James Francis Cagney Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances. Cagney is remembered for playing multifaceted tough guys in films such as
The Public Enemy (1931),
Taxi! (1932),
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938),
The Roaring Twenties (1939),
City for Conquest (1940) and
White Heat (1949), finding himself typecast or limited by this reputation earlier in his career. He was able to negotiate dancing opportunities in his films and ended up winning the Academy Award for his role in the musical
Yankee Doodl..."> ()