The truth about the life and career of the great actor James Cagney

James Kagney was an American

actor

, dancer, and film director known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and tough characters in the films in which he starred. He obtained recognition and important awards for his various roles, his tough performances in films such as Taxi Public Enemy White. The heat and angels with faces made him a leading figure and a star in his own right. James Gagney had a unique way of speaking characterized by distinctive intonation and rapid delivery, making for his trademark sharp wit, memorable quotes, and a distinctive performance style that added special charm and charisma.

James Francis Kagney was born in July 1899 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York. Gagy had six siblings, two of whom died shortly after his birth. He himself was a delicate child and his mother feared that he would not survive long enough to live. Upon being baptized, he later attributed his failing health to the poverty in which his family lived. The Gagy family lived in a poor neighborhood with terrible sanitary conditions. His father was an amateur boxer and waiter and the family struggled to make ends meet after finishing high school in the pigsty. In New York, blue-eyed redhead James Kagney enrolled at Columbia College with plans to study art.

He also began learning German and joined the army's student training corps; However, one semester after beginning his studies during the Spanish Blu pandemic of 1918, his father died, forcing James to drop out and return home rather than continue his college education. James Kagney had to find work to support his family. He accepted jobs as a doorman at a luxurious mansion and a waiter at a hotel. Somehow, he even landed a position as a junior architect and draftsman, however, when Kagney got a job at the New York Public Library, a dramatic turn occurred in his

life

at the library.

James Kagney met Florence James, who worked in the theater and believed he belonged there too. Kagney possessed certain skills that would make him an ideal artist. Since he was little he had practiced tap dancing, he was a skilled street fighter defending his older brother Harry when necessary and he also dedicated himself to amateur boxing, taking second place in the fight for the title of the New York state lightweight championship. James Kagney had an aunt who lived in Brooklyn and by pure coincidence she lived right across the street from the vidigraphy studio. For the first time filming a movie about John Bunny, this spectacular sight ignited such passion in him that he was willing to do anything to be a part of that world, however, James Kagney couldn't just barge into the vidigraphy studio and demand a work that had to start from the bottom, soon became. a set designer for a Chinese pantomime in which his brother Harry started and the director of the show was Florence James, the same woman from the library initially content with being behind the scenes, gaga, had shown no interest in performing in front of an audience, however However, fate intervened or an ordinary person.

On the day Gagney was setting the stage for the pantomime when it was suddenly announced that his brother who was supposed to perform that night had taken ill. James Kagney was asked if he knew the role and upon receiving an affirmative response, James was asked to replace his brother with his good photographic memory. Kagney excelled in the role despite successfully taking the stage and achieving immediate success. Kagney wasn't convinced he belonged there. Instead, in 1919, he accepted a job at Wan Maker's department store. One day, while he was joking at work, he began dancing. A colleague saw James dancing and informed him about an audition for a role in the upcoming play "Every Sailor" was a war play with a chorus of soldiers dressed as women.

The salary was $35 a week, much more than in department stores. However, there was a significant increase. obstacle on the way to the role Kagy only knew one dance, the intricate Peabody, so while waiting for his audition he observed the movements of other dancers learning them simultaneously, when it was his turn he managed to capture the movements and secure the job. He didn't mind the fact that he had to play a female character afterward he remembered how he overcame his natural shyness when he went on stage because that's not me, I stopped being Jim Kagney when I went out on that stage in a skirt. powdered feather and sequin wig, although James Kagney's mother was proud of her son's performance, she understood that theater work was not a stable job, she wanted her son to receive an education, while Kagney did not return to school. college, he got a job as a messenger at a brokerage firm, however, in his free time he continued to attend auditions and soon landed a role in William B.

Frander's musical Pitter Patter, earning $55 a week, of which he sent $40 every week to her mother, in addition to the musical, she also worked as a dressmaker. One of the lead

actor

s carried the actor's luggage and served as a stand-in for the lead character during this time. James Kagney set his sights on one of the chorus girls, Francis Willard Vernon, and in 1922 they were married. Little did Kagney know that this marriage would last his entire

life

. her entire life due to fertility problems James Kagney and his wife adopted two children in 1940, they adopted a son named James Francis Kagney II and later a daughter named Kathleen Casey Gagney was a very private person and, although he occasionally allowed the press to took photographs with him he usually spent his personal time away from the public eye the actor preferred not to interact much with his children his son became estranged from Kagney and they had not seen or spoken to each other since 1982 James Kagney died of a heart attack on January 27, 1984 in Washington DC 2 years before her father's death, Kagney's only surviving child was her daughter.

