History Creator / JamesCagney

* ''Film/HeWasHerMan'' (1935)

* ''Theatre/AMidsummerNightsDream'' (1935)

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

* ''Film/{{Taxi|1932}}'' (1932)

* HeroicDimples: [[https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnk9l5qOnw1qbu1qvo1_500.gif In an antihero, mischievous way]].

-->--'''[==]''[[BeamMeUpScotty Not]]'' James Cagney''' [[note]] The quote originally spawned from the 1932 film "Taxi!", and while he technically said the words, the line In question was actually "Come out and take it, you dirty yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!."[[/note]]

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Was known as a very kind and gracious man who frequently played gagnsters.

%%* AllGirlsWantBadBoys
%%* BadassInANiceSuit

%%* DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster

%%* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas

%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold

%%* MommasBoy

%%* SelfMadeMan
%%* VillainProtagonist

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.

Cagney's life story was recently immortalized in an off-broadway musical simply titled ''Cagney'', following his humble beginnings as a dock worker, his success and eventual falling out with Warner Bros., up to his acceptance of a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_cagney_promo_photo.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The ''[[UrExample original]]'' [[Film/PublicEnemies Public Enemy]].]]

Wiki/TheOtherWiki has more to say [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cagney here.]]

!!Partial filmography for James Cagney:

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/{{The Roaring Twenties|1939}},'' 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.]]

TheOtherWiki has more to say [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cagney here.]]

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.]]

* ''Film/TheRoaringTwenties'' (1939)

!!Tropes associated with James Cagney include:

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys
* BadassInANiceSuit

** ChronicallyKilledActor: Due to the above trope.
* TheCastShowOff: Was a RealLife street fighter and amateur boxer. He would insist on doing his own fight scenes in movies.
** During the filming of ''Film/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.
** And of course, the whole reason (well, [[RedScare one of the reasons]]) he wanted to do ''Film/YankeeDoodleDandy'' was because he was tired of only getting roles as rough and tough gangsters, and wanted to return to his roots as a tap dancer.
* DamnItFeelsGoodToBeAGangster

* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
* 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 eventually caused him to change his mind about the film.[[/note]]

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

* SelfMadeMan
* VillainProtagonist

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

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

** And of course, the whole reason (well, [[TheRedScare one of the reason]]) he wanted to do ''Film/YankeeDoodleDandy'' was because he was tired of only getting roles as rough and tough gangsters, and wanted to return to his roots as a tap dancer.

* BeamMeUpScotty: Cagney lampooned his 'best-known" line at the AFI awards.
-->"I never said, '[=MMMMmmm=] you dirty rat.' ''({{beat}})'' What I actually said was '[[Creator/CaryGrant Judy, Judy, Judy!]]'"

* OneBookAuthor: ''Short Cut to Hell'' (1957) is the only film Cagney ever directed.

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

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/james_cagney_promo_photo.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The ''[[UrExample original]]'' [[Film/PublicEnemies Public Enemy]].]]