Acting · New York City, New York, USA · Born July 17, 1899
James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys". In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. In his first performing role, Cagney danced dressed as a woman in the chorus line of the 1919 revue Every Sailor. He spent several years in vaudeville as a hoofer and comedian until his first major acting role in 1925. He secured several other roles, receiving good reviews before landing the lead in the 1929 play Penny Arcade. After rave reviews for his acting, Warners signed him for an initial $500 a week, three-week contract to reprise his role; this was quickly extended to a seven year contract. Cagney's seventh film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Notable for its famous grapefruit scene, the film thrust Cagney into the spotlight, making him one of Warners' and Hollywood's biggest stars. In 1938, he received his first Academy Award Best Actor nomination for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired for 20 years in 1961, spending time on his farm before returning for a part in Ragtime mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke. Cagney walked out on Warners several times over his career, each time coming back on improved personal and artistic terms. In 1935, he sued Warners for breach of contract and won; this marked one of the first times an actor had beaten a studio over a contract issue. He worked for an independent film company for a year while the suit was settled, and also established his own production company, Cagney Productions, in 1942 before returning to Warners again four years later. Jack Warner called him "The Professional Againster", in reference to Cagney’s refusal to be pushed around. Cagney also made numerous morale-boosting troop tours before and during World War II, and was President of the Screen Actors Guild for two years.
MovieBecoming Marilyn
2022
as (archive footage)
MovieParkinson at 50
2021
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThis Is Bob Hope...
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Movie1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
2009
as Self (archive footage)
MovieWarner at War
2008
as (archive footage)
MoviePublic Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film
2008
as Self (archive footage)
MovieYou Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
2008
as Self (archive footage)
TVLegends
2006
as Martin Snyder (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieStardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006
as Self (archive footage) (voice)
White Heat: Top of the World
2005
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBeer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
2005
as Self (archive footage)
MovieAngels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?
2005
as Self (archive footage)
MovieRemembering Ragtime
2004
as NY Police Commissioner Rheinlander Waldo (archive footage)
MovieTupac: Resurrection
2003
as Self (archival)
MovieComplicated Women
2003
as Self (archive footage)
MovieDoris Day: It's Magic
1998
as Self
MovieVaudeville
1997
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBogart: The Untold Story
1997
as Self (archive footage)
MovieJames Cagney: Top of the World
1992
as Self (Archive footage)
MovieMovie Tough Guys
1991
as Self (archive footage)
MovieI Don't Even Like Apple Pie...
1989
as Self (Archive Footage)
MovieHappy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieRoutine Pleasures
1986
as Ed "Eddie" Bailey (archive footage)
MovieThat's Dancing!
1985
as From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage)
MovieHollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
as Self (archive footage)
MovieTerrible Joe Moran
1984
as Joe Moran
MovieGoing Hollywood: The '30s
1984
as (archive footage)
MovieHollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieShowbiz Goes to War
1982
as (archive footage)
MovieDead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982
as (in "White Heat") (archive footage)
MovieShowbiz Ballyhoo
1982
as Self (archive footage)
MovieNight of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy
1981
MovieRagtime
1981
as New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
MovieFrank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
1979
as Self
TVThe Kennedy Center Honors
1978
as Self
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThat's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
MovieIt's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHooray for Hollywood
1976
as Self (archive footage)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
1975
as (archive footage)
MovieBrother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
TVThe American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
MovieDynamite Chicken
1971
as Self (archive footage)
MovieArizona Bushwhackers
1968
as Narrator
MovieBallad of Smokey the Bear
1966
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Day of the Oath
1965
as Narrator
MovieThe Road to the Wall
1962
as Narrator
MovieOne, Two, Three
1961
as C.R. MacNamara
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
MovieThe Gallant Hours
1960
as Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey
MovieShake Hands with the Devil
1959
as Sean Lenihan
MovieNever Steal Anything Small
1959
as Jake MacIllaney
MovieShort Cut to Hell
1957
as Himself (prologue)
MovieMan of a Thousand Faces
1957
as Lon Chaney
MovieThe Bob Hope Chevy Show
1956
as Himself
MovieThese Wilder Years
1956
as Steve Bradford
MovieTribute to a Bad Man
1956
as Jeremy Rodack
MovieThe Seven Little Foys
1955
as George M. Cohan
TVMGM Parade
1955
as self
MovieMister Roberts
1955
as Captain Morton
MovieLove Me or Leave Me
1955
as Martin Snyder
MovieRun for Cover
1955
as Matt Dow
MovieA Lion Is in the Streets
1953
as Hank Martin
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
MovieWhat Price Glory
1952
as Captain Flagg
MovieStarlift
1951
as James Cagney
MovieCome Fill the Cup
1951
as Lew Marsh
MovieThe West Point Story
1950
as Elwin Bixby
MovieKiss Tomorrow Goodbye
1950
as Ralph Cotter
TVWhat's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
TVRobert Montgomery Presents
1950
as George Bridgeman
MovieWhite Heat
1949
as Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
MovieThe Time of Your Life
1948
as Joseph
TVThe Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
MovieBlow-Ups of 1947
1947
as Self
Movie13 Rue Madeleine
1947
as Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey
MovieOkay for Sound
1946
as Tommy Powers (archive footage)
MovieBlood on the Sun
1945
as Nick Condon
MovieThe Voice That Thrilled the World
1943
as Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage)
MovieJohnny Come Lately
1943
as Tom Richards
MovieShow-Business at War
1943
as Self
MovieYou, John Jones!
