James Cagney
Born James Francis Cagney, Jr.
Date of birth: July 17, 1899
Date of death: March 30, 1986
Roles
First role: Sinner’s Holiday (1930)
Final role: Terrible Joe Moran (TV movie, 1984)
Best known for…
…playing a tough guy in Warner Bros. gangster flicks
…excelling as a song and dance man despite his tough guy image
…winning a lawsuit against Warner after they violated his contract, proving that actors had the power to hold the big studios to their word
…his political views and activism, which shifted from liberal to conservative later in his life
Notable awards:
- Won a Best Actor Oscar for Yankee Doodle Dandy; also nominated for Angels with Dirty Faces and Love Me or Leave Me
- Lifetime Achievement awards from the American Film Institute, National Board of Review and the Screen Actors Guild
- Received a star on the Walk of Fame in 1960
More Cagney on TMP:
Footlight Parade review
The Roaring Twenties review
Picture Snatcher review
The Strawberry Blonde review
Mister Roberts review
One Sunday Afternoon review
The Motion Pictures 