James Cagney
James Cagney was an American actor known for his distinctive rapid-fire delivery and tough-guy roles in 1930s and 1940s gangster films.
His portrayal in *The Public Enemy* and *White Heat* defined the Hollywood gangster archetype.
The phrase You dirty rat, though he never actually said it, became permanently associated with his persona.
He won an Academy Award for the musical *Yankee Doodle Dandy*.
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- hoofingDancing vigorously
- BroadwayManhattan theatrical district
- footworkSkilled lower-limb movement
- Yankee Doodle DandyClassic American patriotic song
vaudeville · choreography · musical · energetic · routine · soft-shoe · stage · showbiz
American film industry center
- cinemaMotion picture theater
- performanceCarrying out a task
- rolePosition or part
- starLuminous astronomical object
leading man · character · filmography · screen presence · dramatic · comedy · cast · dialogue
Organized crime member
- Roaring TwentiesProsperous 1920s era
- crimePunishable illegal act
- bootleggerIllegal liquor trafficker
- prohibitionAuthoritative legal ban
hoodlum · racketeer · underworld · heist · tough guy · street kid · urban crime · rise and fall
Legendary period of perfection
- classic cinemaEnduring films from earlier eras
- silver screenFilm industry metonym
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- OscarAcademy's golden award
Academy Award · icon · timeless · influential · box office · AFI · memorabilia · retrospective
tap
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Yankee Doodle Dandy · vaudeville · choreography · musical · energetic · routine · soft-shoe · stage · showbiz · revue
Hollywood
American film industry center
- cinemaMotion picture theater
- performanceCarrying out a task
- rolePosition or part
star · leading man · character · filmography · screen presence · dramatic · comedy · cast · dialogue · monologue
mobster
Organized crime member
- Roaring TwentiesProsperous 1920s era
- crimePunishable illegal act
- bootleggerIllegal liquor trafficker
prohibition · hoodlum · racketeer · underworld · heist · tough guy · street kid · urban crime · rise and fall
Golden Age
Legendary period of perfection
- classic cinemaEnduring films from earlier eras
- silver screenFilm industry metonym
- legendUnverified traditional tale
Oscar · Academy Award · icon · timeless · influential · box office · AFI · memorabilia · retrospective · tribute
- Pre-Code HollywoodNight Nurse, 42nd Street, Scarface, Little Caesar, The Public Enemy
- Irish AmericansJoe Biden, John F. Kennedy, Kennedy family, Eugene O'Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Multi-TalentsDonald Glover, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Hugh Jackman
- Screen LegendsHumphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn
- 1930s FiguresFDR, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, Babe Ruth
James CagneyFred Astaire
Cary Grant · Gary Cooper · Henry Fonda · Rex Harrison · John Wayne