James Cagney Movies I've Seen
by msecaur | created - 18 Sep 2017 | updated - 9 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)
Approved | 122 min | Biography, Drama
The life and career of vaudevillian and silent-screen horror star Lon Chaney, including his contentious relationship with his neurotic wife and his premature death.
Director: Joseph Pevney | Stars: James Cagney, Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer, Marjorie Rambeau
Votes: 2,963
First Cagney movie, pre-2017. Cagney great, but fictionalized script and over-emphasis on Cleva don't do him or Lon any favors.
2. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Passed | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Family
The life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf
Votes: 16,867 | Gross: $11.80M
June 2017. Episodic story feels longer than it is, but a treat to see Cagney showing off his skills as a singer and dancer, his beautiful sister Jeanne, and a great tribute to Cohan.
3. The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
Passed | 99 min | Comedy, Romance
Quick-tempered yet likable Biff Grimes falls for the beautiful Virginia Brush, but he is not the only young man in the neighborhood who is smitten with her.
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale
Votes: 4,269
August 2017. Slightly overlong, but great turn-of-the-century atmosphere. Cagney great as nice guy snubbed by titular strawberry-blonde. Great chemistry with Olivia de Haviland.
4. The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Passed | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Three men attempt to make a living in Prohibitionist America after returning home from fighting together in World War I.
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Priscilla Lane, Gladys George
Votes: 15,540
August 2017. Overstretched gangster drama, but often compelling, with a veneer of quality. Downbeat ending, but Cagney great as soldier-turned-bootlegger.
5. Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
Passed | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A fictionalized account of the career of jazz singer Ruth Etting and her tempestuous marriage to gangster Marty Snyder, who helped propel her to stardom.
Director: Charles Vidor | Stars: Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, Robert Keith
Votes: 4,745
August/September 2017. Somewhat slow in spots, but Cagney electrifying as tough mobster with a soft spot for singer (Day) who doesn't love him.
6. The Bride Came C.O.D. (1941)
Approved | 92 min | Comedy, Romance
A financially-strapped charter pilot hires himself to an oil tycoon to kidnap his madcap daughter and prevent her from marrying a vapid band leader.
Director: William Keighley | Stars: James Cagney, Bette Davis, Stuart Erwin, Eugene Pallette
Votes: 3,733
September 2017. Sometimes forced but sometimes funny screwball comedy, but Cagney great and charming regardless alongside Bette Davis.
7. Something to Sing About (1937)
Approved | 93 min | Comedy, Musical
A New York bandleader journeys to Hollywood when he is offered a contract with a studio, but he is determined to do things his way and not theirs.
Director: Victor Schertzinger | Stars: James Cagney, Evelyn Daw, William Frawley, Mona Barrie
Votes: 1,023
September 2017. Disjointed and overlong, but has its moments of comedy. Cagney's dancing skills on show.
8. Taxi (1931)
Passed | 69 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Independent cabbie Matt Nolan is primed to let his fists and handgun deliver payback after a big taxi firm uses intimidation and violence to squeeze out small-timers.
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: James Cagney, Loretta Young, George E. Stone, Guy Kibbee
Votes: 1,553
September 2017. Fast-paced ubergenre film with Cagney at his charming, talented best as a hot-tempered yet sympathetic taxi-driver. Shows off his range as tough guy, lover, and dancer. Personal favorite Cagney film.
9. Winner Take All (1932)
Passed | 66 min | Drama
Young boxer Jim Kane, resting at a New Mexico "health ranch," meets and falls for Peggy Harmon, former nightclub table singer...who needs $600 more for her sickly son to stay in the place. ... See full summary »
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: James Cagney, Marian Nixon, Guy Kibbee, Dickie Moore
Votes: 607
September 2017. Cagney totally unbelievable as dense, fickle boxer, but great to see his fighting skills in action.
10. Footlight Parade (1933)
Passed | 104 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
Chester Kent struggles against time, romance, and a rival's spy to produce spectacular live "prologues" for movie houses.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell
Votes: 6,096 | Gross: $3.49M
September 2017. Overlong and dull till the final two musical numbers, but great seeing Cagney hoofing and singing.
