He may not be the original O.G of the silver screen, but in my mind, he was definately in the best "gangster" films but in the 30's and 40's. Not only that, but he helped the unions, helped real life causes like a bunch of black teenagers in Alabama accused of rape, miners etc...

Fav films

Roaring twenties

Angels with dirty faces (love the ending where he swallows his pride by being "yella" so he isn't such a good tough guy role model to the kids)

White heat

Yanky doodle Dandy.

Gotta admit that "yanky doodle dandy" is very patriotic (world war 2 just broke out in the US, also Cagney allegedly made such a film to get the anti communist lobby off his back), but George Cohen did write a few very catchy songs and I love watching Cagney dance. Though Iam no expert, his dancing seemed quite unique to me back when alot of people in hollywood danced. Cagney clearly stood out with his rather odd looking tap dancing. Great stuff.

Couldn't find any good long clips from "Yankee doody dandy" LOL.

Anyway, a great actor and one I think today's kids and teenagers would dig too.

[Edited 12/29/10 16:56pm]

thesexofit said:

Angels with dirty faces (love the ending where he swallows his pride by being "yella" so he isn't such a good tough guy role model to the kids)

The beauty of the ending is you don't know if he was really 'yella', or did he pretend?

uPtoWnNY said:

thesexofit said:

Angels with dirty faces (love the ending where he swallows his pride by being "yella" so he isn't such a good tough guy role model to the kids)

The beauty of the ending is you don't know if he was really 'yella', or did he pretend?

Exactly. Yes, I should of said that. The filmakers leave it open. I reckon he did it for his priest friend and the kids who idolized him.

Anyway great film.

I remember an interview he did when 'Ragtime' came out. He claims he never said "you dirty rat" in a film.

uPtoWnNY said:

I remember an interview he did when 'Ragtime' came out. He claims he never said "you dirty rat" in a film.

LOL, yeah he said that at a speech he did for AFI aswell. Never saw "Ragtime". Was it any good?

thesexofit said:

uPtoWnNY said:

I remember an interview he did when 'Ragtime' came out. He claims he never said "you dirty rat" in a film.

LOL, yeah he said that at a speech he did for AFI aswell. Never saw "Ragtime". Was it any good?

Yep, the late Howard E. Rollins stole that movie as Coalhouse Walker.

uPtoWnNY said:

thesexofit said:

LOL, yeah he said that at a speech he did for AFI aswell. Never saw "Ragtime". Was it any good?

Yep, the late Howard E. Rollins stole that movie as Coalhouse Walker.

They rarely show it in the UK but I will keep an eye out for it.

read Jimmy Cagney's autobiography..it's a good read. he was also an accomplished painter in his later years.

white heat was the film in which he says "Look at me mah..I'm on top of the world". a great movie.

I believe it's also the one in which he pushed a grapefruit in the face of his gal (not that I think that's a good idea)

Jimmy appeared with humphrey bogart in angels with dirty faces (with the bowery boys).

BlackAdder7 said:

I believe it's also the one in which he pushed a grapefruit in the face of his gal (not that I think that's a good idea)

That was 'The Public Enemy'.

BlackAdder7 said:

read Jimmy Cagney's autobiography..it's a good read. he was also an accomplished painter in his later years.

white heat was the film in which he says "Look at me mah..I'm on top of the world". a great movie.

I believe it's also the one in which he pushed a grapefruit in the face of his gal (not that I think that's a good idea)

Jimmy appeared with humphrey bogart in angels with dirty faces (with the bowery boys).

Huntz 'Fuckin' Hall

IAintTheOne said:

BlackAdder7 said:

read Jimmy Cagney's autobiography..it's a good read. he was also an accomplished painter in his later years.

white heat was the film in which he says "Look at me mah..I'm on top of the world". a great movie.

I believe it's also the one in which he pushed a grapefruit in the face of his gal (not that I think that's a good idea)

Jimmy appeared with humphrey bogart in angels with dirty faces (with the bowery boys).

Huntz 'Fuckin' Hall

leo "chief" gorcey

BlackAdder7 said:

IAintTheOne said:

Huntz 'Fuckin' Hall

leo "chief" gorcey

They used to be called " The Dead end Kids" great stuff, every Saturday when I was a kid man

IAintTheOne said:

BlackAdder7 said:

leo "chief" gorcey

They used to be called " The Dead end Kids" great stuff, every Saturday when I was a kid man

ditto...