James Cagney

Actor

About

Also Known As

James Francis Cagney Jr.

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Born

July 17, 1899

Died

March 30, 1986

Biography

The American gangster film, and the output of Warner Bros. in its most influential decade, would be unimaginable without the contributions of James Cagney. One of talking pictures' first generation of actors, Cagney forever romanticized the figures of the criminal and the con artist with his jittery physical dynamism and breakneck staccato vocal patterns. Raised in New York City's tough ...

Filmography

Short Cut to Hell (1957)

Director

Entertaining the Troops (1989)

Himself

Going Hollywood: The War Years (1988)

Himself

Terrible Joe Moran (1984)

Ragtime (1981)

It's Showtime (1976)

Himself

Photos & Videos

View All

Boy Meets Girl (1938) -- (Movie Clip) What Is Our Story?

Here Comes The Navy (1934) -- (Movie Clip) He Don't Mean Liquor!

Family & Companions

Frances Willard Vernon

Wife

Married from 1922 until his death; died on October 10, 1994 at the age of 95.

Bibliography

"Cagney"

John McCabe, Alfred A. Knopf (1997)

Biography

Raised in New York City's tough Yorkville neighborhood, Cagney was a veteran of settlement house revues, vaudeville and five years of Broadway when he came to Warner Bros. in 1930. Cagney, Bette Davis and Edward G. Robinson, all signed to long-term contracts during this period, became the core of the studio's stock company, which also included character and supporting players such as Alan Jenkins and Frank McHugh. After playing several featured roles Cagney attained instant and lasting fame with his role as vicious gunman Tom Powers in William Wellman's "The Public Enemy" (1931).

"The Public Enemy"'s story of a wisecracking hood who seemed to delight in violence indelibly stamped the gangster genre. Along with "Little Caesar" (1931) and "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang" (1932), the picture cemented Warner Bros.' position as a major studio. Between 1930 and 1941, Cagney made 38 films at Warner Bros. While most were crime and action dramas or comedies, quickly produced on modest budgets and featuring few other box office "names," many have become genre classics. Several, including "Angels With Dirty Faces" (1938) and "The Roaring Twenties" (1939), remain seminal works in American film history. Cagney reached a creative peak with "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), a biopic based on the life of composer George M. Cohan. A sentimental masterpiece, the film drew on Cagney's prodigious dancing talents, largely unexploited at Warner Bros. (except for the marvelous "Footlight Parade" 1933), and brought him the Academy Award for best actor.

A series of well-publicized salary disputes at Warner Bros. led to Cagney's forming an independent production company, Cagney Productions. Headed by James and his brother William, a former actor, the firm was based on terms developed in James's last Warner Bros. contract and gave him unprecedented leeway in choosing vehicles and participating in profits. It proved a failure, releasing only three films through United Artists, but was nevertheless a path-breaking model which many others in the industry would soon follow.

In 1949 Cagney made an explosive return to Warner Bros. in the Raoul Walsh-directed "White Heat," playing Cody Jarrett, a violent, Freudianized update of the Tom Powers character in "The Public Enemy." Like the earlier film, "White Heat" was both profitable and enormously influential.

Throughout the 1950s Cagney played sardonic and often villainous characters for several studios, in films occasionally produced by Cagney Productions. The decade also saw his only directing assignment, "Short Cut To Hell" (1957), and his last musical, the uneven but sometimes delightful "Never Steal Anything Small" (1959).

After a bravura performance in Billy Wilder's ironic farce "One, Two, Three" (1961), Cagney retired. The following years saw him receive many honors, including the 1974 Life Achievement Award of the American Film Institute--the second such award ever given. His good friend and neighbor, director Milos Forman, lured him from retirement for "Ragtime" (1981), but Cagney's own desires to perform again were hampered by increasing ill health. He made only one more appearance before his death, the made-for-TV movie "Terrible Joe Moran" (1984).

Filmography

Life Events

1920

Broadway debut in chorus of "Pitter Patter"

1921

Worked in vaudeville

1930

Signed by Warner Bros.; film acting debut in "Penny Arcade" adaptation "Sinner's Holiday" (reviving role from stage version)

1931

Achieved stardom in "The Public Enemy"

1942

Broke with Warner Bros.

