James Cagney | Biography, Films, Assessment, & Facts

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class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Cagney">James Cagney</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <span class="toc-extra-link selected link-gray-900 mt-15"> Introduction </span> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Cagney/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/James-Cagney">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Cagney/images-videos">Images</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/90671-050-8C57874F/James-Cagney-Jean-Harlow-The-Public-Enemy.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/93949" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/90671-004-F77EAC0F/James-Cagney-Jean-Harlow-The-Public-Enemy.jpg" alt="The Public Enemy" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/40/178740-050-E2177E12/Edward-G-Robinson-Smart-Money-James-Cagney.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/190544" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/40/178740-004-8A3220A0/Edward-G-Robinson-Smart-Money-James-Cagney.jpg" alt="Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in Smart Money" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/194275-050-405DC5B7/David-Landau-lobby-card-Taxi-James-Cagney.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/220255" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/194275-004-AFB4D6AB/David-Landau-lobby-card-Taxi-James-Cagney.jpg" alt="lobby card for Taxi" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/90610-050-45CEF8B4/James-Cagney-Great-Guy.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/93955" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/90610-004-A8367DD9/James-Cagney-Great-Guy.jpg" alt="scene from Great Guy" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/174780-050-49FD349B/James-Cagney-Humphrey-Bogart-The-Roaring-Twenties.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/187701" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/174780-004-C715E225/James-Cagney-Humphrey-Bogart-The-Roaring-Twenties.jpg" alt="Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney in The Roaring Twenties" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/177222-050-4F3CC90C/James-Cagney-lobby-card-Ann-Sheridan-City.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/189103" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/177222-004-44C510DD/James-Cagney-lobby-card-Ann-Sheridan-City.jpg" alt="lobby card for City for Conquest" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/176915-050-0171C47F/James-Cagney-Lady-Killer-Roy-Del-Ruth.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/188885" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/176915-004-B95A9E69/James-Cagney-Lady-Killer-Roy-Del-Ruth.jpg" alt="scene from Lady Killer" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/178541-050-AE87AA28/Doris-Day-James-Cagney-Love-Me-or.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/190409" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/178541-004-41751686/Doris-Day-James-Cagney-Love-Me-or.jpg" alt="Doris Day and James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/77109-050-9D3DF678/James-Cagney-Eddie-Foy-Jr-Yankee-Doodle.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/71300" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/77109-004-5B5206CD/James-Cagney-Eddie-Foy-Jr-Yankee-Doodle.jpg" alt="Yankee Doodle Dandy" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/174778-050-439B4DD3/James-Cagney-White-Heat-Raoul-Walsh.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/187734" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/174778-004-3F9197B7/James-Cagney-White-Heat-Raoul-Walsh.jpg" alt="James Cagney in White Heat" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/James-Cagney"> <img loading="lazy" 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-02-08T00:00:00CST" >Feb 8, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Cagney/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>James Francis Cagney, Jr.</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>July 17, 1899, <a href="/place/New-York-City">New York</a>, <a href="/place/New-York-state">New York</a>, U.S.</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Died: </dt> <dd>March 30, 1986, Stanfordville, <a href="/place/New-York-state">New York</a> (aged 86)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Kennedy-Center-Honors">Kennedy Center Honors (1980)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/art/Academy-Award">Academy Award (1943)</a></dd> <dd>Academy Award (1943): Actor in a Leading Role</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Married To: </dt> <dd>Frances Cagney (married 1922)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In): </dt> <dd>"Ragtime" (1981)</dd> <dd>"One, Two, Three" (1961)</dd> <dd>"The Gallant Hours" (1960)</dd> <dd>"Shake Hands with the Devil" (1959)</dd> <dd>"Never Steal Anything Small" (1959)</dd> <dd>"Man of a Thousand Faces" (1957)</dd> <dd>"The Christophers" (1957)</dd> <dd>"Robert Montgomery Presents" (1956)</dd> <dd>"These Wilder Years" (1956)</dd> <dd>"Tribute to a Bad Man" (1956)</dd> <dd>"Mister Roberts" (1955)</dd> <dd>"The Seven Little Foys" (1955)</dd> <dd>"Love Me or Leave