Song and dance man or gangster? Few stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era could claim they were equally well known for two such diverse genres. Yet, the legendary James Cagney worked hard to be able to make such a claim.
He was born on July 17, 1899, in New York City. His family was poor, and Cagney was sickly as a child. While growing up in a rough neighborhood, he learned a variety of skills, including tap dancing, street fighting, baseball and boxing. When he was 19, his father died, and he took odd jobs to help support his mother and siblings. On a whim, he auditioned for a role of a chorus girl in a local production. Although he had never had professional training, he landed the role and learned the dances from watching the other performers – and it never bothered him to dress as a girl and perform. Despite his mother...
He was born on July 17, 1899, in New York City. His family was poor, and Cagney was sickly as a child. While growing up in a rough neighborhood, he learned a variety of skills, including tap dancing, street fighting, baseball and boxing. When he was 19, his father died, and he took odd jobs to help support his mother and siblings. On a whim, he auditioned for a role of a chorus girl in a local production. Although he had never had professional training, he landed the role and learned the dances from watching the other performers – and it never bothered him to dress as a girl and perform. Despite his mother...
- 7/17/2019
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Similar News
Breaking Baz: Olivier Awards Victor Jamie Lloyd Reveals Nicole Scherzinger Was Not “Flattered” When Offered ‘Sunset Boulevard’; Hannah Waddingham Livens Up Afterparty
- 4/15/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
William Holden movies: 15 greatest films ranked worst to best
- 4/13/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Shamier Anderson, Stephan James Honored With Hometown Walk of Fame Stars
- 4/11/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Andrew Bird Trio Announce New Album Sunday Morning Put-On, Unveil Two Singles: Stream
- 4/11/2024
- by Jonah Krueger
- Consequence - Music
Sweeney Todd: How Sacha Baron Cohen Dazzled Tim Burton In His Audition
- 4/6/2024
- by Stephen Barker
- ScreenRant.com
Mary Poppins review – Disney’s entertainment sugar rush possesses thermonuclear brilliance
- 3/28/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
2024 Writers Guild Awards: ‘The Holdovers,’ ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Succession’ Among Winners
- 4/15/2024
- by Hilary Lewis, Kirsten Chuba and Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘The Goldfinger’ Snags Six Prizes at Hong Kong Film Awards
- 4/15/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Box Office: ‘Civil War’ Sets A24 Record With $25 Million Debut
- 4/14/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Greece’s Heretic Sets Cannes Acid Titles ‘Kyuka,’ ‘Sundays’ (Exclusive)
- 4/16/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa 2,’ Ram Charan’s ‘Game Changer,’ Prabhas’ ‘Kalki,’ Ntr Jr’s ‘Devara’ Snapped Up for India Distribution by AA Films (Exclusive)
- 4/16/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Bad Bunny's First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First
- 4/12/2024
- by Johanna Ferreira
- Popsugar.com
Olivia Rodrigo's "Guts" Tour Made Me Feel Like a Teen Again
- 4/8/2024
- by Yerin Kim
- Popsugar.com
Jennifer Lopez's Viral "the Bronx" Controversy Proves Younger Latines Don't Find Her Authentic
- 4/3/2024
- by Miguel Machado
- Popsugar.com
How I Got to Talk About Latine Representation in Hollywood on the TEDx Stage
- 4/3/2024
- by Cristina Escobar
- Popsugar.com
"Gordita Chronicles" Finally Gets a Second Life on Tubi, Hulu and Disney+
- 4/2/2024
- by Johanna Ferreira
- Popsugar.com
The Greatest Crime Movie Ever Made Was Written by A.I.
- 4/16/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
In ‘The Line,’ Austin Abrams Has the ‘Most Intense’ Scene of His Career — and One of the Most Suspenseful in Recent Memory
- 4/15/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Every Alex Garland Film Ranked, from ’28 Days Later’ to ‘Civil War’
- 4/15/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ Casts Keanu Reeves as Voice of Shadow
- 4/15/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
J.K. Simmons Is a Serial Killer Stalking His Next Victim in ‘You Can’t Run Forever’ Trailer
- 4/15/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
2024 Writers Guild Awards: ‘The Holdovers,’ ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Succession’ Among Winners
- 4/15/2024
- by Hilary Lewis, Kirsten Chuba and Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘The Goldfinger’ Snags Six Prizes at Hong Kong Film Awards
- 4/15/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Box Office: ‘Civil War’ Sets A24 Record With $25 Million Debut
- 4/14/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The Greatest Crime Movie Ever Made Was Written by A.I.
- 4/16/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Greece’s Heretic Sets Cannes Acid Titles ‘Kyuka,’ ‘Sundays’ (Exclusive)
- 4/16/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
2024 Writers Guild Awards: ‘The Holdovers,’ ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Succession’ Among Winners
- 4/15/2024
- by Hilary Lewis, Kirsten Chuba and Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ryan Gosling / Chris Stapleton SNL Roundtable – S49 E17
- 4/16/2024
- by Saturday Night Network
- LateNighter
Last Songs of Late Night: A History of Final-Episode Musical Guests
- 4/16/2024
- by Nick Riccardo
- LateNighter
Mon Night Monologues: Snoring in the Court
- 4/16/2024
- by Dennis Perkins
- LateNighter
‘NCIS: Case Closed’ Aftershow: How Rocky Carroll Found Out Vance’s 1,000th Episode Story (Video)
- 4/16/2024
- TV Insider