11. Blonde Crazy (1931)
TV-G | 79 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
The adventures of an egoistic con man and his glamorous accomplice.
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Louis Calhern, Noel Francis
Votes: 2,324
September 2017. Unlikeable characters and disappointing ending bring story down, but Cagney charming regardless as young con man opposite Joan Blondell.
12. Other Men's Women (1930)
Passed | 71 min | Drama, Romance
Events take an unhappy turn for two Bill and Jack, two locomotive engineers, after Bill is attracted to his best friend's wife.
Director: William A. Wellman | Stars: Grant Withers, Mary Astor, Regis Toomey, James Cagney
Votes: 1,392
September 2017. Cagney stands out in otherwise soapy story, despite the small size of his part, and even gets in a dance. Shots on top of moving train a real achievement.
13. Great Guy (1936)
Passed | 66 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
The adventures of an investigator (Cagney) for the Bureau of Weights and Measures.
Director: John G. Blystone | Stars: James Cagney, Mae Clarke, James Burke, Edward Brophy
Votes: 1,142
September 2017. Cagney excellent in otherwise moderately entertaining, low-budget quickie about principled guy fighting corruption. Worth it to see his dancing and fighting skills.
14. Lady Killer (1933)
Passed | 76 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
A former gangster makes it big in Hollywood, but his old life catches up with him.
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: James Cagney, Mae Clarke, Margaret Lindsay, Leslie Fenton
Votes: 1,885
September 2017. Cagney charming as ever depite uneven and forgettable story about gum-chewing smart-aleck who goes from movie usher to racketeer to movie actor. One of his rare happy endings.
15. Jimmy the Gent (1934)
Passed | 67 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
An unpolished racketeer, whose racket is finding heirs for unclaimed fortunes, affects ethics and tea-drinking manners to win back the sweetheart who now works for his seemingly upright competitor.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Bette Davis, Allen Jenkins, Alan Dinehart
Votes: 2,035
September 2017. Typical 30's crime-comedy fluff with Cagney as a professional swindler who vows to go straight to win back his old girlfriend. Neither he nor Davis liked the script, but great to see them working together.
16. Smart Money (1931)
Passed | 81 min | Crime, Drama
A Greek barber has uncommon skills in playing poker and soon rises in the seedy world of illegal gambling, but pretty blondes remain his Achilles' heel.
Director: Alfred E. Green | Stars: Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, Evalyn Knapp, Ralf Harolde
Votes: 2,239
September 2017. Robinson's film as barber/professional gambler, but Cagney shines in his second-billed role as loyal sidekick. Tragic end for both.
17. Frisco Kid (1935)
Passed | 77 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
After a roustabout sailer avoids being shanghaied in 1852 San Francisco, his audacity helps him to arise to a position of power in the vice industry of the infamous Barbary Coast.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Ricardo Cortez, Lili Damita
Votes: 690
September 2017. Interesting period crime-drama about life on San Francisco's Barbary Coast. Cagney, in a more sympathetic role as sailor-turned-town boss, gives great, subdued performance, and even ends up with the girl. More enjoyable than 1936's "San Francisco."
18. Each Dawn I Die (1939)
Approved | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A corrupt D.A. (Thurston Hall) with political ambitions is angered by news stories implicating him in criminal activity and decides to frame the reporter (James Cagney) for manslaughter in order to silence him.
Director: William Keighley | Stars: James Cagney, George Raft, Jane Bryan, George Bancroft
Votes: 3,734
September 2017. Another quality production from 1939. Engrossing prison drama unafraid to show the cruelty and injustice of the prison system. Cagney gives intense, emotional performance as framed reporter wrongly sent to jail, one of the best of his career. Real-life buddy George Raft gives strong support.
19. City for Conquest (1940)
Passed | 104 min | Drama, Sport
Danny is a content truck driver, but his girl Peggy shows potential as a dancer and hopes he too can show ambition. Danny acquiesces and pursues boxing to please her, but the two begin to spend more time working than time together.