Kathleen also became estranged from her father in the final years of his life and passed away on August 11, 2004 after her death. Kagney left nothing to his son. family and nothing for his daughter, everything went to his wife, who had been by his side for 64 years. Francis Kagney died in 1994 after his marriage. The newlyweds split up with various troops gathering under the name Vernon and NY to perform simple acts of comedy and music. NY was a rearrangement of the last syllable of Kagney's last name. They worked steadily but unfortunately money was still tight in an effort to improve their financial situation.

He and his wife traveled to California to take advantage of the opportunity to make movies. They were filled with joy when they saw the palm trees and the bright lights, however Hollywood did not recognize their talent and rejected them. The dance studio that Kagney established had few clients and closed with Vernon. They visited numerous studios but none showed interest. They had to return to New York to his return in 1925 k Agy immediately auditioned for his first non-dance related role, playing a young tough guy in Maxwell Anderson's three-act play Outside Looking initially, Kagy thought he had no chance of getting the role, but had an advantage: red hair, the character he auditioned for. because his name was Red Maloney and Kagney was also a redhead.

Landing the role, Kagney began earning $200 a week. Reviews of the play were positive, particularly praising Kagney's performance. He then landed the lead role in George Abbott's Broadway production in the West End from 1926 to 1927. As they moved from New York to London's West End, management wanted Kagney to join the cast. Kagney and his wife gave up their apartment, packed their bags, and loaded them on a ship that would take them to Britain; However, just before the couple set sail, Kagney. They received a message from the show's producer that they had changed their mind about hiring Kagney. This news devastated the actor and left him and his wife homeless.

Kagney was about to give up on his dream forever, but decided not to give up. He opened a training school. dancing for professionals which demanded an enormous amount of energy from him, he then landed a role in the play Women Go On Forever directed by John Cromwell, which lasted 4 months and was eventually torn between the play and directing the dance school. Kagney was so exhausted that he had no energy. Kagy left after the conclusion of Women Go On Forever and continues to run the dance school. He landed a role in a new play called Penny Arcade alongside Joan Blondell.

Critics did not like the play, but at the same time praised the performance of Kagney and Blondel Vaudeville. Star Al Jolson thought the play had

great

potential for a film, he bought the rights and then sold the play to Warner Bros. with one condition: they had to cast Kagney and Blondell in the film adaptation. Jack Warner of Warner Bros. objected to having Kagy and Blondelle in Penny Arcade. which was now titled Siners Holiday, the reason being that he didn't believe actors were successful in Hollywood, however, Kagney and Blondel proved everyone wrong and James received a 3-we contract from Warner Bros for $1,500 in the film Sinner's Holiday.

Kagney played a tough role. boy with a troubled childhood, this sympathetic bad boy archetype became permanently associated with him. Gagney didn't mind this at all. He knew that if a movie required a character like that, they would always turn to him early. Kagney landed a supporting role in the series. movie The Public Enemy where he played the best friend of the lead actor played by Edward Woods after a few days of filming, the director took Kagney aside to talk. Kagy thought there was something wrong with her performance, but to her surprise, director William Wellman wanted Kagy to switch roles with Woods.

Now Kagy was in the lead role in a Hollywood movie where she had to perform an iconic scene. The movie featured a scene. which some consider one of the most famous in film history in this scene gagy gets angry with his - wife appears during breakfast and throws a large fruit in his face. The role of the wife was played by May Clark. Her real husband attended the movie countless times just to see this scene and laughed almost every time during the filming of this movie. Douglas Farbanks Jr. started a charity campaign, the renowned actor hoped that everyone who worked at Public Enemy would donate money to his CA, however, Kagney refused to join this initiative, she did not mind contributing to charity, but she He objected to being forced to donate after Kagy earned the nickname professional enemy.

The famous grapefruit scene with its spontaneous cruelty resonated so well with audiences that Warner Bros. decided to create another scene that they hoped would attract smart money attention. Kagney displayed physical cruelty toward a woman who slapped her co-star Evelyn while Hollywood movies were being filmed. Undergoing significant changes, such films were considered morally questionable by some viewers, leading the film industry to adopt a specific set of rules known as the haze code. Gagne's

career

as a baddie was almost over, so Warner Bros. decided to change Kagney's image. The brothers' plan to keep Kagney in movies involved casting him in comedies.

The film was called Blonde Crazy, where Kagney starred alongside Blondell again, as it turned out that the public also liked Kagney in comedies, however, this did not bring her much joy because despite her growing popularity, her salary remained the same. . A Source of Disappointment Kagy had several very successful films under his belt and after simple calculations he realized that he was making a lot of money for Warner Bros., but he himself wasn't getting much when he asked Warner Bros. for a raise, they gave him a raise. They categorically rejected. Additionally, Warner Bros. insisted that Kagy promote his films even if he was not involved in them.

