James Cagney (1899–1986)

Actor | Director | Producer

One of Hollywood's preeminent male stars of all time, James Cagney was also an accomplished dancer ...

Born: July 17, 1899
Died: March 30, 1986 (age 86)

Photos

Filmography

Known For

Angels with Dirty Faces Rocky Sullivan (1938)
White Heat Cody Jarrett (1949)
Yankee Doodle Dandy George M. Cohan (1942)
Known For

One, Two, Three C.R. MacNamara (1961)
Actor

Terrible Joe Moran Joe Moran (1984)
Ragtime New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo (1981)
Arizona Bushwhackers Narrator (1968)
The Ballad of Smokey the Bear Narrator (1966)
One, Two, Three C.R. MacNamara (1961)
The Gallant Hours Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. (1960)
Shake Hands with the Devil Sean Lenihan (1959)
Never Steal Anything Small Jake MacIllaney (1959)
Man of a Thousand Faces Lon Chaney (1957)
The Christophers Professor Graham (1957)
Robert Montgomery Presents George Bridgeman (1956)
These Wilder Years Steve Bradford (1956)
Tribute to a Bad Man Jeremy Rodock (1956)
Mister Roberts The Captain (1955)
The Seven Little Foys George M. Cohan (1955)
Love Me or Leave Me Martin Snyder (1955)
Run for Cover Matt Dow (1955)
A Lion Is in the Streets Hank Martin (1953)
What Price Glory Capt. Flagg (1952)
Starlift James Cagney (1951)
Come Fill the Cup Lew Marsh (1951)
The West Point Story Elwin 'Bix' Bixby (1950)
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye Ralph Cotter (1950)
White Heat Cody Jarrett (1949)
The Time of Your Life Joseph T. (who observes people) (1948)
13 Rue Madeleine Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey (1946)
Blood on the Sun Nick Condon (1945)
Johnny Come Lately Tom Richards (1943)
You, John Jones! John Jones (1943)
Yankee Doodle Dandy George M. Cohan (1942)
Captains of the Clouds Brian MacLean (1942)
The Bride Came C.O.D. Steve Collins (1941)
The Strawberry Blonde Biff Grimes (1941)
City for Conquest Danny Kenny (1940)
Torrid Zone Nick Butler (1940)
The Fighting 69th Jerry Plunkett (1940)
The Roaring Twenties Eddie Bartlett (1939)
Each Dawn I Die Frank Ross (1939)
The Oklahoma Kid Jim Kincaid (1939)
Angels with Dirty Faces Rocky Sullivan (1938)
Boy Meets Girl Robert Law (1938)
Something to Sing About Thadeus McGillicuddy aka Terry Rooney (1937)
Great Guy Johnny Cave (1936)
Ceiling Zero Dizzy Davis (1936)
Frisco Kid Bat Morgan (1935)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom - the Weaver (1935)
The Irish in Us Danny O'Hara (1935)
'G' Men 'Brick' Davis (1935)
Devil Dogs of the Air Tommy O'Toole (1935)
The St. Louis Kid Eddie Kennedy (1934)
Here Comes the Navy Chester (Chesty) O'Connor (1934)
He Was Her Man Flicker Hayes - aka Jerry Allen (1934)
Jimmy the Gent Jimmy Corrigan (1934)
Lady Killer Dan Quigley (1933)
Footlight Parade Chester Kent (1933)
The Mayor of Hell Patsy (1933)
Picture Snatcher Danny Kean (1933)
Hard to Handle Lefty Merrill (1933)
Winner Take All Jim 'Jimmy' Kane (1932)
The Crowd Roars Joe Greer (1932)
Taxi Matt Nolan (1931)
How I Play Golf by Bobby Jones No. 11: 'Practice Shots' James Cagney (1931)
Blonde Crazy Bert Harris (1931)
Smart Money Jack (1931)
The Millionaire Schofield (1931)
The Public Enemy Tom Powers (1931)
Other Men's Women Ed (1931)
The Doorway to Hell Steve Mileaway (1930)
Actor

Sinners' Holiday Harry Delano (1930)
Soundtrack

Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing (2009)
Warner at War (2008)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure (2008)
The Brothers Warner (2007)
American Masters (1997)
Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)
That's Dancing! (1985)
Hooray for Hollywood (1982)
America at the Movies (1976)
Never Steal Anything Small (1959)
The Bob Hope Show (1956)
The Seven Little Foys (1955)
The West Point Story (1950)
The Time of Your Life (1948)
The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Captains of the Clouds (1942)
Calling All Girls (1942)
City for Conquest (1940)
The Oklahoma Kid (1939)
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Something to Sing About (1937)
Ceiling Zero (1936)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
Devil Dogs of the Air (1935)
Footlight Parade (1933)
Taxi (1931)
Soundtrack

