According to James Cagney's autobiography Cagney By Cagney, (Published by Doubleday and Company Inc 1976), A Mafia plan to murder Cagney by dropping a several hundred pound klieg light on top of him was stopped at the insistance of George Raft. Cagney at that time was President of the Screen Actors Guild, and was determined not to let the mob infiltrate the industry. Raft used his 'many' mob connections to cancel the hit.

For those who don't know, Raft is the coin flipping sidekick in the original Scarface. Interesting little story.

Hey DV, I never knew that. And I am a fairly big Cagney fan. Very interesting stuff! I guess that they didn;t realize that they were dealing with Cody Jarrett, huh?


Don Cardi

Call me an idiot but is he the guy that Tony Soprano watches? I really want to see some of those movies.

I gotta get that book!

Blake - Tony Soprano watches a bunch of different movies, but Cagney is one of them.

I also read, that dispite the fact he was a popular gangster actor, he was also a very good person, he never cheated on his wife, etc. That itself is a shock involving Hollywood actors. :p

That's crazy, I've never heard anything about that! I haven't seen too many Cagney films. I know I saw one he was in with Jean Harlow. I can't remember what it was called, but I distinctly remember it ending with him being killed, and his family seeing his dead body at the door, or something like that. It was pretty sad! What are his best films?

The one you mentioned (The Public Enemy), White Heat, and Yankee Doodle Dandy are all excellent films that I highly recommend.

Thug

Yes, the Public Enemy! I remember now Very good movie, I feel like watching it now!

IMHO his best film was "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Its a musical biography of George M. Cohan and its probably the movie I've watched the most in my life. Cagney was absolutely superb in it!!

I just bought Angles With Dirty Faces and White heat. Are they good movies?, I really want to get public enemy but I cant find it anywhere.

DP you should have bought the DVD 6 pack called "Gangsters" it has white heat, angels w/, Public enemy, Little Caesar, Petrified forest and the roaring twenties.

DP you should have bought the DVD 6 pack called "Gangsters" it has white heat, angels w/, Public enemy, Little Caesar, Petrified forest and the roaring twenties. [/b][/quote]And it's just awesome. Best forty dollars I've spent in a long time.

Holy Shit, that would be awesome. Only 40 dollars too. The only thing is I haven't seen anything like that in a six pack or I would have bought it. I've went to Best Buy, Borders Book Store and the local mall around here. The only place I got lucky at is Borders. Thats were I got Angles With Dirtys Faces and White Heat. They Also had The Roaring Twentys and Little Ceaser.

But in your guy's opinion Which is his Best movie?
Thanks

It really depends what type of film you're looking for. You can find Cagney as a dancer or a gangster or in all sorts of roles.
I'll try to give you a little info about his famous movies mixed with some background info about his real life :

Cagney actually started as dancer/singer (someone in his neighborhood told him thats a good way for easy money)- he actually always wanted to be a farmer, and he became one finally, using the money he got from the movies.
His first theatrical role was a Drug Queen (no kidding!)
His big break on cinema came with The Public Enemy in 1931,and since then he was the ruthless gangster ever seen on cinema. The Public Enemy is one of the movies where real machine guns were used during filming.
Cagney was also known for improvising and so he came up with the idea to smash a grapefruit in Mae Clarke's face when they sit around the table.(of cousre he asked her permission first )
This is also the most famous scene from this movie.

He appeared in several roles co-starring Pat O'brien who was the opposite nice guy. (in real life it was the other way around- Pat was more outgoing than Cagney). The most famous movie of them together was Angels with dirty faces in 1938. The ending scene of this movie is often regarded as one of the scenes that changed the face of cinema forever.

Cagney was all over the media when he was accused of being a communist. He and his brother decided to come up with the most patriotic movie they can to clear all the accusations once and for all.The result was 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'.
Cganey always wanted a big movie to show his dancing skills and Yankee Doodle was it."Footlight Parade" in 1933 was a successful musical but it didnt help to get rid of his gangster image which he wanted to get rid of.
No matter how small he was,when Yankee Doodle came out in 1942 he showed the world once again what an excellent dancer he was. Yankee Doodle Dandy is not just a great musical, you also have to appreciate the quality of the dramatic scenes. Most notably, the scene with his father,where Cagney is crying. He won his only oscar for this movie.

In 1949, Cagney reprised his gangster role in White Heat. He called it "just another gangster movie" but nevertheless he gave such an outstanding performance,this time as a gang leader who's right hand is no other than his mom. "Top of the world, son" (check my location )
An intresting comparison to the comic book/animated series Lucky Luke. Lucky's enemies are the Dalton brothers and their boss is no other than their mother...Ma Dalton.
Check out Cagney's ma in White Heat and check out Ma Dalton in lucky luke and tell me what you think
The movie White Heat also features some technical police methods never seen on film before.
Once again, Cagney improvised with Virginia Mayo when he asked her permission to push her off the chair she was standing on so she would fall on the bed.
Most famous scene however is when he surprises with a gun coming out of a...(ok,I wont spoil it,just watch it!)

My sig quote is from Taxi! (1932) ,another great movie in which he delivered his most famous quote thats going to hunt him forever. However it was misquoted as "You dirty rat".
Cagney,while receiving a lifetime Achievement Award in 1974 set the record straight: "I never said 'You dirty rat!' My line was 'Judy, Judy, Judy!'"

thats a good and interesting story