better known as Miloš Forman (ˈmɪloʃ ˈforman is a Czech-American His close friend President Ronald Reagan gave the eulogy at Cagney's funeral. ^[40]

Honors

In 1974, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Film Institute. The American Film Institute ( AFI) is an independent Non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1980, and in 1984 his friend Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (on the building itself called the John F The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed

Quotes

Cagney's lines in White Heat (“Made it, Ma! Top of the world!”) were voted the 18^th greatest movie quote by the American Film Institute. Part of the AFI 100 Years series, AFI's 100 Years 100 Movie Quotes is a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema

It should be noted, however, that he never actually said, "You dirty rat!", a popular phrase associated with him. In his AFI speech, he evoked considerable laughter by remarking that what he really said was, "Judy, Judy, Judy!", another famous, wrongly-attributed line (in this case to Cary Grant). The phrase actually originated in the 1932 film Taxi!, in which Cagney said, "Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!" often misquoted as "Come out, you dirty rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!"

As acting techniques became increasingly systematic (as in the case of "Method Acting"), Cagney was asked during the filming of Mister Roberts about his approach to acting. Taxi! is a 1932 film starring James Cagney and Loretta Young. Method acting is an Acting technique in which Actors try to replicate real life emotional conditions under which the character operates in an effort to create a life-like As Jack Lemmon related in the television special, "James Cagney: Top of the World", which aired on July 5, 1992, Cagney said that the secret to acting was simply this: "Learn your lines. A television special is a Television program, typically a Short film or Television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) . . plant your feet. . . look the other actor in the eye. . . say the words. . . mean them".

Miscellaneous facts

• According to his autobiography Cagney by Cagney, the Mafia had a contract on him whereby a studio light weighing 'several hundred pounds' was to "accidentally" fall on him. The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century The hit was cancelled after George Raft, his co-star in Each Dawn I Die, used his Mob connections to save his friend. George Raft ( 26 September 1895 – 24 November 1980) was an American Film Actor most closely identified Each Dawn I Die is a 1939 gangster film featuring James Cagney and George Raft in their only movie together as leads although Raft ^[41]

• Cagney took such a liking to actor Don Dubbins that he cast him in two of his 1956 films, Those Wilder Years and Tribute to a Bad Man. Don Dubbins ( June 28, 1928 - August 17, 1991) originally Donald Dubbins, was an American Actor of Film Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Tribute to a Bad Man is a 1956 Western film about a rancher whose harsh enforcement of frontier justice alienates the woman he loves

• Cagney spoke fluent Yiddish, a language he picked up during his boyhood in New York City. Yiddish (yi [[wiktייִדיש ייִדיש]] yidish or yi [[wiktאידיש אידיש]] idish, literally "Jewish" is a nonterritorial High The City of New York His fluency in the language helped him start in vaudeville. Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s ^[42]

• Cagney's grandson, James Cagney IV, is an amateur actor appearing in several indie films, and works at Portland, Maine video store VideoPort. Portland is the largest city in the US state of Maine and the County seat of Cumberland County. The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean ^[43]

Filmography

Television

• The Ballad of Smokey the Bear (1966) (voice) (narrator)
• Terrible Joe Moran (1984)

Notes

References

• Cagney, James [1976]. Cagney by Cagney. Doubleday. The Doubleday Publishing Group is the fifth largest Book Publishing company in the world ISBN 0-385-52026-3.  
• Gallagher, Brian. Some Historical Reflections on the Paradoxes of Stardom in the American Film Industry, 1910-1960: Part Six. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian
• McGilligan, Patrick (1975). Cagney: The Actor as Auteur. New York: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc.. Alfred Smith Barnes ( January 28, 1817 in New Haven Connecticut – February 17, 1888 in Brooklyn New York) was an American ISBN 0-498-01462-2.  
• Speck, Gregory (June 1986), “From Tough Guy to Dandy: James Cagney”, The World and I 1: 319, <http://www.worldandi.com/public/1986/june/ar12.cfm>. Retrieved on 1 November 2007 
• Warren, Doug; Cagney, James [1983] (1986). Cagney: The Authorized Biography, Mass Market Edition, New York: St. Martin's Press. St Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the iconic Flatiron Building in New York City. ISBN 0-312-90207-7.  

External links

• James Cagney at the Internet Broadway Database
• James Cagney at the Internet Movie Database
• James Cagney at the TCM Movie Database