Me" (1955)</dd> <dd>"Run for Cover" (1955)</dd> <dd>"A Lion Is in the Streets" (1953)</dd> <dd>"What Price Glory" (1952)</dd> <dd>"Starlift" (1951)</dd> <dd>"Come Fill the Cup" (1951)</dd> <dd>"The West Point Story" (1950)</dd> <dd>"Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" (1950)</dd> <dd>"White Heat" (1949)</dd> <dd>"The Time of Your Life" (1948)</dd> <dd>"13 Rue Madeleine" (1946)</dd> <dd>"Blood on the Sun" (1945)</dd> <dd>"Johnny Come Lately" (1943)</dd> <dd>"Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942)</dd> <dd>"Captains of the Clouds" (1942)</dd> <dd>"The Bride Came C.O.D." (1941)</dd> <dd>"The Strawberry Blonde" (1941)</dd> <dd>"City for Conquest" (1940)</dd> <dd>"Torrid Zone" (1940)</dd> <dd>"The Fighting 69th" (1940)</dd> <dd>"The Roaring Twenties" (1939)</dd> <dd>"Each Dawn I Die" (1939)</dd> <dd>"The Oklahoma Kid" (1939)</dd> <dd>"Angels with Dirty Faces" (1938)</dd> <dd>"Boy Meets Girl" (1938)</dd> <dd>"Something to Sing About" (1937)</dd> <dd>"Great Guy" (1936)</dd> <dd>"Ceiling Zero" (1936)</dd> <dd>"Frisco Kid" (1935)</dd> <dd>"A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1935)</dd> <dd>"The Irish in Us" (1935)</dd> <dd>"'G' Men" (1935)</dd> <dd>"Devil Dogs of the Air" (1935)</dd> <dd>"The St. Louis Kid" (1934)</dd> <dd>"Here Comes the Navy" (1934)</dd> <dd>"He Was Her Man" (1934)</dd> <dd>"Jimmy the Gent" (1934)</dd> <dd>"Lady Killer" (1933)</dd> <dd>"Footlight Parade" (1933)</dd> <dd>"The Mayor of Hell" (1933)</dd> <dd>"Picture Snatcher" (1933)</dd> <dd>"Hard to Handle" (1933)</dd> <dd>"Winner Take All" (1932)</dd> <dd>"The Crowd Roars" (1932)</dd> <dd>"Taxi" (1932)</dd> <dd>"Blonde Crazy" (1931)</dd> <dd>"Smart Money" (1931)</dd> <dd>"The Millionaire" (1931)</dd> <dd>"The Public Enemy" (1931)</dd> <dd>"Other Men's Women" (1931)</dd> <dd>"The Doorway to Hell" (1930)</dd> <dd>"Sinners' Holiday" (1930)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Movies/Tv Shows (Directed): </dt> <dd>"Short Cut to Hell" (1957)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>On the Web: </dt> <dd><a href="https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/cagney-mob-kenneth-tynan-hollywoods-original-gangster" target="_blank">BFI - Cagney and the Mob: Kenneth Tynan on Hollywood’s original gangster</a> (Feb. 08, 2025)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/James-Cagney"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref155311"></span>James Cagney</strong> (born July 17, 1899, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">New York</a>, New York, U.S.—died March 30, 1986, Stanfordville, New York) was an American actor who was noted for his versatility in musicals, comedies, and crime dramas. He was one of the top <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/film" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">movie</a> stars from the 1930s through the ’50s, known for his jaunty manner and explosive energy. Cagney excelled at playing tough guys but was equally adept at comedy and as a song-and-dance man.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="190544" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/40/178740-050-E2177E12/Edward-G-Robinson-Smart-Money-James-Cagney.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/190544"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/40/178740-050-E2177E12/Edward-G-Robinson-Smart-Money-James-Cagney.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/40/178740-050-E2177E12/Edward-G-Robinson-Smart-Money-James-Cagney.jpg?w=300" alt="Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in Smart Money" data-width="1600" data-height="1201" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 5</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/40/178740-050-E2177E12/Edward-G-Robinson-Smart-Money-James-Cagney.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/190544">Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in <em>Smart Money</em></a><span>Edward G. Robinson (left) and James Cagney in <em>Smart Money</em> (1931), directed by Alfred E. Green.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="220255" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/194275-050-405DC5B7/David-Landau-lobby-card-Taxi-James-Cagney.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/220255"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/194275-050-405DC5B7/David-Landau-lobby-card-Taxi-James-Cagney.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/194275-050-405DC5B7/David-Landau-lobby-card-Taxi-James-Cagney.jpg?w=300" alt="lobby card for Taxi" data-width="1600" data-height="1229" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 5</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/75/194275-050-405DC5B7/David-Landau-lobby-card-Taxi-James-Cagney.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/220255">lobby card for <em>Taxi</em></a><span>(From left to right) David Landau, James Cagney, and Loretta Young on a lobby card for <em>Taxi</em> (1932), directed by Roy Del Ruth.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="93955" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/90610-050-45CEF8B4/James-Cagney-Great-Guy.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/93955"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/90610-050-45CEF8B4/James-Cagney-Great-Guy.