[3] Cagney is remembered for playing multifaceted tough guys in films such as The Public Enemy (1931), Taxi! based on information from your browser. [178], Cagney was born in 1899 (prior to the widespread use of automobiles) and loved horses from childhood. [182] His joy in sailing, however, did not protect him from occasional seasicknessbecoming ill, sometimes, on a calm day while weathering rougher, heavier seas[183] at other times. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. [20] He gave all his earnings to his family. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? As it turned out, a ricocheting bullet passed through exactly where his head would have been. His instinct, it's just unbelievable. At the time of the actor's death, he was 86 years old. [5] Orson Welles described him as "maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera".[6]. Adopted along with his sister Catherine at birth to James Cagney and his wife Frances.Appeared in The Gallant Hours (1960) in a cameo appearance as a Marine.James Jr. died before James Sr. and Frances. His appearance in "The Gallant Hours" as an infantryman was accompanied by a similarly . They married on September 28, 1922, and the marriage lasted until his death in 1986. He later recalled an argument he had with director John Adolfi about a line: "There was a line in the show where I was supposed to be crying on my mother's breast [The line] was 'I'm your baby, ain't I?' Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Cagney moved back to New York, leaving his brother Bill to look after his apartment. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Search above to list available cemeteries. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. [61], However, according to Turner Classic Movies (TCM), the grapefruit scene was a practical joke that Cagney and costar Mae Clarke decided to play on the crew while the cameras were rolling. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. I find directing a bore, I have no desire to tell other people their business".[150]. James Francis Cagney Jr. ( / kni /; [1] July 17, 1899 - March 30, 1986) [2] was an American actor, dancer and film director. Sorry! [125] The Cagneys had hoped that an action film would appeal more to audiences, but it fared worse at the box office than Johnny Come Lately. [169][170] Cagney was a very private man, and while he was willing to give the press opportunities for photographs, he generally spent his personal time out of the public eye. He had done what many thought unthinkable: taking on the studios and winning. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. [193] Cagney alleged that, having failed to scare off the Guild and him, they sent a hitman to kill him by dropping a heavy light onto his head. (1932), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), The Roaring Twenties (1939), City for Conquest (1940) and White Heat (1949), finding himself typecast or limited by this reputation earlier in his career. O'Brien received top billing, which was a clear breach of Cagney's contract. His death climaxed more than a year's painful illness and was not unexpected. [73][74] Warner Bros. refused, so Cagney once again walked out. As with Pitter Patter, Cagney went to the audition with little confidence he would get the part. Who would know more about dying than him?" His earlier insistence on not filming with live ammunition proved to be a good decision. James Cagney was an American actor, dancer, and film director who was ranked #8 on the American Film Institute's list of greatest male stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood in 1999. Howard Rollins, who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance, said, "I was frightened to meet Mr. Cagney. July 17, 1899. "[26][27] In deference to his mother's concerns, he got a job as a brokerage house runner. Normally, when a star walked out, the time he or she was absent was added onto the end of an already long contract, as happened with Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis. In a voice-over, James Cagney, as George M. Cohan, says "I was a good Democrat, even in those days."In reality, Cohan was a lifelong ultra-conservative Republican who despised President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Initially, Cohan was a supporter of Roosevelt, but became disenchanted with him and his New Deal policies. She died on August 11, 2004. He was successful in the early days of his. [104] In 1939 Cagney was second to only Gary Cooper in the national acting wage stakes, earning $368,333.[105]. [164] After the stroke, Cagney was no longer able to undertake many of his favorite pastimes, including horseback riding and dancing, and as he became more depressed, he even gave up painting. Best Answer. [47] The film cost only $151,000 to make, but it became one of the first low-budget films to gross $1million.