James Cagney Edit Profile
also known asJames Francis Cagney Jr., Jimmy
Actordancer
James Francis Cagney Jr. was an American actor and dancer, both on stage and in movie, though he had his greatest impact in movie. Being on the top of the movie stratosphere from the s to the s, he was praised for energy and cheer that he inserted in his characters.
Background
James Francis "Jimmy" Cagney was born on July 17, , on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City.
His father, James Francis Cagney Sr., was of Irish descent. At the time of his son's birth, he was a bartender and amateur boxer, though on Cagney's birth certificate, he is listed as a telegraphist. His mother was Carolyn (née Nelson); her father was a Norwegian ship captain while her mother was Irish.
Cagney was the second of seven children, two of whom died within months of birth. He was sickly as a young child—so much so that his mother feared he would die before he could be baptized. He later attributed his sickness to the poverty his family had to endure. The family moved twice while he was still young, first to East 79th Street, and then to East 96th Street.
James Cagney Biography: Wife, Height, Net Worth, Age, Children, Cause Of Death
James Cagney Biography Who is James Cagney? James Francis Cagney Jr., born on July 17, , and passing on March 30, , was an iconic American actor and dancer known for his energetic performances and distinctive vocal style. Over his illustrious career, Cagney captivated audiences with his versatile roles, especially as tough guys in gangster films. This biography looks into his personal life, career, and legacy.
James Cagney Biography
Early Life and Career
James Cagneys first professional acting role came in , where he performed as a woman in the chorus line of the revue Every Sailor. His early career was spent in vaudeville as a dancer and comedian. In , he secured his first significant acting role, which led to his breakthrough performance in the play Penny Arcade. This plays success caught the eye of Al Jolson, who ensured Cagneys transition to film by securing the movie rights and involving Warner Bros.
Rise to Stardom
Cagneys fifth film, The Public Enemy (), became a pivotal point in his career. The film featured the famous grapefruit s
Contents
Cagneys Rise From Poverty to Stardom
A giant of the movies first half-century, James Cagney threw off the early shackles of typecasting to emerge as one of the screens most versatile and beloved actors.
He was the toughest of movie tough guys, bringing a maniacal menace and kinetic energy to performances that seemed to jump right off the screen.
James Cagneys Acting Philosophy: Tell the Truth
Yet James Cagney, born and raised in poverty in New York City, surmounted that unwanted movie image as a ruthless gangster to amaze fans with a dancing virtuosity, a flair for comedy and a forceful, direct-acting style he once described in elegant simplicity to Pamela Tiffin, his co-star in One, Two, Three:
You walk in, plant yourself squarely on both feet, look the other fella in the eye, and tell the truth.” (Cagney: The Authorized Biography, Doug Warren with James Cagney, St Martin’s Press, New York, )
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was born July 17, , on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. James Sr. was an alcoholic Irish-American bartender and amateur boxer. Cagney’s mother, Carolyn, was of Irish and Norwegian descent. The second of seven Cagney kids, Jimmy
James Francis Cagney
BIO
James Francis Cagney Jr. was an American actor and dancer, both on stage and in film. Known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing, he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances. He is remembered by some for playing multifaceted tough guys in films such as The Public Enemy (), Taxi! (), Angels with Dirty Faces (), The Roaring Twenties () and White Heat (), finding himself typecast or limited by this reputation earlier in his career.[4] He was able to negotiate dancing opportunities in his films and ended up winning the Academy Award for his role in a musical (“Yankee Doodle Dandy”). In the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among its list of greatest male stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Orson Welles described Cagney as "maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera".
Cagney’s first appearance on stage was as a stand in for his brother in a community theater production. Cagney had terrible stage fright and always had to keep a bucket with him.
In his first professional acting performance in , Cagney was costumed as a woman when he
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