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/90610-050-45CEF8B4/James-Cagney-Great-Guy.jpg?w=300" alt="scene from Great Guy" data-width="1600" data-height="1218" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">3 of 5</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/90610-050-45CEF8B4/James-Cagney-Great-Guy.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/93955">scene from <em>Great Guy</em></a><span>James Cagney (centre left) in <em>Great Guy</em> (1936).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="187701" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/174780-050-49FD349B/James-Cagney-Humphrey-Bogart-The-Roaring-Twenties.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/187701"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/174780-050-49FD349B/James-Cagney-Humphrey-Bogart-The-Roaring-Twenties.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/174780-050-49FD349B/James-Cagney-Humphrey-Bogart-The-Roaring-Twenties.jpg?w=300" alt="Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney in The Roaring Twenties" data-width="1600" data-height="1177" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">4 of 5</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/80/174780-050-49FD349B/James-Cagney-Humphrey-Bogart-The-Roaring-Twenties.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/187701">Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney in <em>The Roaring Twenties</em></a><span>James Cagney (right) and Humphrey Bogart in <em>The Roaring Twenties</em> (1939), directed by Raoul Walsh.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="189103" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/177222-050-4F3CC90C/James-Cagney-lobby-card-Ann-Sheridan-City.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/189103"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/177222-050-4F3CC90C/James-Cagney-lobby-card-Ann-Sheridan-City.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/177222-050-4F3CC90C/James-Cagney-lobby-card-Ann-Sheridan-City.jpg?w=300" alt="lobby card for City for Conquest" data-width="1022" data-height="764" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">5 of 5</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/177222-050-4F3CC90C/James-Cagney-lobby-card-Ann-Sheridan-City.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/189103">lobby card for <em>City for Conquest</em></a><span>James Cagney and Ann Sheridan on a lobby card for <em>City for Conquest</em> (1940), directed by Anatole Litvak.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"> Cagney, the son of an Irish bartender, grew up in the rough Lower East Side of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a>. He toured in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/vaudeville" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">vaudeville</a> as a song-and-dance man with his wife, Frances, in the 1920s and scored his first major success opposite Joan Blondell in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Broadway-street-and-district-New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Broadway</a> musical <em>Penny Arcade</em> (1929). He made his film debut in the movie <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="adaptation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptation" data-type="MW">adaptation</a> of the play, entitled <em>Sinners’ Holiday</em> (1930), and his well-received performance resulted in a contract with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Warner-Brothers" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Warner Bros.</a> studios. After taking on a few supporting roles, Cagney became a star with his chilling portrayal of gangster Tom Powers in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wellman" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">William Wellman</a>’s <em><span id="ref1244028"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Public-Enemy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">The Public Enemy</a></em> (1931). Thereafter he was typecast as a sneering, explosive “tough guy” in several films, including <em>Taxi</em> (1931) and <em>Lady Killer</em> (1933), but he occasionally worked in musicals—he demonstrated considerable skill as a dancer in <em>Footlight Parade</em> (1933)—and he even had a Shakespearean role, as Bottom in <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em> (1935). He was on the right side of the law in the popular <em>‘G’ Men</em> (1935), whereas such films as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Angels-with-Dirty-Faces" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Angels with Dirty Faces</em></a> (1938; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oscar</a> nomination for best actor), <em>Each Dawn I Die</em> (1939), and <em>The Roaring Twenties </em>(1939) featured Cagney in increasingly complex studies of criminal pathology. Cagney’s <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="repertoire" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repertoire" data-type="MW">repertoire</a> during this period also included westerns (<em>The Oklahoma Kid</em>, 1939), comedies (<em>The Bride Came C.O.D.</em>, 1941), and melodramas (<em>The Strawberry Blonde</em>, 1941).</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="188885" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/176915-050-0171C47F/James-Cagney-Lady-Killer-Roy-Del-Ruth.