Directors: Anatole Litvak, Jean Negulesco | Stars: James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Arthur Kennedy, Donald Crisp
Votes: 2,710
September 2017. Overlong melodrama that never quite decides on a tone or who is really the main character. Cagney great regardless as boxer who loses his sight for the sake of his overly-ambitious girlfriend Ann Sheridan.
20. The Time of Your Life (1948)
Approved | 109 min | Comedy, Drama
A wide variety of persons come into Nick's Pacific Street Saloon, some to ask for work and others just to pass the time.
Director: H.C. Potter | Stars: James Cagney, William Bendix, Wayne Morris, Jeanne Cagney
Votes: 1,348
September 2017. Stagey, meandering ensemble piece about misfits who frequent a second-string bar. Cagney great as genial loafer/philosopher. Worth watching only for him, his sister Jeanne, and scene of Cagney and Bendix singing harmony.
21. The Public Enemy (1931)
Passed | 83 min | Crime, Drama
An Irish-American street punk tries to make it big in the world of organized crime.
Director: William A. Wellman | Stars: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell
Votes: 23,027 | Gross: $1.01M
October 2017. Surprisingly untalky Pre-Code gangster talkie with noirish feel despite 1931 release. Off-camera deaths pack powerful punch. Cagney great as cold-hearted Chicago hoodlum Tom Powers, the role that made him famous. An unsympathetic turn until the final reel. Classic scenes of Cagney with grapefruit and him staggering through the gutter in the pouring rain, not to mention his brief dance with Jean Harlow.
22. White Heat (1949)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist.
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly
Votes: 35,766
October 2017. Cagney great as always as insane criminal leader Cody Jarrett, whose only soft spot is for his mother. His coldest-blooded role. Unlikable characters and literally explosive ending bring it down.
23. A Lion Is in the Streets (1953)
Approved | 88 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A charismatic peddler from the bayous finds his true calling in politics. Is he a demagogue in the making?
Director: Raoul Walsh | Stars: James Cagney, Barbara Hale, Anne Francis, Warner Anderson
Votes: 1,029
October 2017. Cagney good as always, despite being miscast as unlikable Louisiana peddler-turned-politician. Unfocused story makes it worth seeing only for his brief moments of singing and dancing, and his sister Jeanne's performance as Jennie.
24. Captains of the Clouds (1942)
Approved | 114 min | Action, Drama, War
Inspired by Churchill's Dunkirk speech, brash, undisciplined bush pilot Brian MacLean and three friends enlist in the RCAF but are deemed too old to be fliers.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Dennis Morgan, Brenda Marshall, Alan Hale
Votes: 1,768
November 2017. Cagney moving and charming as always, despite slightly unlikeable role as smart-aleck pilot, and limitations of propaganda/RAF promo film that is more about the planes than the people.
25. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
Approved | 133 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Two couples and a troupe of actors have an encounter with some mischievous fairies in the forest.
Directors: William Dieterle, Max Reinhardt | Stars: James Cagney, Dick Powell, Ian Hunter, Verree Teasdale
Votes: 3,889
November 2017. Cagney a delight as the hapless Bottom, a bright spot in an otherwise trippy and over-the-top film. His performance is broad but very funny, and more grounded than that of his ridiculously scene-chewing co-stars. Role gives him the chance to show off his talents as a singer and comedian as well as an actor; his physicality in the transformation and awkening scenes are worth the price of admission alone.
26. Johnny Come Lately (1943)
Passed | 97 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
Newspaper man wanders about and helps older woman save her paper.
Director: William K. Howard | Stars: James Cagney, Grace George, Marjorie Main, Marjorie Lord
Votes: 745
November 2017. Heartwarming turn-of-the-century comedy-drama about bum-turned-reporter who helps the old lady who takes him in. Fine performances all around, but Cagney shines in gentler role than normal.
27. 'G' Men (1935)
Approved | 85 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
James Cagney helped jump-start the gangster genre as The Public Enemy. Outcries against movies that glorified underworld criminals put Cagney on the side of the law in 'G' Men.
Director: William Keighley | Stars: James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Ann Dvorak, Robert Armstrong
Votes: 4,367
November 2017. Top-shelf, well-paced crime drama glorifying the good guys rather than the bad. Less punchy than pre-Code but entertaining, with great script and a surprising amount of humor. Cagney more subdued in refreshing role on the other side of the law, but as charming and cocksure as ever.
28. The Crowd Roars (1932)
Passed | 85 min | Action, Drama, Sport
Race car driver becomes overprotective of his brother when he decides to become a racer as well.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak, Eric Linden
Votes: 1,476 | Gross: $1.14M
November 2017. Amazing special effects and thrilling race sequences can't save rushed WB melodrama that's too short on character development. Blondell and Cagney given too little to do, but he's good as alcoholic driver trying to protect younger brother.
29. The West Point Story (1950)
Approved | 107 min | Comedy, Music
A Broadway director helps the West Point cadets put on a show, aided by two lovely ladies and assorted complications.
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae
Votes: 1,480
November 2017. Fun, feel-good musical with Cagney in top form all around as Broadway producer forced into the army to get a show put on. All-star cast looks like they're really enjoying themselves, which spills over onto the rest of the film. Like "Footlight Parade," only better. One of Cagney's most enjoyable films. Great seeing him sing, dance, and even speak French.
30. The Oklahoma Kid (1939)
Passed | 85 min | Action, Western
During the Oklahoma Land Rush, the lawlessness is exacerbated by the McCord gang's feud with the Kincaids, who are trying to bring law and justice to the region.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane, Donald Crisp
Votes: 2,654
December 2017. Cagney and Bogart both strangely cast as cowboys, but do well in roles nonetheless, with Bogart as black-hatted baddie and Cagney the do-gooder taking the law in his own hands. Typical Western plot, but can't miss Cagney singing, dancing, riding, playing the guitar, and even speaking Spanish!
31. Sinners' Holiday (1930)
Passed | 60 min | Adventure, Crime, Romance
Ma Delano (Lucille LaVerne) runs a boardwalk penny arcade and lives upstairs with her sons Harry and Joe (James Cagney and Ray Gallagher) and daughter Jennie (Evalyn Knapp); their story ... See full summary »
Director: John G. Adolfi | Stars: Grant Withers, Evalyn Knapp, James Cagney, Joan Blondell
Votes: 703
December 2017. Cagney and Blondell's film debut in the roles they originated on Broadway. Stagey quality, but surprisingly good performances. Cagney plays more of a wimpy mama's boy character than he would later, but breakdown scene harbinger of things to come.
32. Hard to Handle (1933)
Approved | 78 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Small time con artist Lefty Merrill has co-organized a crooked dance marathon and set up his girlfriend to win the prize money. When his partner disappears with money before the contest is ... See full summary »
Director: Mervyn LeRoy | Stars: James Cagney, Mary Brian, Allen Jenkins, Ruth Donnelly
Votes: 896
December 2017. Cagney a scream as fast-talking promoter/con artist in fresh, enjoyable Pre-code romp. Comedy handled nicely by director Mervyn LeRoy. Cagney more subdued and vulnerable than usual, but his athleticism is still on show, particularly in running-down-the-stairs scene. Worth seeing again.
33. Torrid Zone (1940)
Passed | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Plagued by revolutionaries that harass his plantation in a banana republic, fruit company exec Steve Case rehires former nemesis Nick Butler to restore order and profits.
Director: William Keighley | Stars: James Cagney, Ann Sheridan, Pat O'Brien, Andy Devine
Votes: 1,493
January 2018. Slow start and different yet unfocused story make it seem longer than it is, but Cagney, even as second-fiddle to O'Brian, has great chemistry with lady cardsharp Ann Sheridan. Better than "The Lady Eve" but not worth rewatching.
34. Mister Roberts (1955)
Passed | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, War
In the waning days of World War II, the cargo officer of a Navy supply ship chafes at its role far from the action in the Pacific's backwater areas, his frustration rising when its captain denies the crew liberty over petty irritations.
Directors: John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy, Joshua Logan | Stars: Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, Jack Lemmon
Votes: 18,247 | Gross: $21.20M
February 2018. Dull, slow-moving war film enlivened only by Cagney's electric performance in supporting role as Captain Morton.
