History Creator / JamesCagney

[[caption-width-right:350:The ''[[UrExample original]]'' [[Film/PublicEnemies Public Enemy]].]]

His tough guy persona wasn't all for show, though; Cagney staggered Warner Bros. by walking off the lot when the studio failed to honor his contract. His example set a precedent for fairer studio practices. On the other hand, Cagney's activism landed him hot water; he was even branded a Commie in some circles, although his iconic role in ''Film/YankeeDoodleDandy'' dispelled such rumors pretty quick.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_cagney_promo_photo.jpg]]

'''James Francis Cagney''' (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor most famous for his gangster roles in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]] and [[TheForties '40s,]] as well as for his [[BeamMeUpScotty alleged]] {{catchphrase}}. He starred in some of the best gangster pictures ever made, including ''Film/AngelsWithDirtyFaces,'' ''Film/WhiteHeat,'' ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties,'' and ''Film/ThePublicEnemy,'' which is [[PopCultureOsmosis unfortunately mostly remembered]] for a scene in which he [[DomesticAbuse shoves a bowl of grapefruit in a woman's face.]]

[[quoteright:220:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/James_Cagney_6869.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:220: The ''[[UrExample original]]'' [[Film/PublicEnemies Public Enemy.]]]]

* OurLawyersAdvisedThisTrope: His movies often come with a disclaimer decrying violence to deter accusations of glorifying violence. WarnerBrothers [[ViewersAreMorons maintained that gangster pictures were meant to serve as a warning]], but no one was fooled. [[TropesAreNotBad (Not that anyone was complaining, though...)]]

[[caption-width-right:220: The ''[[UrExample original]]'' [[PublicEnemies Public Enemy.]]]]

-->"I never said, "[=MMMMmmm=] you dirty rat. ''({{beat}})'' What I actually said was "[[CaryGrant Judy, Judy, Judy!]]"

* MediaWatchdog: A lot of his best movies were made in the early days of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, when you could still get away with a little bit more. As the code grew in power, subsequent rereleases of some of his films had objectionable material cut. Most notably, ''Film/ThePublicEnemy'' had next to ''no'' violence cut from its rereleases -- [[DoubleStandard but vague allusions to sexuality were.]]

His tough guy persona wasn't all for show, though; Cagney staggered Warner Bros. by walking off the lot when the studio failed to honor his contract. His example set a precedent for fairer studio practices. On the other hand, Cagney's activism landed him hot water; he was branded a Commie in some circles. His iconic role in ''Film/YankeeDoodleDandy'' dispelled such rumors pretty quick.

!!James Cagney films with pages on this wiki:

'''James Francis Cagney''' (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor most famous for gangster roles in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]] and [[TheForties 40s,]] as well as for his [[BeamMeUpScotty alleged]] {{catchphrase}}. He starred in some of the best gangster pictures ever made, including ''Film/AngelsWithDirtyFaces,'' ''Film/WhiteHeat,'' ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties,'' and ''Film/ThePublicEnemy,'' which is [[PopCultureOsmosis unfortunately mostly remembered]] for a scene in which he [[DomesticAbuse shoves a bowl of grapefruit in a woman's face.]]

James Francis Cagney (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor most famous for gangster roles in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]] and [[TheForties 40s,]] as well as for his [[BeamMeUpScotty alleged]] {{catchphrase}}. He starred in some of the best gangster pictures ever made, including ''Film/AngelsWithDirtyFaces,'' ''Film/WhiteHeat,'' ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties,'' and ''Film/ThePublicEnemy,'' which is [[PopCultureOsmosis unfortunately mostly remembered]] for a scene in which he [[DomesticAbuse shoves a bowl of grapefruit in a woman's face.]]

* EscapistCharacter

* EvilIsCool: Even if the studio pretends to invoke that they think it isn't.

[[AC: Tropes [[TypeCasting associated with James Cagney]] include:]]

* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: Disclaimers aplenty.

James Francis Cagney was an American film actor most famous for gangster roles in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]] and [[TheForties 40s,]] as well as for his [[BeamMeUpScotty alleged]] {{catchphrase}}. He starred in some of the best gangster pictures ever made, including ''Film/AngelsWithDirtyFaces,'' ''Film/WhiteHeat,'' ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties,'' and ''Film/ThePublicEnemy,'' which is [[PopCultureOsmosis unfortunately mostly remembered]] for a scene in which he [[DomesticAbuse shoves a bowl of grapefruit in a woman's face.]]

James Francis Cagney was an American film actor most famous for gangster roles in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]] and [[TheForties 40s,]] as well as for his [[BeamMeUpScotty alleged]] {{catchphrase}}. He starred in some of the best gangster pictures ever made, including ''AngelsWithDirtyFaces,'' ''WhiteHeat,'' ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties,'' and ''Film/ThePublicEnemy,'' which is [[PopCultureOsmosis unfortunately mostly remembered]] for a scene in which he [[DomesticAbuse shoves a bowl of grapefruit in a woman's face.]]

