On 17 July 1899, James Cagney was born. He was born (and died) in New York, just as you’d expect. But he definitely was not like the horrible characters he is most identified with.

Cagney was, at base, a singer and dancer who probably should have spent his life on the stage. Through the 1920s, he has 7 credits on the Internet Broadway Database, so it is likely he has even more credits. Christopher Walken (Seven Psychopaths) is the modern version of him.

James Cagney had a varied career — more varied than people usually remember. People remember Taxi! but tend to forget his great dancing in Yankee Doodle Dandy. The film I most associate him with is the Billy Wilder comedy, One, Two, Three. That’s a film that lives and dies on Cagney’s performance.

Of course, Cagney is the icon we know primarily for The Public Enemy. But even there, playing a terrible guy, he comes off as sympathetic. And, of course, there is the grapefruit scene.

But on this celebration of James Cagney’s birthday, the role I most think of is Ragtime (1981). Even though it is a relatively minor role, it does steal the movie.

And luckily, you can watch the film for free with this great print on Archive:

---

James Cagney photo via Wikipedia. It is in the public domain.