[55]. James Cagney, the cocky and pugnacious film star who set the standard for gangster roles in ''The Public Enemy'' and won an Academy Award for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in ''Yankee Doodle. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. In his acceptance speech, Cagney lightly chastised the impressionist Frank Gorshin, saying, "Oh, Frankie, just in passing, I never said 'MMMMmmmm, you dirty rat!' In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him eighth on its list of greatest male stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. [8], Cagney walked out on Warner Bros. several times over the course of his career, each time returning on much improved personal and artistic terms. [133] In the 18 intervening years, Cagney's hair had begun to gray, and he developed a paunch for the first time. After he had turned down an offer to play Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady,[158][159] he found it easier to rebuff others, including a part in The Godfather Part II. It wasn't even written into the script.". This time, he slapped co-star Evalyn Knapp. [192] Cagney was cleared by U.S. Representative Martin Dies Jr. on the House Un-American Activities Committee. Date of Birth. [129][130], Cagney Productions was in serious trouble; poor returns from the produced films, and a legal dispute with Sam Goldwyn Studio over a rental agreement[129][130] forced Cagney back to Warner Bros. Director Bill Wellman thought of the idea suddenly. Master of Pugnacious Grace", "Cagney Funeral Today to Be at His First Church", "Cagney Remembered as America's Yankee Doodle Dandy", "Los Angeles Times - Hollywood Star Walk", "AFI Life Achievement Award: James Cagney", National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, "Actor Cagney tearfully accepts freedom medal", "Off-Broadway Musical Cagney to End Run at Westside Theatre; Is Broadway Next? Already he had acquired the nickname "The Professional Againster". In his first professional acting performance in 1919, Cagney was costumed as a woman when he danced in the chorus line of the revue Every Sailor. Although James Cagney may have been a sweet guy when the cameras weren't rolling, audiences will always best remember him as the intimidating figures that he portrayed in such classics as Angels with Dirty Faces. [197], By 1980, Cagney was contributing financially to the Republican Party, supporting his friend Ronald Reagan's bid for the presidency in the 1980 election. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993: "AFI's 100 Years100 Movie Quotes Nominees", "Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)", "Hollywood Renegades Cagney Productions", "Some Historical Reflections on the Paradoxes of Stardom in the American Film Industry, 19101960: Part Six", "The Montreal Gazette Google News Archive Search", "A funeral will be held Wednesday for James Cagney - UPI Archives", "Campaign Contribution Search James Cagney", "James Cagney Is Dead at 86. Cagney denied this, and Lincoln Steffens, husband of the letter's writer, backed up this denial, asserting that the accusation stemmed solely from Cagney's donation to striking cotton workers in the San Joaquin Valley. Warner Brothers' succession of gangster movie hits, in particular Little Caesar with Edward G. Robinson,[53] culminated in the 1931 film The Public Enemy. The accusation in 1934 stemmed from a letter police found from a local Communist official that alleged that Cagney would bring other Hollywood stars to meetings. He wanted more money for his successful films, but he also offered to take a smaller salary should his star wane. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Failed to delete memorial. He received praise for his performance, and the studio liked his work enough to offer him These Wilder Years with Barbara Stanwyck. James Cagney, 86, who rose from a hard-knocks youth on New York's East Side to achieve enduring movie fame as a brash, intrepid, irrepressible image of urban masculinity, and whose gallery of. He was truly a nasty old man. [132] Cagney attributed the performance to his father's alcoholic rages, which he had witnessed as a child, as well as someone that he had seen on a visit to a mental hospital. Producer. Cagney also had full say over what films he did and did not make. "[199], Cagney died of a heart attack at his Dutchess County farm in Stanford, New York, on Easter Sunday 1986; he was 86 years old. Eventually, they borrowed some money and headed back to New York via Chicago and Milwaukee, enduring failure along the way when they attempted to make money on the stage. [citation needed], Despite the fact that Ragtime was his first film in 20 years, Cagney was immediately at ease: Flubbed lines and miscues were committed by his co-stars, often simply through sheer awe. "[56] He received top