** During the filming of ''MisterRoberts'', director Creator/JohnFord either wanted to prove himself or thought it would be funny to try and intimidate Cagney. Cagney threatened a full-out beatdown if Ford kept pushing him. Ford backed off.

* MediaWatchdog: A lot of his best movies were made in the early days of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, when you could still get away with a little bit more. As the code grew in power, subsequent rereleases of some of his films had objectionable material cut. Most notably, ''ThePublicEnemy'' had next to ''no'' violence cut from its rereleases -- [[DoubleStandard but vague allusions to sexuality were.]]

-->--'''[==]''[[BeamMeUpScotty Not]]'' James Cagney''' [[note]] The quote originally spawned from the film "Taxi", and while he technically said the words, the line In question was actually "You dirty, yellow bellied rat!"[[/note]]

-->--'''[==]''[[BeamMeUpScotty Not]]'' James Cagney''' [[note]] The quote originally spawned from the film "Taxi", and while he technically said the words, the line question was actually "You dirty, yellow bellied rat!"[[/note]]

-->--'''[==]''[[BeamMeUpScotty Not]]'' James Cagney'''

His tough guy persona wasn't all for show, though; Cagney staggered Warner Bros. by walking off the lot when the studio failed to honor his contract. His example set a precedent for fairer studio practices. On the other hand, Cagney's activism landed him hot water; he was branded a Commie in some circles. His iconic role in ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' dispelled such rumors pretty quick.

James Francis Cagney was an American film actor most famous for gangster roles in the [[TheGreatDepression 1930s]] and [[TheForties 40s,]] as well as for his [[BeamMeUpScotty alleged]] {{catchphrase}}. He starred in some of the best gangster pictures ever made, including ''AngelsWithDirtyFaces,'' ''WhiteHeat,'' ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties,'' and ''ThePublicEnemy,'' which is [[PopCultureOsmosis unfortunately mostly remembered]] for a scene in which he [[DomesticAbuse shoves a bowl of grapefruit in a woman's face.]]

* LargeHam: Yet pulled off hamminess in an effective and un{{narm}}y way. Creator/StanleyKubrick once cited him as an example how to do seemingly over-the-top acting while still making it dramatic.[[note]]Kubrick was talking to Creator/StevenSpielberg, who at the time didn't like ''Film/TheShining'' because he felt that Creator/JackNicholson's acting was too hammy. After asking Spielberg to list off his favorite actors, Kubrick asked him "[[ArmorPiercingQuestion Where's James Cagney?]]" Spielberg was at a loss as to how he could have missed him, and that caused eventually him to change his mind about the film.[[/note]]

* LargeHam: Yet pulled off hamminess in an effective and un{{narm}}y way. Creator/StanleyKubrick once cited him as an example how to do seemingly over-the-top acting while still making it dramatic.[[note]]Kubrick was talking to Creator/StevenSpielberg, who at the time didn't like ''Film/TheShining'' because he felt that Jack Nicholson's acting was too hammy. After asking Spielberg to list off his favorite actors, Kubrick asked him "[[ArmorPiercingQuestion Where's James Cagney?]]" Spielberg was at a loss as to how he could have missed him, and that caused eventually him to change his mind about the film.[[/note]]

-->-- [[BeamMeUpScotty Not]] James Cagney

* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: His characters almost always got their comeuppance, largely due to the encroaching HaysCode and to maintain PlausibleDeniability about "glorifying violence."

** During the filming of ''MisterRoberts'', director JohnFord either wanted to prove himself or thought it would be funny to try and intimidate Cagney. Cagney threatened a full-out beatdown if Ford kept pushing him. Ford backed off.
* ChronicallyKilledActor: Due to the above trope.

* MediaWatchdog: A lot of his best movies were made in the early days of the HaysCode, when you could still get away with a little bit more. As the code grew in power, subsequent rereleases of some of his films had objectionable material cut. Most notably, ''ThePublicEnemy'' had next to ''no'' violence cut from its rereleases -- [[DoubleStandard but vague allusions to sexuality were.]]

* PintSizedPowerhouse: According to the man himself, he insisted on fighting men who were bigger than him. Had he beaten up someone his 'own size', Cagney felt he would have been taking advantage of them.

* YiddishAsASecondLanguage: Growing up in New York city, Cagney learnt [[http://www.mahnishmah.com/system/scripts/modules/admin/pages/show_page.cgi?p=13241 fluent Yiddish]] from his [[IrishmanAndAJew Jewish playmates]].

MichaelJFox is one of his biggest fanboys, for [[PintsizedPowerhouse obvious reasons]]. He hosted a TV special on Cagney's life and times entitled ''Top of the World''.