1943
as John Jones
MovieYankee Doodle Dandy
1942
as George M. Cohan
MovieCaptains of the Clouds
1942
as Brian MacLean
Calling All Girls
1942
as Himself (archive footage)
MovieBreakdowns of 1941
1941
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieThe Bride Came C.O.D.
1941
as Steve Collins
MovieThe Strawberry Blonde
1941
as Biff Grimes
MovieBreakdowns of 1940
1940
as Self
MovieCity for Conquest
1940
as Danny Kenny
MovieTorrid Zone
1940
as Nick Butler
MovieThe Fighting 69th
1940
as Jerry Plunkett
MovieBreakdowns of 1939
1939
as Self
MovieThe Roaring Twenties
1939
as Eddie Bartlett
MovieEach Dawn I Die
1939
as Frank Ross
MovieHollywood Hobbies
1939
as Self (uncredited)
MovieThe Oklahoma Kid
1939
as Jim Kincaid
MovieAngels with Dirty Faces
1938
as Rocky Sullivan
MovieBoy Meets Girl
1938
as Robert Law
MovieSomething to Sing About
1937
as Terry Rooney
MovieBreakdowns of 1936
1936
as Self
MovieGreat Guy
1936
as Johnny 'Red' Cave
MovieCeiling Zero
1936
as Dizzy Davies
MovieA Dream Comes True
1935
as Himself (uncredited)
MovieThings You Never See on the Screen
1935
as Self
MovieFrisco Kid
1935
as Bat Morgan
MovieMutiny on the Bounty
1935
as (uncredited)
MovieA Midsummer Night's Dream
1935
as Bottom
MovieThe Irish in Us
1935
as Danny O'Hara
Movie'G' Men
1935
as ‘Brick' Davis
Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8
1935
MovieDevil Dogs of the Air
1935
as Tommy O'Toole
MovieA Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
1935
as Himself (uncredited)
MovieThe St. Louis Kid
1934
as Eddie Kennedy
MovieThe Hollywood Gad-About
1934
as Self (uncredited)
MovieHere Comes the Navy
1934
as Chesty O'Conner
MovieHe Was Her Man
1934
as Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen
MovieJimmy the Gent
1934
as Jimmy Corrigan
MovieScreen Snapshots No. 11
1934
as Himself
MovieLady Killer
1933
as Dan
MovieFootlight Parade
1933
as Chester Kent
MovieThe Mayor of Hell
1933
as Richard 'Patsy' Gargan
MoviePicture Snatcher
1933
as Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean
MovieHard to Handle
1933
as Lefty Merrill
MovieWinner Take All
1932
as Jim 'Jimmy' Kane
MovieThe Crowd Roars
1932
as Joe Greer
MovieTaxi!
1932
as Matt Nolan
Intimate Interviews: James Cagney
1931
as Himself
MovieHow I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 11: 'Practice Shots'
1931
as Himself
MovieBlonde Crazy
1931
as Albert 'Bert' Harris
MovieSmart Money
1931
as Jack
MovieThe Millionaire
1931
as Schofield
MovieThe Public Enemy
1931
as Tom Powers
MovieOther Men's Women
1931
as Ed 'Eddie' Bailey
MovieThe Doorway to Hell
1930
as Steve Mileaway
MovieSinners' Holiday
1930
as Harry Delano
MovieThe Singing Fool
1928
as Handsy Patron at Blackie Joe's (uncredited)
