(July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986)

James Francis Cagney, Jr. was a film actor  who, 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. Cagney’s seventh film,
The Public Enemy (1931), became one of the most influential gangster
movies of the period, making him one of Warner’s and Hollywood’s biggest
stars. In 1938, Cagney received his first Academy Award for Best Actor
nomination for Angels with Dirty Faces , before winning in 1942 for his
memorable portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.  

Famous scene from The Public Enemy, 1931