Kagney grew tired of this and left Hollywood and returned to New York, leaving his brother Bill in charge of his apartment while Kagney was in Hollywood, his brother essentially acting as James' agent. He managed to secure her a significant increase in his salary and more personal freedom for him when Kagney learned that he would now earn $1,000 a week. He returned to Hollywood. His first film upon returning from New York was Taxi. 1932, in which Kagney danced on screen for the The first time this film was also the last time she allowed herself to be shot with live ammunition in the 1930s, blank cartridges for revolvers were very expensive to save money .

The studios forced the actors to wear real shell casings during the filming of the movie while filming. Taxi Kagy almost got shot. a critical success in the film Kagney had to play an enraged taxi driver, however, there was a problem. Kagney didn't know how to drive, so before filming he had to hastily take driving lessons. The movie taxi is also known forone of the most misquoted lines. attributed to Kagney, many impressionists quoted him as saying H, you dirty rat, however he actually said: come out and get it, you dirty yellow-bellied rat or I'll give it to you out the door despite his success.

Kagney remained dissatisfied with his contract and wanted more. money for his successful films, but he also offered to reduce his salary if his popularity decreased. War Bros refused and Kagney again wanted to leave them, however, his contract made it virtually impossible to terminate the contract with Warner Bros. Kagy offered to work for free, he said he would do it. he starred in three movies for $0 and after that they were able to terminate his contract Wner Bros rejected Kagney's proposal at that time director Frank Cpra came to rescue him negotiated a raise for Kagney to $3,000 a week reduced the number of movies with James to four a year and he got a special promise from Warner Bros.: the actor would receive top billing on all four films.

James Kagney sought to help not only himself but also those around him. He witnessed actors exhaust themselves working 100 grueling hours a week, with some of them still young actors. teenagers, so Kagney and other actors, including Humphrey Bogart, formed the screen actor's guilt, which was similar to a Hollywood workers union. James Kagney also regularly sent money and goods to old friends in his neighborhood after helping establish the screen actor's guilt. James continued making films for Warner. However, in 1934 Warner Bros. forced Kagney to make five films, which led to the termination of his contract. Kagney along with his brother William did what most actors were afraid to do: they sued Warner Bros.

The legal process lasted several months, provided Kagney had time for other activities for many years. Kagney had had an interest in farming while his brother was in litigation with Warner Bros. in Los Angeles. Kagney worked on a small farm in upstate New York and enjoyed the simple farm life; However, as soon as she received an offer to star in a movie, she immediately left the farm and returned to Hollywood. The call did not come from Warner Bros. The movie that led Kagney to leave the farm was produced by Grand National Films for this role. Kagney received $100,000 plus 10% of profits exactly what he wanted Gagney made two movies for Grand National,

great

guy and something to sing about, got good reviews for both movies, but unfortunately the Grand National movies couldn't compete with Warner Bros. . the production quality did not match that of Warner Bros.

A third film was planned, but Grand National ran out of money while Kagney collaborated with Grand National films, her brother continued the legal battle with Warner Bros when the results of the film came in. case. Kagney was pleasantly surprised because he did something many considered unthinkable. He won, not only did he win the lawsuit, but Warner Bros. also wanted him back. He offered her $150,000 per movie, a maximum of two movies a year, and as icing on the cake, Kagy was free to choose the movies he wanted. The victory over the powerful studio meant a lot not only to Kagney himself but also to other struggling actors. unacceptable contracts in 1938 Kagney starred alongside Humphrey Bogart in the film Angels with Dirty Faces.

Additionally, the cast included a group of actors known as the Dead Boys or Deek, these were artists who, like Kagney, grew up on the poor and dirty streets of New York. Deek had a reputation for being rebellious on set during the filming of dirty-faced angels, the youngsters went so far as to take off Bogart's pants, however, when they tried Hijinks with Kagn, things didn't turn out as PL, another thing that What Deek loved to do on set was to improvise his lines in his first scene with the Leo gag, Gorsy immediately took a creative approach to the script, what Gorsy didn't take into account was Kagney Street's intelligence in stopping the relentless chatter. .

Kagney punched him in the nose after that, Deek started to behave properly. Kagney was a tough guy not only on the screen but also off the screen, many viewers perceived Kagney solely as a hooligan movie star, so the actor decided to surprise them with his next role. Producer Hal Wallace wanted to make a movie about George M. Cohen, known as the man. owner of Broadway and the father of American musicals, the movie was called Yankee Doodle Dandy and wasn't supposed to have lines like "You dirty rat." Kagney had to do something he hadn't done in a long time, sing and dance.

Yankee Doodle Dandy was a patriotic film made during an unusual time in American history, the height of World War II, the first day of filming following the infamous day of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. Getting this movie right suddenly seemed incredibly important, the cast and crew working on a patriotic Friendzy as America's involvement in World War II gave them the feeling they might be sending the Free World's last message. The premiere garnered 5,750 ,000 many critics of the time declared that Yankee Doodle Dandy was Kagney's best film, feeling that the actor himself was very proud of Kagney put her heart and soul into this film in one scene she performed a tap dance not in the R and in another scene she broke down but continued dancing nothing could stop Kagney from making this film a success and she managed to get the film nominated for eight Academy Awards and three, including the award for best actor, having received an Oscar Kagney decided that He was ready to start his own business in March 1942, he and his brother William founded their own production company called Kagne Productions to release films through United Artists for Kagy, this was a tense time, as well as creating his own company, He also spent several weeks touring the United States entertaining the troops with vaudeville acts and scenes from Yankee Doodle Dandy James Gagney was a passionate patriot in September 1942 he was elected screen president.

Actor Guild Kagy Productions had a short-lived success and in the end it all ended sadly. Kagney had to hand the company over to Warner Bros. This meant that Kagney returned to his usual roles as bad guys with a troubled childhood in 1955. Kagney appeared in the film Mr Roberts, the director. It was the notoriously famous John Ford who directed The Grapes of Wrath when Ford met Kagney at the airport he warned Kagney that they would eventually clash. Kagney took these words as an invitation to a fight; she later said he would have knocked her brains out. very rude to everyone, he was a very mean old man the next day, Kagney arrived late to the set, making Ford very angry.

Kagney interrupted Ty raade saying when I started this movie you said you were going to crash before it was over, well I'm smart you're Ford left and they had no more problems James Kagney continued making quality movies until 1962, however, it was after from the Billy Wilder comedy 123 that Kagney decided to withdraw, faced problems with the script and the filming did not go well, requiring 50 takes for one. scene that was unusual for Kagney, the actor noted that I never had the slightest difficulty with my fellow actors, except 1 2 three. I almost punched hor bukal in the nose. It was the first time Kagney considered leaving the film industry and he felt that he had spent too many years in the studio and decided it was time to retire, after which he retired from acting.

His friendship with Pamela Tiffany was one of the few positives at the time as Kagney gave him advice on acting, including the secret he had learned himself. standing on both feet look the other guy in the eye and tell the

truth

Kagney remained retired for 20 long years he made a few public appearances preferring to spend winters in Los Angeles and summers at his Martha's Vineyard Farm or the Vernon Farm in New York During his time in New York, together with Billy Vernon, they often hosted parties at the Silver Horn restaurant, where he met Marge Zimmerman around the same time Kagney was diagnosed with glaucoma and began using eye drops, but problems with vision persisted afterwards.

On Zimmerman's recommendation, he visited another doctor, who claimed that glaucoma was a misdiagnosis and that Kagney actually had diabetes. Zimmerman took care of Kagney by preparing diet meals for her. The success was evident. Kagy appeared at the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony in 1974, 20 pounds later and his vision improved markedly. Many Hollywood stars attended the ceremony more than any other event in history. One critic even wrote that a bomb explosion in the dining room would have wiped out the film industry in 1977. James Kagney suffered a minor stroke that led to a deep depression. Zimmerman became his constant caregiver, traveling with Billy Vernon and with him wherever he went after the stroke.

Kagney could no longer do many of his favorite activities, including drawing, horseback riding and dancing. Despite all these challenges, a bright spot appeared on the horizon inspired by his wife and Zimmerman Kagney accepted director Milo Foran's offer to play a small but pivotal role in the film. It has been since Gagy last appeared in a film, but when he appeared in the UK aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 he was greeted by an ecstatic CR de Fant, the likes of which the security services had never seen before when he appeared at a celebration for the queen mother's birthday she gave him.

He gave her a standing ovation and even went backstage to greet him, an unprecedented gesture for her watching rag time with an 80-year-old police commissioner. He was not immediately recognizable as James Kagney, but upon closer inspection, audiences noticed the same slightly twisted and aggressive face. line of the mouth and eyes ready to wink in the purest Kagney style in 1984 the actor's health deteriorated significantly his last role was the lead role in the terrible film Joe Moren in 1984 due to new strokes he was confined to a wheelchair but the producers took This was taken into account when crafting the plot.

Rich Little dubbed him speech impediment and fight scenes from Kagney's boxing movie were used. He wins or takes it all in 1932, on Easter Sunday 1986. Kagney's long and successful life came to an end. He passed away from a heart. Among those carrying her coffin were the boxer Patterson, the dancer M. Barishnikov who hoped to play Kagney on Broadway, the actor Ralph Bellamy, and the director Milo Foreman, the president of the United States at the time Ronald Reagan delivered the panegyric.