![]() He was sickly as an infant-so much so that his mother feared he would die before he could be baptized. Ĭagney was the second of seven children, two of whom died within months of their births. His mother was Carolyn Elizabeth ( née Nelson 1877–1945) her father was a Norwegian ship's captain, and her mother was Irish. At the time of his son's birth, he was a bartender and amateur boxer, although on Cagney's birth certificate, he is listed as a telegraphist. His biographers disagree as to the actual location: either on the corner of Avenue D and 8th Street, or in a top-floor apartment at 391 East 8th Street, the address that is on his birth certificate. James Francis "Jimmy" Cagney was born in 1899 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Cagney also made numerous USO troop tours before and during World War II and served as president of the Screen Actors Guild for two years. Warner called him "the Professional Againster". In reference to Cagney's refusal to be pushed around, Jack L. He worked for the independent film company Grand National (starring in two films: the musical Something to Sing About and the drama Great Guy) for a year while the suit was being settled, then in 1942 establishing his own production company, Cagney Productions, before returning to Warner seven years later. ![]() This was one of the first times an actor prevailed over a studio on a contract issue. In 1935 he sued Warner for breach of contract and won. several times over the course of his career, each time returning on much improved personal and artistic terms. He came out of retirement 20 years later for a part in the movie Ragtime (1981), mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke. Cagney retired from acting and dancing in 1961 to spend time on his farm with his family. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me with Doris Day. In 1942 Cagney won the Oscar for his energetic portrayal of George M. In 1938 he received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his subtle portrayal of the tough guy/man-child Rocky Sullivan in Angels with Dirty Faces. He became one of Hollywood's leading stars and one of Warner Bros.' biggest contracts. Notable for a famous scene in which Cagney pushes half a grapefruit against Mae Clarke's face, the film thrust him into the spotlight. signed him for an initial $400-a-week, three-week contract when the executives at the studio saw the first dailies for the film, Cagney's contract was immediately extended.Ĭagney's fifth film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. with the proviso that James Cagney and Joan Blondell be able to reprise their stage roles in the movie. Al Jolson saw him in the play and bought the movie rights, before selling them to Warner Bros. He secured several other roles, receiving good notices, before landing the lead in the 1929 play Penny Arcade. He spent several years in vaudeville as a dancer and comedian, until he got his first major acting part in 1925. ![]() In his first professional acting performance in 1919, Cagney was costumed as a woman when he danced in the chorus line of the revue Every Sailor. Orson Welles described him as "maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera". In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him eighth on its list of greatest male stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was able to negotiate dancing opportunities in his films and ended up winning the Academy Award for his role in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). Cagney is remembered for playing multifaceted tough guys in films such as The Public Enemy (1931), Taxi! (1932), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), The Roaring Twenties (1939), City for Conquest (1940) and White Heat (1949), finding himself typecast or limited by this reputation earlier in his career. He won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. ( / ˈ k æ ɡ n i/ July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. ![]()
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