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/188885"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/176915-050-0171C47F/James-Cagney-Lady-Killer-Roy-Del-Ruth.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/176915-050-0171C47F/James-Cagney-Lady-Killer-Roy-Del-Ruth.jpg?w=300" alt="scene from Lady Killer" data-width="1600" data-height="1209" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/15/176915-050-0171C47F/James-Cagney-Lady-Killer-Roy-Del-Ruth.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/188885">scene from <em>Lady Killer</em></a><span>James Cagney (in white shirt) in <em>Lady Killer</em> (1933), directed by Roy Del Ruth.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="190409" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/178541-050-AE87AA28/Doris-Day-James-Cagney-Love-Me-or.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/190409"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/178541-050-AE87AA28/Doris-Day-James-Cagney-Love-Me-or.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/178541-050-AE87AA28/Doris-Day-James-Cagney-Love-Me-or.jpg?w=300" alt="Doris Day and James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me" data-width="1580" data-height="1166" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/178541-050-AE87AA28/Doris-Day-James-Cagney-Love-Me-or.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/190409">Doris Day and James Cagney in <em>Love Me or Leave Me</em></a><span>Doris Day and James Cagney in <em>Love Me or Leave Me</em> (1955), directed by Charles Vidor.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"> Cagney’s uniqueness as an actor lay in his ability to convey emotional extremes in a manner that was both broad and natural. He exuded a tremendous energy that rendered any character larger-than-life, yet his innate grasp of the subtleties of the script ensured that his performances were multidimensional and credible. Although he <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="eschewed" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschewed" data-type="MW">eschewed</a> an internal “method” approach to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/acting" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">acting</a>, his perennially <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="pugnacious" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugnacious" data-type="MW">pugnacious</a> screen persona was a natural extension of his real-life character, formed in part during his pugilistic youth among Irish street gangs. Cagney’s philosophy of acting, revealed in his autobiography, <em>Cagney by Cagney</em> (1975), was simple, direct, and sagacious: “Plant yourself, look the other fellow in the eye and tell the truth.”</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/oscar-worthy-movie-trivia" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/114923-131-785286EA/projection-screen-movie-theater-cinema.jpg" alt="Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema)." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="71300" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/77109-050-9D3DF678/James-Cagney-Eddie-Foy-Jr-Yankee-Doodle.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/71300"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/77109-050-9D3DF678/James-Cagney-Eddie-Foy-Jr-Yankee-Doodle.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/77109-050-9D3DF678/James-Cagney-Eddie-Foy-Jr-Yankee-Doodle.jpg?w=300" alt="Yankee Doodle Dandy" data-width="1600" data-height="1221" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/09/77109-050-9D3DF678/James-Cagney-Eddie-Foy-Jr-Yankee-Doodle.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/71300"><em>Yankee Doodle Dandy</em></a><span>James Cagney (left) and Eddie Foy, Jr., in <em>Yankee Doodle Dandy</em> (1942).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="187734" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/174778-050-439B4DD3/James-Cagney-White-Heat-Raoul-Walsh.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/88362/187734"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/174778-050-439B4DD3/James-Cagney-White-Heat-Raoul-Walsh.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/174778-050-439B4DD3/James-Cagney-White-Heat-Raoul-Walsh.jpg?w=300" alt="James Cagney in White Heat" data-width="1163" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/78/174778-050-439B4DD3/James-Cagney-White-Heat-Raoul-Walsh.jpg" data-href="/media/1/88362/187734">James Cagney in <em>White Heat</em></a><span>James Cagney in <em>White Heat</em> (1949), directed by Raoul Walsh.