billing after the film,[57] but while he acknowledged the importance of the role to his career, he always disputed the suggestion that it changed the way heroes and leading men were portrayed: He cited Clark Gable's slapping of Barbara Stanwyck six months earlier (in Night Nurse) as more important. Zimmermann then took it upon herself to look after Cagney, preparing his meals to reduce his blood triglycerides, which had reached alarming levels. [191], Cagney was accused of being a communist sympathizer in 1934, and again in 1940. "[94] Cagney himself acknowledged the importance of the walkout for other actors in breaking the dominance of the studio system. [76][77] He regularly sent money and goods to old friends from his neighborhood, though he did not generally make this known. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. After The Roaring Twenties, it would be a decade before Cagney made another gangster film. Al Jolson saw him in the play and bought the movie rights, before selling them to Warner Bros. with the proviso that James Cagney and Joan Blondell be able to reprise their stage roles in the movie. highest paid women's college basketball coaches 2021; pittston area football coach; how many black soldiers died in the civil war; metabank mobile deposit funds availability (He sent $40 to his mother each week. Some day, though, I'd like to make another movie that kids could go and see. He became one of Hollywood's leading stars and one of Warner Bros.' biggest contracts. [193][194], During World War II, Cagney raised money for war bonds by taking part in racing exhibitions at the Roosevelt Raceway and selling seats for the premiere of Yankee Doodle Dandy. "[134], Cagney's final lines in the film "Made it, Ma! [11] His father, James Francis Cagney Sr. (18751918), was of Irish descent. Age at Death: 86. Weve updated the security on the site. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. This is a high-tension business. He said of his co-star, "his powers of observation must be absolutely incredible, in addition to the fact that he remembered it. James Jr. pre-deceased both his parents, dying of a heart attack in the early eighties. He gained additional fame for his roles in Angeles With Dirty Faces and Love [] Try again later. Cagney often gave away his work but refused to sell his paintings, considering himself an amateur. [7] He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me with Doris Day. The closest he got to it in the film was, "Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!" [85][86] Cagney made two films for Grand National: Great Guy and Something to Sing About. The film is notable for one of Cagney's lines, a phrase often repeated by celebrity impersonators: "That dirty, double-crossin' rat!" [21] Cagney believed in hard work, later stating, "It was good for me. In 1942 Cagney won the Oscar for his energetic portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. In 1935 Cagney was listed as one of the Top Ten Moneymakers in Hollywood for the first time,[82] and was cast more frequently in non-gangster roles; he played a lawyer who joins the FBI in G-Men, and he also took on his first, and only, Shakespearean role, as top-billed Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream alongside Joe E. Brown as Francis Flute and Mickey Rooney as Puck. Cagney had hoped to spend some time tracing his Irish ancestry, but time constraints and poor weather meant that he was unable to do so. They took the line out.[50]. Cagney retired from acting and dancing in 1961 to spend time on his farm with his family. Charlton Heston, in announcing that Cagney was to be honored, called him "one of the most significant figures of a generation when American film was dominant, Cagney, that most American of actors, somehow communicated eloquently to audiences all over the world and to actors as well. "Jimmy's charisma was so outstanding," she added. Cagney, who died March 30 at his farm, left his personal belongings - furniture, clothing, cars, jewelry, art - to his wife of 64 years, Frances Willie Cagney. The well-received film with its shocking plot twists features one of Cagney's most moving performances. The movie actor James Cagney died at the age of 86. Insisting on doing his own stunts, Cagney required judo training from expert Ken Kuniyuki and Jack Halloran, a former policeman. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81234915/james-cagney. His biographers disagree as to the actual location: either on the corner of Avenue D and 8th Street,[2] or in a top-floor apartment at 391 East 8th Street, the address that is on his birth certificate. A third film, Dynamite, was planned, but Grand National ran out of money. [190], He supported political activist and labor leader Thomas Mooney's defense fund, but was repelled by the behavior of some of Mooney's supporters at a rally. I thought you might like to see a memorial for James Cagney Jr. [154] Cagney had concerns with the script, remembering back 23 years to Boy Meets Girl, in which scenes were reshot to try to make them funnier by speeding up the pacing, with the opposite effect. While compared unfavorably to White Heat by critics, it was fairly successful at the box office, with $500,000 going straight to Cagney Productions' bankers to pay off their losses. He held out for $4000 a week,[73] the same salary as Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Kay Francis. The elder Mr. Cagney and the son had been estranged for the last. So keen was the studio to follow up the success of Robinson's Little Caesar that Cagney actually shot Smart Money (for which he received second billing in a supporting role) at the same time as The Public Enemy. The Cagneys were among the early residents of Free Acres, a social experiment established by Bolton Hall in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. He was always 'real'. [10], James Francis "Jimmy" Cagney was born in 1899 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. [213] Cagney, The Musical then moved to the Westside Theatre until May 28, 2017. The overriding message of violence inevitably leading to more violence attracted Cagney to the role of an Irish Republican Army commander, and resulted in what some critics would regard as the finest performance of his final years. He won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances. [83] Meanwhile, while being represented by his brother William in court, Cagney went back to New York to search for a country property where he could indulge his passion for farming. Burns Mantle wrote that it "contained the most honest acting now to be seen in New York. [43], Cagney had built a reputation as an innovative teacher; when he was cast as the lead in Grand Street Follies of 1928, he was also appointed choreographer. When visiting an aunt who lived in Brooklyn, opposite Vitagraph Studios, Cagney would climb over the fence to watch the filming of John Bunny movies. [7] Reviews were strong, and the film is considered one of the best of his later career. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. March 31, 1986 12 AM PT. Tracy's involvement ensured that Cagney accepted a supporting role in his close friend's movie, although in the end, Tracy did not take part and Henry Fonda played the titular role instead. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Jimmy has that quality. By the end of the run, Cagney was exhausted from acting and running the dance school. His coaches encouraged him to turn professional, but his mother would not allow it. The film was swiftly followed by The Crowd Roars and Winner Take All. Cagney had long been told by friends that he would make an excellent director,[149] so when he was approached by his friend, producer A. C. Lyles, he instinctively said yes. James Francis Cagney Jr. (/kni/;[1] July 17, 1899 March 30, 1986)[2] was an American actor, dancer and film director. He was hand-picked by Billy Wilder to play a hard-driving Coca-Cola executive in the film One, Two, Three. Despite this outburst, the studio liked him, and before his three-week contract was upwhile the film was still shooting[51]they gave Cagney a three-week extension, which was followed by a full seven-year contract at $400 a week. One of the most popular and acclaimed actors of his time, his career spanned fifty-five years. [103] In addition to the smash hit Each Dawn I Die, an extremely entertaining prison movie with George Raft that was so successful at the box office that it prompted the studio to offer Raft an important contract in the wake of his departure from Paramount, and The Oklahoma Kid, a memorable Western with Humphrey Bogart as the black-clad villain. [29] Cagney appreciated the $35 a week he was paid, which he later remembered as "a mountain of money for me in those worrisome days. Top of the world!" He was so goddamned mean to everybody. In 1941, Cagney and Bette Davis reunited for a comedy set in the contemporary West titled The Bride Came C.O.D., followed by a change of pace with the gentle turn-of-the-century romantic comedy The Strawberry Blonde (1941) featuring songs of the period and also starring Olivia de Havilland and rising young phenomenon Rita Hayworth, along with Alan Hale Sr. and Jack Carson. Sullivan refuses, but on his way to his execution, he breaks down and begs for his life. Governor Mario M. Cuomo and Mayor Edward I. Koch were also in attendance at the service. Adopted daughter of James and Frances Cagney. Verify and try again. Even though . Their train fares were paid for by a friend, the press officer of Pitter Patter, who was also desperate to act. "[152][153], Cagney's penultimate film was a comedy. [36], Cagney secured his first significant nondancing role in 1925. [49] During filming of Sinners' Holiday, he also demonstrated the stubbornness that characterized his attitude toward the work. "[147], The following year, Cagney appeared in Man of a Thousand Faces, in which he played a fictionalized version of Lon Chaney. Notable for a famous scene in which Cagney pushes half a grapefruit against Mae Clarke's face, the film thrust him into the spotlight. He was sickly as an infantso much so that his mother feared he would die before he could be baptized. Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA. [40], Cagney secured the lead role in the 192627 season West End production of Broadway by George Abbott. [68] The line was nominated for the American Film Institute 2005 AFI's 100 Years100 Movie Quotes[69], As he completed filming, The Public Enemy was filling cinemas with all-night showings. He said 'Just die!' Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. [186] Around the same time, he gave money for a Spanish Republican Army ambulance during the Spanish Civil War, which he put down to being "a soft touch". [3] [74] Warner Bros. refused to cave in this time, and suspended him. ", a line commonly used by impressionists. The supporting cast features Andy Devine and George Reeves. The success of The Public Enemy and Blonde Crazy forced Warner Bros.' hand. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. He worked for the independent film company Grand National (starring in two films: the musical Something to Sing About and the drama Great Guy) for a year while the suit was being settled, then in 1942 establishing his own production company, Cagney Productions, before returning to Warner seven years later. NEW YORK (AP) _ James Cagney, who won an Oscar as the song and dance man of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" but earned his place in movie history as the pugnacious hoodlum of such classics as "The Public Enemy" and "Angels with Dirty Faces," died Sunday. He produced over a dozen films with some being featured with his brother James in the lead role such as "Strawberry Blonde" (1941), "The Bride Came C.O.D." (1941), "Captain of the Clouds" (1942), "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), "The Time of Your Life" (1948 . Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Cagney (as well as Jean Harlow) publicly refused to pay[188][189] and Cagney even threatened that, if the studios took a day's pay for Merriam's campaign, he would give a week's pay to Upton Sinclair, Merriam's opponent in the race. Copy. [140][141], His performance earned him another Best Actor Academy Award nomination, 17 years after his first. TCM also notes that the scene made Clarke's ex-husband, Lew Brice, very happy. [85][119] Free of Warner Bros. again, Cagney spent some time relaxing on his farm in Martha's Vineyard before volunteering to join the USO. As filming progressed, Cagney's sciatica worsened, but he finished the nine-week filming, and reportedly stayed on the set after completing his scenes to help the other actors with their dialogue. [34][35], In 1924, after years of touring and struggling to make money, Cagney and Vernon moved to Hawthorne, California, partly for Cagney to meet his new mother-in-law, who had just moved there from Chicago, and partly to investigate breaking into the movies. It was a wartime play in which the chorus was made up of servicemen dressed as women that was originally titled Ever Sailor. He secured several other roles, receiving good notices, before landing the lead in the 1929 play Penny Arcade. Learn more about managing a memorial . You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. [204], For his contributions to the film industry, Cagney was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 with a motion pictures star located at 6504 Hollywood Boulevard. A young black pianist becomes embroiled in the lives of an upper-class white family set among the racial tensions, infidelity, violence and other nostalgic events in early 1900s New York City. What I actually did say was 'Judy, Judy, Judy! This donation enhanced his liberal reputation. Suddenly he has to come face-to-face with the realities of life without any mama or papa to do his thinking for him. [40][41] This was a devastating turn of events for Cagney; apart from the logistical difficulties this presentedthe couple's luggage was in the hold of the ship and they had given up their apartment. "[28], Had Cagney's mother had her way, his stage career would have ended when he quit Every Sailor after two months; proud as she was of his performance, she preferred that he get an education. Failed to report flower. They were directors who could play all the parts in the play better than the actors cast for them. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Major film star William Powell played a rare supporting role as "Doc" in the film, his final picture before retirement from a stellar career that had spanned 33 years, since his first appearance in Sherlock Holmes with John Barrymore in 1922. [126] Cagney thought that Murphy had the looks to be a movie star, and suggested that he come to Hollywood. James Cagney, 86, who rose from a hard-knocks youth on New York's East Side to achieve enduring movie fame as a brash, intrepid, irrepressible image of urban masculinity, and whose gallery of. The first version of the National Labor Relations Act was passed in 1935 and growing tensions between labor and management fueled the movement. There is a problem with your email/password. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Though he was around 20 years old at the end of the war, he had killed 240 German soldiers, had been wounded three. James F. Cagney Jr., the adopted son of the actor James Cagney, has died of a heart attack here. After a messy shootout, Sullivan is eventually captured by the police and sentenced to death in the electric chair. [11] His mother was Carolyn Elizabeth (ne Nelson; 18771945); her father was a Norwegian ship's captain,[3] and her mother was Irish. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Cagney also repeated the advice he had given to Pamela Tiffin, Joan Leslie, and Lemmon. To use this feature, use a newer browser. From that point on, violence was attached to mania, as in White Heat. I feel sorry for the kid who has too cushy a time of it. Try again later. [196] He would also support Ronald Reagan in the 1966 California gubernatorial election. [120] In September 1942, he was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild. [208] In 1984, Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. [151], Cagney's career began winding down, and he made only one film in 1960, the critically acclaimed The Gallant Hours, in which he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. While revisiting his old haunts, he runs into his old friend Jerry Connolly, played by O'Brien, who is now a priest concerned about the Dead End Kids' futures, particularly as they idolize Rocky. She. William Cagney claimed this donation was the root of the charges in 1940. [187], This somewhat exaggerated view was enhanced by his public contractual wranglings with Warner Bros. at the time, his joining of the Screen Actors Guild in 1933, and his involvement in the revolt against the so-called "Merriam tax". Audie Murphy eventually became the most decorated U.S. soldier in World War II. Resend Activation Email. Academy Award-worthy James Cagney won an Oscar for his performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), a biographical film about Cohan's life. Thanks for your help! Ford walked away, and they had no more problems, though Cagney never particularly liked Ford. [13], Cagney was the second of seven children, two of whom died within months of their births. [90] Unknown to Cagney, the League was in fact a front organization for the Communist International (Comintern), which sought to enlist support for the Soviet Union and its foreign policies. Saroyan himself loved the film, but it was a commercial disaster, costing the company half a million dollars to make;[129] audiences again struggled to accept Cagney in a nontough-guy role. "[142], Cagney's next film was Mister Roberts, directed by John Ford and slated to star Spencer Tracy. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. He was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Broadway composer and entertainer George M. Cohan in 1942's Yankee Doodle Dandy. Following the film's completion, Cagney went back to the USO and toured US military bases in the UK. At the time of his son's birth, he was a bartender[12] and amateur boxer, although on Cagney's birth certificate, he is listed as a telegraphist. [133] Cagney himself had the idea of playing Jarrett as psychotic; he later stated, "it was essentially a cheapie one-two-three-four kind of thing, so I suggested we make him nuts. He refused to give interviews to the British press, preferring to concentrate on rehearsals and performances. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. [72], In his opening scene, Cagney spoke fluent Yiddish, a language he had picked up during his boyhood in New York City. [184], In his autobiography, Cagney said that as a young man, he had no political views, since he was more concerned with where the next meal was coming from. Jonathan James Cagney was just a boy when his father died. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. [140] Cagney described the script as "that extremely rare thing, the perfect script". I certainly lost all consciousness of him when I put on skirts, wig, paint, powder, feathers and spangles. Marguerite and Donald Zimmerman were named executors. He played a young tough guy in the three-act play Outside Looking In by Maxwell Anderson, earning $200 a week.