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James Cagney

James Cagney

Actor, also director and producer · Died March 30, 1986, aged 86 · New York City, New York, USA

James Francis Cagney, Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American film actor. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of roles, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys". In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time. In his first performing role, Cagney danced dressed as a woman in the chorus line of the 1919 revue Every Sailor. He spent several years in vaudeville as a hoofer and comedian until his first major acting role in 1925. He secured several other roles, receiving good reviews before landing the lead in the 1929 play Penny Arcade. After rave reviews for his acting, Warners signed him for an initial $500 a week, three-week contract to reprise his role; this was quickly extended to a seven year contract. Cagney's seventh film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Notable for its famous grapefruit scene, the film thrust Cagney into the spotlight, making him one of Warners' and Hollywood's biggest stars. In 1938, he received his first Academy Award Best Actor nomination for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired for 20 years in 1961, spending time on his farm before returning for a part in Ragtime mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke. Cagney walked out on Warners several times over his career, each time coming back on improved personal and artistic terms. In 1935, he sued Warners for breach of contract and won; this marked one of the first times an actor had beaten a studio over a contract issue. He worked for an independent film company for a year while the suit was settled, and also established his own production company, Cagney Productions, in 1942 before returning to Warners again four years later. Jack Warner called him "The Professional Againster", in reference to Cagney’s refusal to be pushed around. Cagney also made numerous morale-boosting troop tours before and during World War II, and was President of the Screen Actors Guild for two years.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 17, 1899
Died
March 30, 1986 (aged 86)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor, also director and producer
Titles
62 on MovieCove · 87 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

What are James Cagney's films like?

Across their 58 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
29%
Bonds
24%
Self
20%
Power
11%
Society
7%
Ideas
6%
Survival
3%
Romantic love15 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition15 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 58 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 26 · Serious 16 · Dark 16

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 33 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 13 · Charged 27 · Intense 18

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 21 · Shifting 34 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 31 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 14

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 30 · Relentless 15

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 36 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 22 · Affecting 26 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 55 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

59 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 37 of 59 analyzed roles.

Hero
37 of 59
Shadow
9 of 59
Trickster
4 of 59
Shapeshifter
3 of 59
Ally
2 of 59
Threshold guardian
2 of 59
Herald
1 of 59
Mentor
1 of 59
Show the 59 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
34
Joyful
19
Melancholic
24
Thrilling
17
Warm
12
Other
51

How their films linger

Bittersweet25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Cagney's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 17 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Cagney's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

87 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 54 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Becoming Marilyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as (archive footage)

  • Warner at War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as (archive footage)

  • Legends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · as Martin Snyder (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Remembering Ragtime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as NY Police Commissioner Rheinlander Waldo (archive footage)

  • Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust(2004)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Routine Pleasures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Ed "Eddie" Bailey (archive footage)

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    as From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Terrible Joe Moran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Joe Moran

  • Going Hollywood: The '30s(1984)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Showbiz Goes to War(1982)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid(1982)

    as (in "White Heat") (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Ragtime(1981)

    as New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as (archive footage)

  • Arizona Bushwhackers(1968)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Ballad of Smokey the Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • The Day of the Oath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Narrator

  • The Road to the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Narrator

  • One, Two, Three(1961)

    as C.R. MacNamara

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Gallant Hours(1960)

    Producer · as Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Shake Hands with the Devil(1959)

    as Sean Lenihan

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Never Steal Anything Small(1959)

    as Jake MacIllaney

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Short Cut to Hell(1957)

    Director · as Himself (prologue)

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Man of a Thousand Faces(1957)

    as Lon Chaney

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • These Wilder Years(1956)

    as Steve Bradford

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Tribute to a Bad Man(1956)

    as Jeremy Rodack

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Seven Little Foys(1955)

    as George M. Cohan

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Mister Roberts(1955)

    as Captain Morton

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Love Me or Leave Me(1955)

    as Martin Snyder

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Run for Cover(1955)

    as Matt Dow

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Lion Is in the Streets(1953)

    as Hank Martin

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • What Price Glory(1952)

    as Captain Flagg

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Starlift (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as James Cagney

