Cagney, James (1899-1986), an American motion-picture actor, became famous for his roles as a cocky tough guy. Cagney also was an accomplished dancer. He won an Academy Award as best actor for his performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). This motion picture portrayed the life of the Broadway showman George M. Cohan.
Cagney appeared in more than 60 motion pictures, of which the first was Sinner’s Holiday (1930). His performance as a gangster in The Public Enemy (1931) established him as a star. Cagney made several other gangster films, including G-Men (1935), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), The Roaring Twenties (1939), and White Heat (1949). Cagney’s other films included Footlight Parade (1933), Mister Roberts (1955), Love Me or Leave Me (1955), Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), One, Two, Three (1961), and Ragtime (1981).
James Francis Cagney, Jr., was born in New York City on July 17, 1899. During the 1920’s, he performed in vaudeville and on Broadway in New York City. He died on March 30, 1986.