1943

Formed production company with brother William Cagney; first film "Johnny Come Lately"

1957

Sole film directing credit, "Short Cut to Hell"

1961

Last film for many years, "One Two Three"; retired to a farm he owned

1981

One-shot return to feature films, "Ragtime"

Photo Collections

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) - Scene Stills

Here are some scene stills from the all-star Warner Bros. production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle.

Yankee Doodle Dandy - Color-Glos Scene Still

Here is a Color-Glos still released by Warner Bros. to help publicize Yankee Doodle Dandy (1943). Color-Glos stills were tinted color and were most often used for theater displays.

Yankee Doodle Dandy - Publicity Stills

Here are a few photos taken to publicize Warner Bros' Yankee Doodle Dandy (1943), starring James Cagney and Joan Leslie. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

White Heat - Movie Posters

Following are several original release movie posters from White Heat (1949), starring James Cagney as Cody Jarrett.

Footlight Parade - Lobby Cards

Here are several Lobby Cards from Footlight Parade (1933). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

The Bride Came C.O.D. - Publicity Stills

Here are a few stills taken to help publicize Warner Bros' The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941), starring James Cagney and Bette Davis. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

Picture Snatcher - Lobby Cards

Here are several Lobby Cards from Warner Bros' Picture Snatcher (1933), starring James Cagney. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Blonde Crazy - Movie Posters

The Public Enemy - Publicity Stills

Here are a few photos taken to help publicize Warner Bros' The Public Enemy (1931), starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow, and Joan Blondell. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

Each Dawn I Die - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Each Dawn I Die (1939). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Love Me or Leave Me - Publicity Art

Here is a specialty drawing created by MGM for newspaper and magazine reproduction to publicize Love Me or Leave Me (1955), starring James Cagney and Doris Day.

Captains of the Clouds - Movie Poster

Here is the American One-Sheet Movie Poster for Captains of the Clouds (1942). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Taxi! - Lobby Cards

Here are several Lobby Cards from Taxi! (1932). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Captains of the Clouds - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are a few photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of Warner Bros' Captains of the Clouds (1942), starring James Cagney. Note the large casing needed for the Technicolor camera.

The Man of a Thousand Faces - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from The Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

The Roaring Twenties - Publicity Stills

Here are a few photos taken to help publicize Warner Bros' The Roaring Twenties (1939), starring James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, and Frank McHugh. Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

The Roaring Twenties - Lobby Cards

Here are a few Lobby Cards from Warner Bros' The Roaring Twenties (1939), starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, and Humphrey Bogart. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

The Public Enemy - Movie Posters

Here are a few original-release movie posters from Warner Bros' The Public Enemy (1931), starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow.

Love Me or Leave Me - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are several photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of MGM's Love Me or Leave Me (1955), starring James Cagney and Doris Day.

Angels with Dirty Faces - Publicity Stills

Here are a few Publicity Stills from Angels with Dirty Faces (1938). Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.

Lady Killer - Behind-the-Scenes Photo

Here is a photo taken behind-the-scenes during production of Warner Bros' Lady Killer (1933), starring James Cagney.

G-Men - Movie Poster

Here is a window card movie poster from Warner Bros' G-Men (1935), starring James Cagney. Window Cards were mini posters designed to be placed in store windows around town during a film's engagement. A blank space at the top of the poster featured theater and playdate infromation.

These Wilder Years - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for These Wilder Years (1956). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - Lobby Card

Here is a Lobby Card from Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

The Bride Came C.O.D. - Movie Poster

Here is the American One-Sheet Movie Poster for Warner Bros' The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Hard to Handle - Lobby Cards

Here are several Lobby Cards from Hard to Handle (1933). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Angels with Dirty Faces - Movie Posters

Here is a group of American movie posters from Angels with Dirty Faces (1938).

James Cagney - State Express Cigarette Card

This is a small cigarette card of actor James Cagney. These cards were included in Cigarette packs in the 1930s and were collectible items. Customers could even purchase books to organize and collect these cards. State Express was an active Cigarette Card producer, creating a wide range of cards featuring famous people of which film stars were an often popular draw.