Blonde Crazy (1931)
Director

Short Cut to Hell (1957)
Producer

The Gallant Hours (1960)
Archive footage

The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland (2021)
Credlin (2021)
Outsiders (2021)
The Oscars Library: A Tribute to the Academy Awards (2019)
Gangsters: America's Most Evil (2018)
American Masters (1997-2017)
National Endowment for the Arts: United States of Arts (2017)
The Audacity to Kill God (2015)
Shakespeare Uncovered (2015)
War Movie Blockbusters (2015)
And the Oscar Goes to... (2014)
Welcome to the Basement (2013)
19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2013)
Mafia's Greatest Hits (2012)
Nazi Titanic (2012)
Close-Up (2011)
These Amazing Shadows (2011)
Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression (2009)
Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (2008)
Empire State Building Murders (2008)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure (2008)
Legends (2007)
Amérique, notre histoire (2006)
Billy Wilder Speaks (2006)
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006)
Bullets Over Hollywood (2005)
White Heat: Top of the World (2005)
Remembering 'Ragtime' (2004)
Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes Go Hollywood (2004)
Broadway: The American Musical (2004)
Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (2004)
James Cagney and Jack Warner (2003)
Divided Highway: The Story of 'They Drive by Night' (2003)
Curtains for Roy Earle: The Story of 'High Sierra' (2003)
Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
Complicated Women (2003)
Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
Great Performances (2003)
The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
Hollywood Rivals (2001)
Time & Again (2000)
Modern Marvels (2000)
James Cagney on Film (1999)
Angela's Ashes (1999)
The Canadians (1998)
Warner Bros. 75th Anniversary: No Guts, No Glory (1998)
Biography (1992-1998)
Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998)
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick (1995)
Century of Cinema (1995)
L'oeil de Vichy (1993)
James Cagney: Top of the World (1992)
Movie Tough Guys (1991)
Big Breakdowns: Hollywood Bloopers of the 1930s (1991)
Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1991)
Phil Collins: I Wish It Would Rain Down (1990)
Blushing Bloopers (1990)
Classic Movie Bloopers (1990)
Classic Bloopers (1990)
Bloopers Galore (1989)
Ronnie Dearest: The Lost Episodes (1988)
Movie Bloopers (1988)
Entertaining the Troops (1988)
AFI Life Achievement Award (1978-1988)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC (1988)
Bloopermania (1987)
The Return of Video Yesterbloop (1986)
Entertainment Tonight (1986)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers (1985)
That's Dancing! (1985)
Hollywood Crime Wave (1984)
Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984)
Moviestar Cartoons (1983)
Zelig (1983)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983)
Henry Fonda: The Man and His Movies (1982)
Showbiz Goes to War (1982)
Showbiz Ballyhoo (1982)
Hooray for Hollywood (1982)
Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (1982)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
Parkinson (1982)
Presidential Blooper Reel (1981)
Fade to Black (1980)
Bob Hope's Overseas Christmas Tours: Around the World with the Troops - 1941-1972 (1980)
Star Bloopers (1979)
Hollywood on Parade (1978)
Bob Hope's World of Comedy (1976)
Kristina Talking Pictures (1976)
America at the Movies (1976)
That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
It's Showtime (1976)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television (1975)
Brother Can You Spare a Dime (1975)
The World at War (1973)
Happy Days (1970)
Busby Berkeley and the Gold Diggers (1969)
Hollywood and the Stars (1963-1964)
The Ed Sullivan Show (1959-1963)
Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963)
The DuPont Show of the Week (1961-1962)
MGM Parade (1956)
Film Time (1955)
Film Profile (1955)
When the Talkies Were Young (1955)
Okay for Sound (1946)
The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
Oklahoma Outlaws (1943)
Calling All Girls (1942)
Breakdowns of 1941 (1941)
Tear Gas Squad (1940)
Breakdowns of 1939 (1940)
Breakdowns of 1940 (1940)
Archive footage

Breakdowns of 1936 (1936)
Wild Boys of the Road (1933)

Videos

Awards

Did You Know

Trivia

A studio changed his birth date from 1899 to 1904 to capitalize on his youthful appearance.

I still think of myself essentially as a vaudevillian, as a song and dance man. The vaudevillians I knew by and large were marvelous people. Ninety percent of them had no schooling, but they had a vivid something or other about them that absolutely ...

Trademark

Famous for his gangster roles he played in the 1930s and 1940s (which made his only Oscar win as the musical composer/dancer/actor George M.Cohan most ironic).