  • Come Fill the Cup(1951)

    as Lew Marsh

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The West Point Story(1950)

    as Elwin Bixby

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye(1950)

    as Ralph Cotter

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as George Bridgeman

  • White Heat(1949)

    as Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Time of Your Life(1948)

    as Joseph

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • 13 Rue Madeleine(1947)

    as Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Okay for Sound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Tommy Powers (archive footage)

  • Blood on the Sun(1945)

    as Nick Condon

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Johnny Come Lately (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Tom Richards

  • You, John Jones! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as John Jones

  • Yankee Doodle Dandy(1942)

    as George M. Cohan

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Captains of the Clouds(1942)

    as Brian MacLean

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Bride Came C.O.D.(1941)

    as Steve Collins

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Strawberry Blonde(1941)

    as Biff Grimes

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • City for Conquest(1940)

    as Danny Kenny

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Torrid Zone(1940)

    as Nick Butler

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Fighting 69th(1940)

    as Jerry Plunkett

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Roaring Twenties(1939)

    as Eddie Bartlett

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Each Dawn I Die(1939)

    as Frank Ross

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Oklahoma Kid(1939)

    as Jim Kincaid

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Angels with Dirty Faces(1938)

    as Rocky Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Boy Meets Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Robert Law

  • Something to Sing About(1937)

    as Terry Rooney

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Great Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Johnny 'Red' Cave

  • Ceiling Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Dizzy Davies

  • Frisco Kid(1935)

    as Bat Morgan

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Mutiny on the Bounty(1935)

    as (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)

    as Bottom

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Irish in Us(1935)

    as Danny O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • 'G' Men(1935)

    as ‘Brick' Davis

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Actor

  • Devil Dogs of the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Tommy O'Toole

  • The St. Louis Kid(1934)

    as Eddie Kennedy

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Here Comes the Navy(1934)

    as Chesty O'Conner

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • He Was Her Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen

  • Jimmy the Gent(1934)

    as Jimmy Corrigan

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Lady Killer(1933)

    as Dan

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Footlight Parade(1933)

    as Chester Kent

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Mayor of Hell(1933)

    as Richard 'Patsy' Gargan

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Picture Snatcher(1933)

    as Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Hard to Handle(1933)

    as Lefty Merrill

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Winner Take All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Jim 'Jimmy' Kane

  • The Crowd Roars(1932)

    as Joe Greer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Taxi(1931)

    as Matt Nolan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Blonde Crazy(1931)

    as Albert 'Bert' Harris

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Smart Money(1931)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Millionaire(1931)

    as Schofield

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Public Enemy(1931)

    as Tom Powers

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Other Men's Women(1930)

    as Ed 'Eddie' Bailey

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Doorway to Hell(1930)

    as Steve Mileaway

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Sinners' Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Harry Delano

  • The Singing Fool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Handsy Patron at Blackie Joe's (uncredited)

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 86 titles from 1928 to 2022; peak year 1982.

Biggest box office

Ragtime (1981)

$15M worldwide

Highest rated

White Heat (1949)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

19282022

Peak 1982 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 27 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting85 of 86: 84 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thDirecting1 of 86: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleProducing1 of 86: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s34 · acting1940s14 · acting1950s17 · 16 acting · 1 crew1960s6 · 6 acting · 1 crew1970s2 · acting1980s8 · acting2000s3 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 83% of 36 roles
30354045

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do James Cagney's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 62; across their 58 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Midcredits score across 62 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up30
  • 50th to 74th22
  • 25th to 49th9
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

44 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Crowd Pleaser44
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984)

72nd percentile spread · 12% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

White Heat (1949)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 54 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Cagney's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 2 of the 5 categories sit near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles21–58 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles14–43 · median 24 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 15 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Cagney work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Cagney's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hal B. Wallis shares the most, 14.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles