Editing James Cagney (section)

==Career==
===1919–1930: Early career===
In 1919, while Cagney was working at [[Wanamaker's Department Store]], a colleague saw him dance and informed him about a role in the upcoming production, ''Every Sailor''. It was a wartime play in which the chorus was made up of servicemen dressed as women that was originally titled ''Ever Sailor''. Cagney auditioned for the chorus, although considering it a waste of time, as he knew only one [[Dance move|dance step]], the complicated [[Peabody (dance)|Peabody]], but he knew it perfectly.<ref name="Warren, page 36">Warren, page 36</ref> This was enough to convince the producers that he could dance, and he copied the other dancers' moves and added them to his repertoire while waiting to go on.<ref name="Cagney27">Cagney, page 27</ref> He did not find it odd to play a woman, nor was he embarrassed. He later recalled how he was able to shed his own naturally shy persona when he stepped onto the stage: "For there I am not myself. I am not that fellow, Jim Cagney, at all. I certainly lost all consciousness of him when I put on skirts, wig, paint, powder, feathers and spangles."<ref name="auteur19">McGilligan, page 19</ref>

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.<ref>Warren, page 37</ref> Cagney appreciated the $35 a week he was paid, which he later remembered as "a mountain of money for me in those worrisome days."<ref name="Warren, page 36"/><ref name="Cagney27"/> In deference to his mother's concerns, he got a job as a [[Broker|brokerage house]] runner.<ref name="Cagney27"/> This did not stop him from looking for more stage work, however, and he went on to audition successfully for a chorus part in the [[William B. Friedlander]] musical ''Pitter Patter'',<ref name="worldandi"/><ref name="auteur19"/> for which he earned $55 a week. (He sent $40 to his mother each week.<ref name="Cagney28">Cagney, page 28</ref>) So strong was his habit of holding down more than one job at a time, that he also worked as a dresser for one of the leads, portered the casts' luggage, and understudied for the lead.<ref name="Cagney28"/> Among the chorus line performers was 20-year-old Frances Willard "Billie" Vernon; they married in 1922.<ref name="worldandi"/><ref name="auteur19"/>

The show began Cagney's 10-year association with [[vaudeville]] and Broadway. The Cagneys were among the early residents of [[Free Acres, New Jersey|Free Acres]], a social experiment established by [[Bolton Hall (activist)|Bolton Hall]] in [[Berkeley Heights, New Jersey]].<ref>Cheslow, Jerry. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DD163BF932A25753C1A96E958260 "If You're Thinking of Living In / Berkeley Heights, N.J.; Quiet Streets Near River and Mountain"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107052740/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/11/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-living-berkeley-heights-nj-quiet-streets-near-river-mountain.html |date=November 7, 2021}}, ''The New York Times'', October 11, 1998. Accessed February 27, 2011. "Among the early residents of Free Acres were the actor James Cagney and his wife, Billie."</ref>

''Pitter Patter'' was not hugely successful, but it did well enough to run for 32 weeks, making it possible for Cagney to join the vaudeville circuit. He and Vernon toured separately with a number of different troupes, reuniting as "Vernon and Nye" to do simple comedy routines and musical numbers. "Nye" was a rearrangement of the last syllable of Cagney's surname.<ref name="auteur20">McGilligan, page 20</ref><ref>Warren, page 46</ref> One of the troupes Cagney joined was Parker, Rand, and Leach, taking over the spot vacated when Archie Leach—who later changed his name to [[Cary Grant]]—left.<ref>Cagney, page 29</ref><ref>Warren, page 48</ref>

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. Their train fares were paid for by a friend, the press officer of ''Pitter Patter'', who was also desperate to act.<ref name="Warren5254">Warren, pages 52–54</ref> They were not successful at first; the dance studio Cagney set up had few clients and folded; Vernon and he toured the studios, but there was no interest. 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.<ref name="Warren5254"/>

[[File:James Cagney and Gloria Stuart in Here Comes the Navy trailer.jpg|alt=Cagney in a sailor suit with a smiling actress leaning on him.|thumb|left|upright|Cagney and [[Gloria Stuart]] (later of 1997's ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'') in 1934's ''[[Here Comes the Navy]]''. Cagney played sailors or naval officers several times.]]
Cagney secured his first significant nondancing role in 1925. He played a young tough guy in the three-act play ''[[Outside Looking In (play)|Outside Looking In]]'' by [[Maxwell Anderson]], earning $200 a week. As with ''Pitter Patter'', Cagney went to the audition with little confidence he would get the part. At this point, he had had no experience with drama.<ref name="Warren55">Warren 55</ref> Cagney felt that he only got the role because his hair was redder than that of Alan Bunce, the only other red-headed performer in New York.<ref name="Warren55"/><ref>Cagney, page 32</ref> Both the play and Cagney received good reviews; ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine wrote, "Mr. Cagney, in a less spectacular role [than his co-star] makes a few minutes silence during his mock-trial scene something that many a more established actor might watch with profit." [[Burns Mantle]] wrote that it "...contained the most honest acting now to be seen in New York."<ref name="auteur22">McGilligan, page 22</ref>

Following the four-month run of ''Outside Looking In'', the Cagneys were financially secure enough for Cagney to return to vaudeville over the next few years, achieving various success. During this period, he met [[George M. Cohan]], whom he later portrayed in ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'', though they never spoke.<ref name="Warren, page 57">Warren, page 57</ref>

Cagney secured the lead role in the 1926–27 season [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''Broadway'' by [[George Abbott]]. The show's management insisted that he copy Broadway lead [[Lee Tracy]]'s performance, despite Cagney's discomfort in doing so, but the day before the show sailed for England, they decided to replace him.<ref name="Warren, page 57"/><ref>Cagney, page 34</ref> This was a devastating turn of events for Cagney apart from the logistical difficulties this presented – the couple's luggage was in the hold of the ship and they had given up their apartment. He almost quit show business. As Vernon recalled, "Jimmy said that it was all over. He made up his mind that he would get a job doing something else."<ref>Warren, page 60</ref>

The Cagneys had run-of-the-play contracts, which lasted as long as the play did. Vernon was in the chorus line of the show, and with help from the [[Actors' Equity Association]], Cagney understudied Tracy on the Broadway show, providing them with a desperately needed steady income. Cagney also established a dance school for professionals, and then landed a part in the play ''Women Go On Forever'', directed by [[John Cromwell (director)|John Cromwell]], which ran for four months. By the end of the run, Cagney was exhausted from acting and running the dance school.<ref>{{cite web |title=James Cagney |date=June 17, 2010 |url=https://www.bellazon.com/main/topic/29704-james-cagney/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107052740/https://www.bellazon.com/main/topic/29704-james-cagney/ |archive-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>

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. The show received rave reviews<ref>Warren, page 61</ref> and was followed by ''Grand Street Follies of 1929''. These roles led to a part in [[George Kelly (playwright)|George Kelly]]'s ''Maggie the Magnificent'', a play the critics disliked, though they liked Cagney's performance. Cagney saw this role (and ''Women Go on Forever'') as significant because of the talented directors he met. He learned "...what a director was for and what a director could do. They were directors who could play all the parts in the play better than the actors cast for them."<ref>Cagney, pages 36–37</ref>

===1930–1935: Warner Bros.===

====''Sinners' Holiday'' (1930) and ''The Doorway to Hell'' (1930)====
Playing opposite Cagney in ''Maggie the Magnificent'' was [[Joan Blondell]], who starred again with him a few months later in Marie Baumer's new play, ''Penny Arcade''.<ref name="auteur24">McGilligan, page 24</ref> While the critics panned ''Penny Arcade'', they praised Cagney and Blondell. [[Al Jolson]], sensing film potential, bought the rights for $20,000. He then sold the play to Warner Bros., with the stipulation that they cast Cagney and Blondell in the film version. Retitled ''[[Sinners' Holiday]]'', the film was released in 1930, starring [[Grant Withers]] and [[Evalyn Knapp]].<ref name="auteur24"/> Joan Blondell recalled that when they were casting the film, studio head Jack Warner believed that she and Cagney had no future, and that Withers and Knapp were destined for stardom.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tkKWCwAAQBAJ&q=grapefruit+&pg=PA91|title=Conversations with Classic Film Stars: Interviews from Hollywood's Golden Era|last1=Bawden|first1=James|last2=Miller|first2=Ron|date=2016-03-04|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=978-0-8131-6712-1|access-date=October 22, 2020|archive-date=November 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107052739/https://books.google.com/books?id=tkKWCwAAQBAJ&q=grapefruit+&pg=PA91|url-status=live}}</ref> Cagney was given a $500-a-week, three-week contract with Warner Bros.<ref>Warren, page 65</ref>

In the film, he portrayed Harry Delano, a tough guy who becomes a killer but generates sympathy because of his unfortunate upbringing. This role of the sympathetic "bad" guy was to become a recurring character type for Cagney throughout his career.<ref name="auteur25">McGilligan, page 25</ref> During filming of ''Sinners' Holiday'', he also demonstrated the stubbornness that characterized his attitude toward the work. He later recalled an argument he had with director [[John G. Adolfi|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?' I refused to say it. Adolfi said 'I'm going to tell [[Darryl F. Zanuck|Zanuck]].' I said 'I don't give a shit what you tell him, I'm not going to say that line.{{' "}} They took the line out.<ref name="Warren67">Warren, page 67</ref>

Despite this outburst, the studio liked him, and before his three-week contract was up—while the film was still shooting<ref>Cagney, page 39</ref>—they gave Cagney a three-week extension, which was followed by a full seven-year contract at $400 a week.<ref name="Warren67"/> However, the contract allowed Warners to drop him at the end of any 40-week period, effectively guaranteeing him only 40 weeks’ income at a time. As he did when he was growing up, Cagney shared his income with his family.<ref name="Warren67"/> Cagney received good reviews, and immediately played another colorful gangster supporting role in ''[[The Doorway to Hell]]'' (1930) starring [[Lew Ayres]]. The film was a financial hit, and helped to cement Cagney's growing reputation.<ref name="auteur26">McGilligan, page 26</ref> He made four more movies before his breakthrough role.

====''The Public Enemy'' (1931)====
[[File:Public-Enemy-Cagney-Woods.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Cagney and [[Edward Woods]] in ''The Public Enemy'' (1931)]]
Warner Brothers' succession of gangster movie hits, in particular ''[[Little Caesar (film)|Little Caesar]]'' with [[Edward G. Robinson]],<ref name="Warren76">Warren, page 76</ref> culminated in the 1931 film ''[[The Public Enemy]]''. Due to the strong reviews he had received in his short film career, Cagney was cast as nice-guy Matt Doyle, opposite [[Edward Woods]] as Tom Powers. However, after the initial rushes, the actors switched roles.<ref name="Warren76"/><ref name="greatest_films">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmsite.org/publ.html|title=The Public Enemy (1931)|access-date=March 21, 2008|author=Dirks, Tim|year=2006|work=The Greatest Films|archive-date=November 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161106153819/http://www.filmsite.org/publ.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Years later, Joan Blondell recalled that a few days into the filming, director [[William Wellman]] turned to Cagney and said "Now you’re the lead, kid!" "Jimmy's charisma was so outstanding", she added.<ref name=":0" /> The film cost only $151,000 to make, but it became one of the first low-budget films to gross $1&nbsp;million.<ref name="Warren80">Warren, page 80</ref>

Cagney received widespread praise for his performance. The ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' described his interpretation as "...the most ruthless, unsentimental appraisal of the meanness of a petty killer the cinema has yet devised."<ref name="auteur32">McGilligan, page 32</ref> He received top billing after the film,<ref>Cagney, page 46</ref> 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 (1931 film)|Night Nurse]]'') as more important.<ref>McGilligan, pages 25–36</ref> ''Night Nurse'' was actually released three months after ''The Public Enemy.'' Gable's character punched Stanwyck's, knocking the nurse unconscious.

[[File:Grapefruit-james cagney-mae clark21a.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Cagney, in striped pajamas, looks angry as he reaches across a breakfast table with the grapefruit in his hand.|Cagney mashes a grapefruit into [[Mae Clarke]]'s face in a famous scene from Cagney's breakthrough movie, ''[[The Public Enemy]]'' (1931)]]
Many critics view the scene in which Cagney pushes half a grapefruit into [[Mae Clarke]]'s face as one of the most famous moments in movie history.<ref name="Flint" /><ref name="greatest_films"/><ref name="Warren 7980">Warren, pages 79–80</ref><ref name="auteur33">McGilligan, page 33</ref> The scene itself was a late addition, and the origin of the idea is a matter of debate: producer [[Darryl F. Zanuck|Darryl Zanuck]] claimed he thought of it in a script conference, Wellman said the idea came to him when he saw the grapefruit on the table during the shoot, and writers Glasmon and Bright claimed it was based on the real life of gangster [[Hymie Weiss]], who threw an omelette into his girlfriend's face. Joan Blondell recalled that the change was made when Cagney decided the omelette wouldn't work.<ref name=":0" /> Cagney himself usually cited the writers' version, but the fruit's victim, Clarke, agreed that it was Wellman's idea, saying, "I'm sorry I ever agreed to do the grapefruit bit. I never dreamed it would be shown in the movie. Director Bill Wellman thought of the idea suddenly. It wasn't even written into the script."<ref name="auteur34">McGilligan, page 34</ref> 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. Wellman liked it so much that he left it in. TCM also notes that the scene made Clarke's ex-husband, [[Lew Brice]], very happy. "He saw the film repeatedly just to see that scene, and was often shushed by angry patrons when his delighted laughter got too loud."<ref>Miller, Frank; Osborne, Robert. ''Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era'', Chronicle Books (2006) p. 39. {{ISBN|978-0811854672}}</ref>

Cagney's stubbornness became well known behind the scenes, especially after he refused to join in a 100% participation-free charity drive<ref>[[The Stolen Jools]] ?</ref> pushed by [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]] Cagney did not object to donating money to charity, but he did object to being forced to give. Already he had acquired the nickname "The Professional Againster".<ref name="Liberty">{{Cite news |title=title | periodical =Liberty | volume = 1 | issue = 18 | page = 18 }}</ref><ref>Warren, page 81</ref>

====''Smart Money'' (1931), ''Blonde Crazy'' (1931), and ''Taxi!'' (1932)====
[[File:Taxi lobby card 2.jpg|thumb|right|Lobby card for ''Taxi!'' (1932)]]
[[File:Taxi film still 3.jpg|thumb|right|[[Loretta Young]] and Cagney in ''Taxi!'' (1932)]]
[[File:Taxi film still.jpg|thumb|right|[[David Landau (actor)|David Landau]], Loretta Young and Cagney in ''Taxi!'' (1932)]]
Warner Bros. was quick to team its two rising gangster stars, Edward G. Robinson and Cagney, for the 1931 film ''[[Smart Money (1931 film)|Smart Money]]''. Eager to follow the success of Robinson's ''Little Caesar'', the studio filmed ''Smart Money'' concurrently with ''The Public Enemy''.<ref>Warren, page 82</ref>

With the introduction of the [[Motion Picture Production Code]] of 1930 that placed limits upon on-screen violence, Warner Bros. allowed Cagney a change of pace, casting him in the comedy ''[[Blonde Crazy]]'', again opposite Blondell.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/4302?sid |title=The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:''Blonde Crazy'' |access-date=August 20, 2022 |archive-date=July 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714094157/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/4302?sid |url-status=live }}</ref>

''The Public Enemy'' was an enormous box-office success, and Cagney began to compare his pay with that of his peers, believing that his contract allowed for salary adjustments based on the success of his films. However, Warner Bros. refused to allow him a pay raise. The studio heads also insisted that Cagney continue promoting their films, even those in which he did not appear, despite his opposition. Cagney returned to New York, leaving his brother Bill to look after his apartment.<ref>Warren, page 85</ref>

While Cagney was in New York, his brother, who had effectively become his agent, sought a substantial pay raise and more personal freedom for him. Following the success of ''The Public Enemy'' and ''Blonde Crazy'', Warner Bros. offered Cagney a contract for $1,000 per week.<ref>Warren, page 89</ref> Cagney's first film upon returning from New York was ''[[Taxi!]]'' (1932), a critical success in which Cagney danced for the first time on screen. It also marked the last time that he permitted live ammunition to be shot at him, a relatively common occurrence at the time, as [[Blank (cartridge)|blank cartridges]] and [[Bullet hit squib|squibs]] were rare and expensive. During filming for ''Taxi!'', he was almost hit by gunfire.<ref name="Warren90">Warren, page 90</ref> In the film's opening scene, Cagney speaks fluent [[Yiddish]], a language that he had learned during childhood in New York City.<ref name="de Sales" /><ref name="Warren90" />

{{quote box
| quote = "I never said, 'Mmm, you dirty rat!' What I actually did say was 'Judy, Judy, Judy.'"
| source = ''Cagney, in his acceptance speech for the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]], 1974''
| width = 250px
| align = left
}}

''Blonde Crazy'' and ''Taxi!'' contain lines that became the basis of many misquoted celebrity impersonations of Cagney. He never said "Mmm, you dirty rat!" on film; in ''Blonde Crazy'', he says: "That dirty, double-crossin' rat!"<ref name=":1" /> and in ''Taxi!'', he says: "Come out and take it, you dirty, yellow-bellied rat, or I'll give it to you through the door!" The quote from ''Blonde Crazy'' was nominated for the [[American Film Institute]]'s 2005 [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes]] list.<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/quotes400.pdf |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706070525/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/quotes400.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The film was swiftly followed by ''[[The Crowd Roars (1932 film)|The Crowd Roars]]'' and ''[[Winner Take All (1932 film)|Winner Take All]]''.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

====Fighting with Warner Bros.====
[[File:James Cagney in G Men trailer.jpg|alt=Head and shoulders shot of Cagney, looking stern, wearing a suit with a white handkerchief in his pocket.|thumb|left|upright|Along with [[George Raft]], [[Edward G. Robinson]], and [[Humphrey Bogart]], all of whom were Warner Bros. actors, Cagney defined what a movie gangster was. In ''[[G Men]]'' (1935), however, he played a lawyer who joins the FBI.]]
[[File:The Crowd Roars (1932) trailer 2.jpg|thumb|right|Cagney, [[Ann Dvorak]] and [[Joan Blondell]] in ''[[The Crowd Roars (1932 film)|The Crowd Roars]]'' (1932)]]
[[File:Olivia de Havilland and James Cagney in The Irish in Us.jpg|thumb|right|Cagney and [[Olivia de Havilland]] in ''[[The Irish in Us]]'' (1935)]]
[[File:James Cagney and Pat O'Brien in Here Comes the Navy trailer.jpg|thumb|right|With close friend [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]] in ''[[Here Comes the Navy]]'' (1934), their first of nine films together]]
Despite his success, Cagney remained dissatisfied with his contract. He wanted more money for his successful films, but he also offered to take a smaller salary should his star wane.<ref name="Warren93">Warren, page 93</ref><ref name="auteur45">McGilligan, page 45</ref> Warner Bros. refused, so Cagney once again walked out. He held out for $4000 a week,<ref name="Warren93"/> the same salary as Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and [[Kay Francis]].<ref name="auteur45"/> Warner Bros. refused to cave in this time, and suspended him. Cagney announced that he would do his next three pictures for free if they canceled the five years remaining on his contract. He also threatened to quit Hollywood and go back to Columbia University to follow his brothers into medicine. After six months of suspension, [[Frank Capra]] brokered a deal that increased Cagney's salary to around $3000 a week, and guaranteed top billing and no more than four films a year.<ref>Warren, pages 94–95</ref>

Having learned about the block-booking [[studio system]] that virtually guaranteed the studios huge profits, Cagney was determined to spread the wealth.<ref>Warren, page 95</ref><ref name="Cagney52">Cagney, page 52</ref> He regularly sent money and goods to old friends from his neighborhood, though he did not generally make this known.<ref>Warren, page 96</ref> His insistence on no more than four films a year was based on his having witnessed actors—even teenagers—regularly being worked 100 hours a week to turn out more films. This experience was an integral reason for his involvement in forming the [[Screen Actors Guild]] in 1933.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

Cagney returned to the studio and made ''[[Hard to Handle (film)|Hard to Handle]]'' (1933). This was followed by a steady stream of crowd-pleasing films, including the highly regarded ''[[Footlight Parade]]'',<ref>Warren, page 101</ref> which gave Cagney the chance to return to his song-and-dance roots. The film includes show-stopping scenes with [[Busby Berkeley]]-choreographed routines.<ref name="auteur49">McGilligan, page 49</ref> In 1934, ''[[Here Comes the Navy]]'' paired him with [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]] for the first of nine films together. The two would have an enduring friendship.<ref>Warren, page 100</ref> Also in 1934, Cagney made his first of two raucous comedies with [[Bette Davis]], ''[[Jimmy the Gent (film)|Jimmy the Gent]]'', for which he had himself heavily made up with thick eyebrows and procured an odd haircut for the period without the studio's permission, shaved on the back and sides. Cagney initially had the make-up department put prominent scars on the back of his head for a close-up but the studio demanded that he remove them. Cagney's and Davis's fast-paced scenes together were particularly energetic.

[[File:James Cagney in Here Comes the Navy trailer.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''[[Here Comes the Navy]]'' (1934)]]
In 1935 Cagney was listed as one of the Top Ten Moneymakers in Hollywood for the first time,<ref>Warren, page 114</ref> and was cast more frequently in non-gangster roles; he played a lawyer who joins the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] in ''[[G Men|G-Men]]'', and he also took on his first, and only, [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] role, as top-billed [[Nick Bottom]] in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' alongside [[Joe E. Brown]] as [[Francis Flute]] and [[Mickey Rooney]] as [[Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream)|Puck]].

Cagney's last movie in 1935 was ''[[Ceiling Zero]]'', his third film with Pat O'Brien. O'Brien received top billing, which was a clear breach of Cagney's contract. This, combined with the fact that Cagney had made five movies in 1934, again against his contract terms, caused him to bring legal proceedings against Warner Bros. for [[breach of contract]].<ref name="Warren120121">Warren, pages 120–121</ref><ref name="Reelclassics">{{cite web|url=http://www.reelclassics.com/Teams/Flynn-deHav/efodh3.htm|title=Errol Flynn & Olivia de Havilland&nbsp;– The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)|publisher=Reelclassics|access-date=January 15, 2009|archive-date=February 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219224440/http://www.reelclassics.com/Teams/Flynn-deHav/efodh3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The dispute dragged on for several months. Cagney received calls from [[David O. Selznick|David Selznick]] and [[Samuel Goldwyn|Sam Goldwyn]], but neither felt in a position to offer him work while the dispute went on.<ref name="Warren120121"/> 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.<ref name="Warren120121"/>

===1936–1937: Independent years===
Cagney spent most of the next year on his farm, and went back to work only when [[Edward L. Alperson]] of [[Grand National Films Inc.|Grand National Pictures]], a newly established, independent studio, approached him to make movies for $100,000 a film and 10% of the profits.<ref name="SIMPP">{{cite web|url=http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/cagneys.htm|title=Hollywood Renegades – Cagney Productions|access-date=January 15, 2009|archive-date=December 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216090423/http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/cagneys.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Warren, page 122">Warren, page 122</ref> Cagney made two features for Grand National: the crime drama ''[[Great Guy]]'' (1936) with Cagney as a federal inspector, and the musical ''[[Something to Sing About (1937 film)|Something to Sing About]]'' (1937) with Cagney as a bandleader and dancer. He received good reviews for both.<ref>McGilligan, page 66</ref><ref>McGilligan, page 70</ref> 

Cagney might have continued with Grand National but the studio, having spent lavishly on the Cagney films, couldn't recoup the production costs. Grand National usually made low-budget features for small, neighborhood theaters, and the Cagney films proved too expensive for the intended market. Grand National had acquired a promising story property from author [[Rowland Brown]], ''Angels with Dirty Faces'', for $30,000.<ref>''New York Times'', Nov. 16, 1937, p. 27.</ref> Cagney was slated to star in the film version but, with the studio in financial trouble, the project went no further. Cagney took the script to Warner Bros., which bought it from Grand National and filmed it in 1938.

Cagney also became involved in political causes, and in 1936, agreed to sponsor the [[Hollywood Anti-Nazi League]].<ref name="WIL">Wilford, Hugh, The Mighty Wurlitzer: How the CIA Played America, Harvard University Press, {{ISBN|0-674-02681-0}}, {{ISBN|978-0-674-02681-0}} (2008), pp. 12–13</ref> Unknown to Cagney, the League was in fact a front organization for the Communist International ([[Communist International|Comintern]]), which sought to enlist support for the [[Soviet Union]] and its foreign policies.<ref name="WIL"/><ref>Doherty, Thomas, ''Hollywood's Censor: Joseph I. Breen and the Production Code Administration'', New York: Columbia University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-231-14358-5}} (2007), pp. 206–207</ref>

[[File:Something to Sing About Cagney.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Cagney in ''[[Something to Sing About (1937 film)|Something to Sing About]]'' (1937)]]
The courts eventually decided the Warner Bros. lawsuit in Cagney's favor. He had done what many thought unthinkable: taking on the studios and winning.<ref name="Warren 123">Warren, page 123</ref> Not only did he win, but Warner Bros. also knew that he was still their foremost box office draw and invited him back for a five-year, $150,000-a-film deal, with no more than two pictures a year. Cagney also had full say over what films he did and did not make.<ref name="Warren 124">Warren, page 124</ref> Additionally, William Cagney was guaranteed the position of assistant producer for the movies in which his brother starred.<ref name="I Journal">{{cite web |url=http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue03/infocus/stars7.htm |title=Some Historical Reflections on the Paradoxes of Stardom in the American Film Industry, 1910–1960: Part Six |access-date=March 3, 2008 |last=Gallagher |first=Brian |archive-date=February 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080206123903/http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue03/infocus/stars7.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Cagney had demonstrated the power of the walkout in holding the studios to their word. He later explained his reasons, saying, "I walked out because I depended on the studio heads to keep their word on this, that, or other promise, and when the promise was not kept, my only recourse was to deprive them of my services."<ref>Cagney, page 51</ref> Cagney himself acknowledged the importance of the walkout for other actors in breaking the dominance of the studio system. 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]].<ref name="Cagney52"/> Cagney, however, walked out and came back to a better contract. Many in Hollywood watched the case closely for hints of how future contracts might be handled.<ref>McGilligan, page 63</ref>

===1938–1942: Return to Warner Bros.===
====''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938)====
[[File:James Cagney and Pat O'Brien in Angels With Dirty Faces trailer.jpg|thumb|left|Cagney and [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]] in ''[[Angels with Dirty Faces]]'' (1938), the sixth of nine feature films they would make together]]
[[File:James Cagney Pat O'Brien Angels with Dirty Faces Still.jpg|thumb|right|Cagney and Pat O'Brien in the endlessly debated final walk]]
[[File:Cagney angels final walk.jpg|right|thumb|Cagney takes the controversial final walk]]
[[File:Ann SHERIDAN-James CAGNEY-Angels Dirty Faces-PHOTO2.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ann Sheridan]] and Cagney in ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938)]]
Cagney's two films of 1938, ''[[Boy Meets Girl (1938 film)|Boy Meets Girl]]'' and ''[[Angels with Dirty Faces]]'', both costarred Pat O'Brien. The former was a fast-paced farce with a Hollywood theme, with Cagney and O'Brien playing for laughs, and received mixed reviews. Warner Bros. had allowed Cagney his change of pace,<ref name="Warren127">Warren, page 127</ref> but was anxious to get him back to playing tough guys, which was more lucrative.

Cagney starred as Rocky Sullivan, a gangster fresh out of jail and looking for his former associate, played by [[Humphrey Bogart]], who owes him money. 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. After a messy shootout, Sullivan is eventually captured by the police and [[Capital punishment|sentenced to death]] in the [[electric chair]]. Connolly pleads with Rocky to "turn yellow" on his way to the chair so the Kids will lose their admiration for him, and hopefully avoid turning to crime. Sullivan refuses, but on his way to his execution, he breaks down and begs for his life. It is unclear whether this cowardice is real or just feigned for the Kids' benefit. Cagney himself refused to say, insisting he liked the ambiguity.<ref>Cagney, page 76</ref> The film is regarded by many as one of Cagney's finest,<ref>McGilligan, page 73</ref> and garnered him an [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] nomination for 1938. He lost to [[Spencer Tracy]] in ''[[Boys Town (film)|Boys Town]]''. Cagney had been considered for the role, but lost out on it due to his typecasting.<ref name="Warren, page 163">Warren, page 163</ref> (He also lost the role of [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] football coach [[Knute Rockne]] in ''[[Knute Rockne, All American]]'' to his friend Pat O'Brien for the same reason.<ref name="Warren, page 163"/>) Cagney did, however, win that year's [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor]].

His earlier insistence on not filming with live ammunition proved to be a good decision. Having been told while filming ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' that he would be doing a scene with real machine gun bullets (a common practice in the Hollywood of the time), Cagney refused and insisted the shots be added afterwards. As it turned out, a ricocheting bullet passed through exactly where his head would have been.<ref>Warren, page 129</ref><ref>Cagney, page73</ref>

====''The Roaring Twenties'' (1939)====
[[File:Humphrey Bogart James Cagney Jeffrey Lynn in The Roaring Twenties trailer.jpg|alt=Close up shot of three men in a room talking|thumb|left|upright|[[Humphrey Bogart]] with Cagney and [[Jeffrey Lynn]] in ''[[The Roaring Twenties]]'' (1939)]]
[[File:James Cagney Humphrey Bogart The Roaring Twenties Still.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Cagney and Bogart in ''The Roaring Twenties'' (1939)]]
During his first year back at Warner Bros., Cagney became the studio's highest earner, making $324,000.<ref>Warren, page 130</ref> He starred with [[George Raft]] in the smash hit ''[[Each Dawn I Die]]'', an extremely entertaining prison movie 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 Pictures|Paramount]]. In addition, Cagney made ''[[The Oklahoma Kid]]'', a memorable [[Western (genre)|Western]] with Humphrey Bogart as the black-clad villain. Cagney completed his first decade of movie-making in 1939 with ''[[The Roaring Twenties]]'', his first film with [[Raoul Walsh]] and his last with Bogart. After ''The Roaring Twenties'', it would be a decade before Cagney made another gangster film. Cagney again received good reviews; [[Graham Greene]] stated, "Mr. Cagney, of the bull-calf brow, is as always a superb and witty actor".<ref name="auteur79">McGilligan, page 79</ref> ''The Roaring Twenties'' was the last film in which Cagney's character's violence was explained by poor upbringing, or his environment, as was the case in ''The Public Enemy''. From that point on, violence was attached to mania, as in ''[[White Heat]]''.<ref name="auteur79"/> In 1939 Cagney was second to only [[Gary Cooper]] in the national acting wage stakes, earning $368,333.<ref>Warren, page 135</ref>

====1940–1941: ''City for Conquest'', ''The Fighting 69th'', and ''The Strawberry Blonde''====
[[File:San Leandro, California. Hanging Around. Twenty years old, his high school education is over and college was never... - NARA - 532243.tif|right|thumb|upright|Passerby views original movie poster for ''The Fighting 69th'' in 1940]]
In 1940, Cagney portrayed a boxer in the epic thriller ''[[City for Conquest]]'' with [[Ann Sheridan]] as Cagney's [[leading lady]], [[Arthur Kennedy]] in his first screen role as Cagney's younger brother attempting to compose musical symphonies, [[Anthony Quinn]] as a brutish dancer, and [[Elia Kazan]] as a flamboyantly dressed young gangster originally from the local neighborhood. The well-received film with its shocking plot twists features one of Cagney's most moving performances. 
Later the same year, Cagney and Sheridan reunited with Pat O'Brien in ''[[Torrid Zone]]'', a turbulent comedy set in a [[Central America]]n country in which a labor organizer is turning the workers against O'Brien's character's banana company, with Cagney's "Nick Butler" intervening. The supporting cast features [[Andy Devine]] and [[George Reeves]].

Cagney's third film in 1940 was ''[[The Fighting 69th]]'', a [[World War I]] film about a real-life unit with Cagney playing a fictional private, alongside Pat O'Brien as Father [[Francis P. Duffy]], [[George Brent]] as future [[Office of Strategic Services|OSS]] leader Maj. [[William J. Donovan|"Wild Bill" Donovan]], and [[Jeffrey Lynn]] as famous young poet Sgt. [[Joyce Kilmer]]. [[Alan Hale Sr.]], [[Frank McHugh]] and [[Dick Foran]] also appear. 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|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]].

====''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' (1942)====
[[File:James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy trailer.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Cagney as [[George M. Cohan]], performing "[[The Yankee Doodle Boy]]" from ''[[Yankee Doodle Dandy]]'' (1942)]]
{{Quote box
| quote = "Smart, alert, hard-headed, Cagney is as typically American as Cohan himself... It was a remarkable performance, probably Cagney's best, and it makes ''Yankee Doodle'' a dandy"
| source = ''Time magazine''<ref name="Warren, page 155"/>
| width = 150px
| align = left
}}
In 1942, Cagney portrayed [[George M. Cohan]] in ''[[Yankee Doodle Dandy]]'', a film Cagney "took great pride in"<ref>Cagney, page 107</ref> and considered his best.<ref name="Warren154">Warren, page 154</ref> Producer [[Hal B. Wallis|Hal Wallis]] said that having seen Cohan in ''[[I'd Rather Be Right]]'', he never considered anyone other than Cagney for the part.<ref name="Warren150">Warren, page 150</ref> Cagney, though, insisted that [[Fred Astaire]] had been the first choice, but turned it down.<ref name="Warren150"/><ref>Cagney, page 104</ref> Many critics of the time and since have declared it Cagney's best film, drawing parallels between Cohan and Cagney; they both began their careers in vaudeville, struggled for years before reaching the peak of their profession, were surrounded with family and married early, and both had a wife who was happy to sit back while he went on to stardom.<ref>McGilligan, page 92</ref><ref>Warren, page 151</ref> The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three, including Cagney's for Best Actor. In his acceptance speech, Cagney said, "I've always maintained that in this business, you're only as good as the other fellow thinks you are. It's nice to know that you people thought I did a good job. And don't forget that it was a good part, too."<ref>Warren, page 165</ref>

Filming began the day after the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], and the cast and crew worked in a "patriotic frenzy"<ref name="Warren150"/> as the United States' involvement in World War II gave the workers a feeling that "they might be sending the last message from the free world", according to actress [[Rosemary DeCamp]].<ref name="Warren149">Warren, page 149</ref> Cohan was given a private showing of the film shortly before his death, and thanked Cagney "for a wonderful job,"<ref>Warren, page 152</ref> exclaiming, "My God, what an act to follow!"<ref>Ebert, Roger. [https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-yankee-doodle-dandy-1942 "''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' (1942)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210103701/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-yankee-doodle-dandy-1942 |date=February 10, 2022 }}, RogerEbert.com, July 5, 1998, accessed July 4, 2011</ref> A paid première, with seats ranging from $25 to $25,000, raised $5,750,000 for [[war bond]]s for the US treasury.<ref name="auteur94">McGilligan, page 94</ref><ref>Warren, pages 154–155</ref>

===1942–1948: Independent again===
Cagney announced in March 1942 that his brother William and he were setting up Cagney Productions to release films through [[United Artists]].<ref name="SIMPP"/><ref>Warren, pages 164–165</ref> Free of Warner Bros. again, Cagney spent some time relaxing on his farm in [[Martha's Vineyard]] before volunteering to join the [[United Service Organizations|USO]]. He spent several weeks touring the US, entertaining troops with vaudeville routines and scenes from ''Yankee Doodle Dandy''.<ref>Warren, page 164</ref> In September 1942, he was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild.

Almost a year after its creation, Cagney Productions produced its first film, ''[[Johnny Come Lately]]'', in 1943. While the major studios were producing patriotic war movies, Cagney was determined to continue dispelling his tough-guy image,<ref>Warren, page 167</ref> so he produced a movie that was a "complete and exhilarating exposition of the Cagney '[[Alter ego|alter-ego]]' on film".<ref name="auteur99">McGilligan, page 99</ref> According to Cagney, the film "made money but it was no great winner", and reviews varied from excellent (''Time'') to poor (New York's ''[[PM (newspaper)|PM]]'').<ref>Warren, pages 167–168</ref>

{{quote box|quote="I'm here to dance a few jigs, sing a few songs, say hello to the boys, and that's all."|source=''Cagney to British reporters''<ref>Warren, page 168</ref>|width=225px|align=right}}
Following the film's completion, Cagney went back to the USO and toured US military bases in the UK. He refused to give interviews to the British press, preferring to concentrate on rehearsals and performances. He gave several performances a day for the [[Signal Corps (United States Army)|Army Signal Corps]] of ''The American Cavalcade of Dance'', which consisted of a history of American dance, from the earliest days to Fred Astaire, and culminated with dances from ''Yankee Doodle Dandy''.

The second movie Cagney's company produced was ''[[Blood on the Sun]]''. Insisting on doing his own stunts, Cagney required [[judo]] training from expert Ken Kuniyuki and from Jack Halloran, a former policeman.<ref>Warren, page 170</ref> He continued to study judo for some time after the film was finished.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nic |date=2016-02-10 |title=1945 film fight scene using reality based real martial arts |url=https://www.mixedmartialarts.com/judo/1945-film-fight-scene |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=MMA Underground |language=en}}</ref> His use of actual judo throws and holds in the movie has been noted as the first appearance of eastern martial arts in Western film.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} 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''. At this time, Cagney heard of young war hero [[Audie Murphy]], who had appeared on the cover of [[Life (magazine)|''Life'' magazine]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/audie-murphy-life-cover-07161945.jpg |title=Cover Image |magazine=[[Life Magazine]] |date=July 16, 1945 |access-date=November 1, 2007 |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218014755/http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/audie-murphy-life-cover-07161945.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Cagney thought that Murphy had the looks to be a movie star, and suggested that he come to Hollywood. Cagney felt, however, that Murphy could not act, and his contract was loaned out and then sold.<ref>Warren, page 171</ref>

While negotiating the rights for his third independent film, Cagney starred in [[20th Century Fox]]'s ''[[13 Rue Madeleine]]'' for $300,000 for two months of work.<ref>Warren, page 178</ref> The wartime spy film was a success, and Cagney was keen to begin production of his new project, an adaptation of [[William Saroyan]]'s Broadway play ''[[The Time of Your Life]]''. Saroyan himself loved the film, but it was a commercial disaster, costing the company half a million dollars to make;<ref name="Warren180">Warren, page 180</ref> audiences again struggled to accept Cagney in a nontough-guy role.<ref name="Warren180"/><ref name="auteur112">McGilligan, page 112</ref>

Cagney Productions was in serious trouble; poor returns from the produced films, and a legal dispute with Sam Goldwyn Studio over a rental agreement<ref name="Warren180"/><ref name="auteur112"/> forced Cagney back to Warner Bros. He signed a distribution-production deal with the studio for the film ''[[White Heat]]'',<ref name="auteur112"/> effectively making Cagney Productions a unit of Warner Bros.<ref name="I Journal"/>

===1949–1955: Back to Warner Bros.===
====''White Heat'' (1949)====
[[File:James Cagney in White Heat trailer crop.jpg|alt=Head and shoulders shot of Cagney, wearing black fedora and smiling slightly, scenery in the background|thumb|upright|Cagney as Cody Jarrett in ''[[White Heat]]'' (1949)]]
[[File:Virginia Mayo and James Cagney in White Heat trailer.jpg|thumb|left|upright|With [[Virginia Mayo]] in ''[[White Heat]]'' (1949)]]
Cagney's portrayal of Cody Jarrett in the 1949 film ''[[White Heat]]'' is one of his most memorable.<ref name="PFrench"/><ref name="Rage">{{cite news|last = Thomson|first = David|date = June 26, 2004|title = Rage in Motion|url = http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1246682,00.html|access-date = June 15, 2008|location = London|work = The Guardian|archive-date = February 19, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210219224427/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jun/26/books.featuresreviews|url-status = live}}</ref> Cinema had changed in the 10 years since Walsh last directed Cagney (in ''The Strawberry Blonde''), and the actor's portrayal of gangsters had also changed. Unlike Tom Powers in ''The Public Enemy'', Jarrett was portrayed as a raging lunatic with few if any sympathetic qualities.<ref name="auteur112114">McGilligan, pages 112–114</ref> In the 18 intervening years, Cagney's hair had begun to gray, and he developed a paunch for the first time. He was no longer a dashing romantic commodity in precisely the same way he obviously was before, and this was reflected in his performance.<ref name="auteur112114"/> Cagney himself had the idea of playing Jarrett as [[Psychosis|psychotic]]; he later stated, "it was essentially a cheapie one-two-three-four kind of thing, so I suggested we make him nuts. It was agreed so we put in all those fits and headaches."<ref name="Warren181">Warren, page 181</ref>

Cagney's final lines in the film – "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" – was voted the [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes|18th-greatest movie line]] by the [[American Film Institute]]. Likewise, Jarrett's explosion of rage in prison on being told of his mother's death is widely hailed as one of Cagney's most memorable performances.<ref name="Rage"/><ref>McGilligan, pages 114–116</ref> Some of the extras on set actually became terrified of the actor because of his violent portrayal.<ref name="Rage"/> 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 [[Psychiatric hospital|mental hospital]].<ref name="Rage"/>

{{Quote box|quote="[A] homicidal paranoiac with a mother fixation" | source=''Warner Bros. publicity description of Cody Jarrett in [[White Heat]]''<ref name="Warren181"/> | width=225px| align=left}}
The film was a critical success, though some critics wondered about the social impact of a character that they saw as sympathetic.<ref>McGilligan, page 116</ref> Cagney was still struggling against his gangster typecasting. He said to a journalist, "It's what the people want me to do. Some day, though, I'd like to make another movie that kids could go and see."<ref name="Warren182">Warren, page 182</ref> However, Warner Bros., perhaps searching for another ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'',<ref name="Warren182"/> assigned Cagney a musical for his next picture, 1950's ''[[The West Point Story (film)|The West Point Story]]'' with [[Doris Day]], an actress he admired.<ref>Warren, page 183</ref>

His next film, ''[[Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (film)|Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye]]'', was another gangster movie, which was the first by Cagney Productions since its acquisition. 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.<ref>Warren, page 184</ref> Cagney Productions was not a great success, however, and in 1953, after William Cagney produced his last film, ''[[A Lion Is in the Streets]]'', a drama loosely based on flamboyant politician [[Huey Long]], the company came to an end.<ref name="SIMPP"/>

====''Love Me or Leave Me'' (1955)====
[[File:James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me trailer.jpg|alt=face shot of Cagney with short hair parted slightly off center|thumb|right|upright|Cagney as gangster [[Martin Snyder|Martin "Moe the Gimp" Snyder]] in ''[[Love Me or Leave Me (film)|Love Me or Leave Me]]'' (1955)]]
Cagney's next notable role was the 1955 film ''[[Love Me or Leave Me (film)|Love Me or Leave Me]]'', his third with [[Doris Day]], who was [[Billing (performing arts)|top-billed]] above Cagney for this picture, the first movie for which he'd accepted second billing since ''Smart Money'' in 1931. Cagney played [[Martin Snyder|Martin "Moe the Gimp" Snyder]], a lame [[American Jews|Jewish-American]] gangster from Chicago, a part Spencer Tracy had turned down.<ref name="Cagney135">Cagney, page 135</ref> Cagney described the script as "that extremely rare thing, the perfect script".<ref name="Cagney135"/><ref name="Warren189">Warren, page 189</ref> When the film was released, Snyder reportedly asked how Cagney had so accurately copied his limp, but Cagney himself insisted he had not, having based it on personal observation of other people when they limped: "What I did was very simple. I just slapped my foot down as I turned it out while walking. That's all".<ref name="Cagney135"/><ref name="Warren189"/>

His performance earned him another Best Actor Academy Award nomination, 17 years after his first.<ref name="oscar"/> Reviews were strong, and the film is considered one of the best of his later career. In Day, he found a co-star with whom he could build a rapport, such as he had had with Blondell at the start of his career.<ref name="auteur135">McGilligan, page 135</ref> Day herself was full of praise for Cagney, stating that he was "the most professional actor I've ever known. He was always 'real'. I simply forgot we were making a picture. His eyes would actually fill up when we were working on a tender scene. And you never needed drops to make your eyes shine when Jimmy was on the set."<ref name="auteur135"/>

====''Mister Roberts'' (1955)====
[[File:Mister Roberts (1955 movie poster).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Poster (in public domain) for ''[[Mister Roberts (1955 film)|Mister Roberts]]'' (1955) with [[Henry Fonda]], Cagney, [[William Powell]] and [[Jack Lemmon]]]]
Cagney's next film was ''[[Mister Roberts (1955 film)|Mister Roberts]]'', directed by [[John Ford]] and slated to star Spencer Tracy. 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.<ref name="Warren190">Warren, page 190</ref> Cagney enjoyed working with the film's superb cast despite the absence of Tracy. 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 (1922 film)|Sherlock Holmes]]'' with [[John Barrymore]] in 1922. Cagney had worked with Ford on ''[[What Price Glory (1952 film)|What Price Glory?]]'' three years earlier, and they had gotten along fairly well. However, as soon as Ford had met Cagney at the airport for that film, the director warned him that they would eventually "tangle asses", which caught Cagney by surprise. He later said, "I would have kicked his brains out. He was so goddamned mean to everybody. He was truly a nasty old man."<ref name="Warren191">Warren, page 191</ref> The next day, Cagney was slightly late on set, incensing Ford. Cagney cut short his imminent tirade, saying "When I started this picture, you said that we would tangle asses before this was over. I'm ready now – are you?" Ford walked away, and they had no more problems, though Cagney never particularly liked Ford.<ref name="Warren191"/>

Cagney's skill at noticing tiny details in other actors' performances became apparent during the shooting of ''Mister Roberts''. While watching the ''[[Kraft Music Hall (TV series)|Kraft Music Hall]]'' [[anthology]] television show some months before, Cagney had noticed [[Jack Lemmon]] performing left-handed, doing practically everything with his left hand. The first thing that Cagney asked Lemmon when they met was if he was still using his left hand. Lemmon was shocked; he had done it on a whim, and thought no one else had noticed. He said of his co-star, "his powers of observation must be absolutely incredible, in addition to the fact that he remembered it. I was very flattered."<ref name="Warren190"/>

The film was a success, securing three Oscar nominations, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing|Best Sound Recording]] and [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Lemmon, who won. While Cagney was not nominated, he had thoroughly enjoyed the production. Filming on [[Midway Island]] and in a more minor role meant that he had time to relax and engage in his hobby of painting. He also drew caricatures of the cast and crew.<ref>Warren, page 192</ref>

===1955–1961: Later career===
In 1955 Cagney replaced [[Spencer Tracy]] on the [[Western (genre)|Western film]] ''[[Tribute to a Bad Man]]'' for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]. He received praise for his performance, and the studio liked his work enough to offer him ''[[These Wilder Years]]'' with [[Barbara Stanwyck]]. The two stars got on well; they had both previously worked in vaudeville, and they entertained the cast and crew off-screen by singing and dancing.<ref>Warren, pages, 196–197</ref>

In 1956 Cagney undertook one of his very rare television roles, starring in [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]]'s ''Soldiers From the War Returning''. This was a favor to Montgomery, who needed a strong fall season opener to stop the network from dropping his series. Cagney's appearance ensured that it was a success. The actor made it clear to reporters afterwards that television was not his medium: "I do enough work in movies. This is a high-tension business. I have tremendous admiration for the people who go through this sort of thing every week, but it's not for me."<ref>Warren, page 197</ref>

The following year, Cagney appeared in ''[[Man of a Thousand Faces (film)|Man of a Thousand Faces]]'', in which he played a fictionalized version of [[Lon Chaney]]. He received excellent reviews, with the ''[[New York Journal-American|New York Journal American]]'' rating it one of his best performances, and the film, made for [[Universal Pictures|Universal]], was a box office hit. Cagney's skill at mimicry, combined with a physical similarity to Chaney, helped him generate empathy for his character.<ref>McGilligan, page 141</ref><ref name="Warren, page 198">Warren, page 198</ref>

Later in 1957, Cagney ventured behind the camera for the first and only time to direct ''[[Short Cut to Hell]]'', a remake of the 1941 [[Alan Ladd]] film ''[[This Gun for Hire]]'', which in turn was based on the [[Graham Greene]] novel ''[[A Gun for Sale]]''. Cagney had long been told by friends that he would make an excellent director,<ref name="Warren, page 198"/> so when he was approached by his friend, producer [[A. C. Lyles]], he instinctively said yes. He refused all offers of payment, saying he was an actor, not a director. The film was low budget, and shot quickly. As Cagney recalled, "We shot it in twenty days, and that was long enough for me. I find directing a bore, I have no desire to tell other people their business".<ref>Warren, page 199</ref>

In 1959 Cagney played a labor leader in what proved to be his final musical, ''[[Never Steal Anything Small]]'', which featured a comical song and dance duet with [[Cara Williams]], who played his girlfriend.

For Cagney's next film, he traveled to Ireland for ''[[Shake Hands with the Devil (1959 film)|Shake Hands with the Devil]]'', directed by [[Michael Anderson (director)|Michael Anderson]]. 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. 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.<ref>Warren, pages 199–200</ref>

====''The Gallant Hours'' (1960)====
[[File:Gallant Hours-Montgomery-Halsey-Cagney.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]], [[William Halsey Jr.|"Bull" Halsey]], and Cagney on set]]
Cagney's career began winding down, and he made only one film in 1960, the critically acclaimed ''[[The Gallant Hours]]'', in which he played [[William Halsey Jr.|Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey]]. The film, although set during the [[Guadalcanal Campaign]] in the Pacific Theater during World War II, was not a war film, but instead focused on the impact of command. Cagney Productions, which shared the production credit with Robert Montgomery's company, made a brief return, though in name only. The film was a success, and ''The New York Times''{{'}}s [[Bosley Crowther]] singled out its star for praise: "It is Mr. Cagney's performance, controlled to the last detail, that gives life and strong, heroic stature to the principal figure in the film. There is no braggadocio in it, no straining for bold or sharp effects. It is one of the quietest, most reflective, subtlest jobs that Mr. Cagney has ever done."<ref name="Warren 205">Warren, page 205</ref><ref>McGilligan, page 150</ref>

====''One, Two, Three'' (1961)====
[[File:One Two Three trailer (1961).webm|thumb|thumbtime=164|''One, Two, Three'' theatrical trailer]]
Cagney's penultimate film was a comedy. He was hand-picked by [[Billy Wilder]] to play a hard-driving [[Coca-Cola]] executive in the film ''[[One, Two, Three]]''.<ref>Warren, page 202</ref> 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. Cagney received assurances from Wilder that the script was balanced. Filming did not go well, though, with one scene requiring 50 takes, something to which Cagney was unaccustomed.<ref>McGilligan, page 151</ref> In fact, it was one of the worst experiences of his long career. Cagney noted, "I never had the slightest difficulty with a fellow actor. Not until ''One, Two, Three''. In that picture, [[Horst Buchholz]] tried all sorts of scene-stealing didoes. I came close to knocking him on his ass."<ref name="Warren 205"/> For the first time, Cagney considered walking out of a film. He felt he had worked too many years inside studios, and combined with a visit to [[Dachau concentration camp]] during filming, he decided that he had had enough, and retired afterward.<ref>Warren, page 204</ref> One of the few positive aspects was his friendship with [[Pamela Tiffin]], to whom he gave acting guidance, including the secret that he had learned over his career: "You walk in, plant yourself squarely on both feet, look the other fella in the eye, and tell the truth."<ref name="Warren203">Warren, page 203</ref>

===1961–1986: Later years and retirement===
Cagney remained in retirement for 20 years, conjuring up images of Jack L. Warner every time he was tempted to return, which soon dispelled the notion. After he had turned down an offer to play Alfred Doolittle in ''[[My Fair Lady (film)|My Fair Lady]]'',<ref name="Warren 207">Warren, page 207</ref><ref name="Cagney197">Cagney, page 197</ref> he found it easier to rebuff others, including a part in ''[[The Godfather Part II]]''.<ref name="Cagney197"/> He made few public appearances, preferring to spend winters in Los Angeles, and summers either at his Martha's Vineyard farm or at Verney Farms in New York. When in New York, Billie Vernon and he held numerous parties at the Silver Horn restaurant, where they got to know Marge Zimmermann, the proprietress.<ref>Warren, page 210</ref>

====American Film Institute Life Achievement Award (1974)====
Cagney was diagnosed with [[glaucoma]] and began taking eye drops, but continued to have vision problems. On Zimmermann's recommendation, he visited a different doctor, who determined that glaucoma had been a misdiagnosis, and that Cagney was actually [[Diabetes mellitus|diabetic]]. Zimmermann then took it upon herself to look after Cagney, preparing his meals to reduce his blood [[triglyceride]]s, which had reached alarming levels. Such was her success that, by the time Cagney made a rare public appearance at his [[AFI Life Achievement Award|American Film Institute Life Achievement Award]] ceremony in 1974, he had lost {{convert|20|lb}} and his vision had improved.<ref>Warren, page 211</ref> [[Charlton Heston]] opened the ceremony, and [[Frank Sinatra]] introduced Cagney. So many Hollywood stars attended—said to be more than for any event in history—that one columnist wrote at the time that a bomb in the dining room would have ended the movie industry. In his acceptance speech, Cagney lightly chastised the impressionist [[Frank Gorshin]], saying, "Oh, Frankie, just in passing, I never said 'MMMMmmmm, you dirty rat!' What I actually did say was 'Judy, Judy, Judy!'"—a joking reference to a similar misquotation attributed to Cary Grant.<ref name="Warren209">Warren, page 209</ref>

====''Ragtime'' (1981)====
{{quote box|quote="I think he's some kind of genius. His instinct, it's just unbelievable. I could just stay at home. One of the qualities of a brilliant actor is that things look better on the screen than the set. Jimmy has that quality."|source=''Director [[Miloš Forman]] ''<ref name="Warren, page 215"/>|width=225px|align=left}}
While at [[Coldwater Canyon]] in 1977, Cagney had a minor stroke. After he spent two weeks in the hospital, Zimmermann became his full-time caregiver, traveling with Billie Vernon and him wherever they went.<ref>Warren, page 212</ref> 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 [[depression (mood)|depressed]], he even gave up painting. Encouraged by his wife and Zimmermann, Cagney accepted an offer from the director [[Miloš Forman]] to star in a small but pivotal role in the film ''[[Ragtime (film)|Ragtime]]'' (1981).<ref>Richard Schickel gives a first-person account of the filming in chapter 3 (James Cagney) of ''The Actors'' (NY: New Word City, 2016). {{ISBN|161230995X}}</ref>

This film was shot mainly at [[Shepperton Studios]] in [[Surrey]], England, and on his arrival at [[Southampton]] aboard the ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]'', Cagney was mobbed by hundreds of fans. [[Cunard Line]] officials, who were responsible for security at the dock, said they had never seen anything like it, although they had experienced past visits by [[Marlon Brando]] and [[Robert Redford]].{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

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. [[Howard Rollins]], who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance, said, "I was frightened to meet Mr. Cagney. I asked him how to die in front of the camera. He said 'Just die!' It worked. Who would know more about dying than him?" Cagney also repeated the advice he had given to Pamela Tiffin, [[Joan Leslie]], and Lemmon. 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.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

Cagney's frequent co-star, Pat O'Brien, appeared with him on the British chat show ''[[Parkinson (TV series)|Parkinson]]'' in the early 1980s and they both made a surprise appearance at the [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Mother]]'s command birthday performance at the [[London Palladium]] in 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19801128&id=FVwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=1801,3663573|title=The Montreal Gazette – Google News Archive Search|access-date=September 15, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103190944/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19801128&id=FVwxAAAAIBAJ&pg=1801%2C3663573|url-status=live}}</ref> His appearance onstage prompted the Queen Mother to rise to her feet, the only time she did so during the whole show, and she later broke protocol to go backstage to speak with Cagney directly.<ref name="Warren, page 215">Warren, page 215</ref>

====''Terrible Joe Moran'' (1984)====
Cagney made a rare TV appearance in the lead role of the movie ''[[Terrible Joe Moran]]'' in 1984. This was his last role. Cagney's health was fragile and more strokes had confined him to a wheelchair, but the producers worked his real-life mobility problem into the story. They also decided to dub his impaired speech, using the impersonator [[Rich Little]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514648/bio|title=Rich Little|website=IMDb|access-date=2019-01-19|archive-date=January 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128020541/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514648/bio|url-status=live}}</ref> The film made use of fight clips from Cagney's boxing movie ''[[Winner Take All (1932 film)|Winner Take All]]'' (1932).