On This Day

Birthday of James Cagney

July 17th 1899

16:53 17 July 2024

Actor James Cagney was born on this day in 1899. The legendary star of the Golden Age of Hollywood made his screen debut in 'Sinners Holiday' (1930). His breakthrough role came playing gangster Tom Powers in 'The Public Enemy' (1931). A series of tough guy parts followed in such classic films as 'Angels with Dirty Faces' (1938), 'The Roaring Twenties' (1939) and 'White Heat' (1949).

Cagney's background in vaudeville made him a versatile song and dance man as well as an accomplished actor earning him an Academy Award for playing George M. Cohan in 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (1942).

Orson Welles said of Cagney that he was "Maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera". In his 1975 autobiography 'Cagney by Cagney' he said of his acting philosophy: "Plant yourself, look the other fellow in the eye and tell the truth"