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"> Although specializing in <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="charismatic" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charismatic" data-type="MW">charismatic</a> criminals for much of his career, Cagney’s best-known role is that of the legendary Broadway song-and-dance man <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-M-Cohan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">George M. Cohan</a> in <em><span id="ref735955"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yankee-Doodle-Dandy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Yankee Doodle Dandy</a></em> (1942). Exhibiting the same brash charm in his dancing style that he brought to his portrayals of street toughs, Cagney’s tour-de-force as Cohan earned him an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award-for-best-actor" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Academy Award for best actor</a>. After this film, Cagney devoted his energies to entertaining troops overseas, serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild (an organization he helped found in the early 1930s), and, with his brother, establishing William Cagney Productions, a company that was moderately successful for several years, producing such noteworthy films as an adaptation of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Saroyan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">William Saroyan</a>’s <em>The Time of Your Life</em> (1948). Cagney ended the 1940s with his portrayal of Cody Jarrett, perhaps the most pathologically Oedipal criminal in screen history, in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/B-film" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">B-film</a> classic <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/White-Heat" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>White Heat</em></a> (1949). His legendary performance climaxed with one of the cinema’s most indelible images, that of the cornered Jarrett atop an oil refinery tank, screaming “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!” as he unloads his gun into the tank and perishes in the ensuing inferno.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Cagney experienced continued success throughout the 1950s, with highlights such as his roles as a gruff ship captain in <span id="ref1277681"></span><em>Mister Roberts</em> (1955) and as silent-screen <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="legend" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend" data-type="MW">legend</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lon-Chaney" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lon Chaney</a> in <em><span id="ref1277682"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Man-of-a-Thousand-Faces" class="md-crosslink ">Man of a Thousand Faces</a></em> (1957). His most acclaimed performance of the decade was in <em><span id="ref735935"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Love-Me-or-Leave-Me-film-by-Vidor" class="md-crosslink ">Love Me or Leave Me</a></em> (1955) as Chicago racketeer Martin “The Gimp” Snyder, the man who obsessively controlled the career of torch singer Ruth Etting (played by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Doris-Day" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Doris Day</a>). As Snyder, Cagney created one of his most frightening screen characterizations and was nominated for an Oscar. He was also memorable as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-F-Halsey-Jr" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, Jr.,</a> in <em><span id="ref1277683"></span>The Gallant Hours</em> (1960) and as a harried Coca-Cola executive in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billy-Wilder" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Billy Wilder</a> farce <em><span id="ref1277684"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/One-Two-Three" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">One, Two, Three</a></em> (1961).</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">After <em>One, Two, Three</em>, Cagney spent the next 20 years in retirement on his farms in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-England" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New England</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/California-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">California</a>. In 1974 he made one of his few public appearances during these years when he received a Life Achievement Award from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Film-Institute" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">American Film Institute</a>. Cagney’s health <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="deteriorated" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/deteriorated" data-type="EB">deteriorated</a> during the late 1970s, and his doctors suggested a return to work. He performed admirably in his final two films, <em><span id="ref1277685"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ragtime-film-by-Forman" class="md-crosslink ">Ragtime</a></em> (1981) and the television film <em>Terrible Joe Moran</em> (1984). Contrary to the popular perception created by scores of impressionists throughout the years, Cagney said neither “You dirty rat!” nor “All right, you guys!” in any film.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/contributor/encyclopaedia-britannica/12989892">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":88362,"pageLength":812,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.9"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.133.9' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"D","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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James Cagney | Biography, Films, Assessment, & Facts | Britannica