35. The Fighting 69th (1940)
Passed | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
Although loudmouthed braggart Jerry Plunkett alienates his comrades and officers, Father Duffy, the regimental chaplain, has faith that he'll prove himself in the end.
Director: William Keighley | Stars: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, George Brent, Jeffrey Lynn
Votes: 1,985
March 2018. Gritty, realistic, but surprisingly character-driven WWI drama based on the real-life "Fighting Irish" 69th Regiment. Strong, moving performances by largely Irish-American cast, including Cagney as a smart-aleck coward who turns hero. Great to see him scrapping and speaking Yiddish.
36. 13 Rue Madeleine (1947)
Approved | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
When spy chief Bob Sharkey finds out one of his agents-in-training is actually a Nazi double agent, his strategic decision not to arrest him results in tragedy.
Director: Henry Hathaway | Stars: James Cagney, Annabella, Richard Conte, Frank Latimore
Votes: 3,067
April 2018. Cagney great as always as gutsy American spy leader forced to enter Nazi-occupied France to liberate them. Plenty of action and even a scene speaking German. Fatalistic atmosphere and senseless end for Cagney bring it down.
37. These Wilder Years (1956)
Approved | 91 min | Drama
A middle-aged man tries to reconnect with his illegitimate son, who was given to an orphanage many years ago.
Director: Roy Rowland | Stars: James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Pidgeon, Betty Lou Keim
Votes: 1,100
July 2018. Cagney gives strong, subdued performance in sensitive film about a steel tycoon trying to find his illegitimate son after twenty years. Slightly disappointing ending. Stanwyck great opposite him, though.
38. The Doorway to Hell (1930)
Passed | 78 min | Crime, Drama
Despite his efforts to go straight, a young gangster keeps falling back into crime.
Director: Archie Mayo | Stars: Lew Ayres, James Cagney, Dorothy Mathews, Leon Janney
Votes: 1,323
August 2018. Cagney plays second fiddle to Lew Ayres' brooding, baby-faced gang leader, but stands out nonetheless in great pre-"Public Enemy" performance. Stylishly directed and surprisingly untalky early talkie. Great to see a pre-"Dracula" Dwight Frye as a gangster!
39. Starlift (1951)
Approved | 103 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
To impress a movie star, a U.S. Air Force crewman pretends he is soon to see combat. When his lie gets out, chaos ensues.
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo, Gene Nelson
Votes: 588
December 2018. Cagney great in brief but cute cameo as himself. Rest of movie not worth watching.
40. Boy Meets Girl (1938)
Passed | 86 min | Comedy, Romance
Two screenwriters in a rut come up with a story idea starring a bankable cowboy and the baby of the studio's waitress.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Marie Wilson, Ralph Bellamy
Votes: 807
December 2018. Cagney and O'Brian a hoot as over-the-top, Marx-brothers-esque writers in over-the-top spoof of Hollywood. Thin on plot, but plenty of witty laughs and Cagney's signature athleticism.
41. Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)
Passed | 95 min | Drama, Romance, Western
With no law within 200 miles horse rancher Jeremy Rodak runs his spread with an iron hand and deals with rustlers even more ruthlessly.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: James Cagney, Don Dubbins, Stephen McNally, Irene Papas
Votes: 1,724
March 2019. Cagney gives great, nuanced performance as a horse rancher out for revenge in different, more character-driven Western. Beautiful scenery, and great to see Cagney show his love of horses!
42. Shake Hands with the Devil (1959)
Approved | 111 min | Action, Drama, History
In 1920s Ireland, I.R.A. members are being led by the war mongering Dr. Sean Lenihan (James Cagney), as they fight oppressive British forces.
Director: Michael Anderson | Stars: James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns
Votes: 1,523
March 2019. Cagney gives an intense performance as trigger-happy Irish IRA leader in violent, moody film, shot on location, about the Troubles of the 1920's. Only worth watching for his scenes, and to hear his Irish accent.
43. The Irish in Us (1935)
Approved | 84 min | Comedy
Two brothers, a police officer and a boxing promoter, vie for the affections of a lovely young woman.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Olivia de Havilland, Frank McHugh
Votes: 772
April 2019. Lively (if slight) family comedy about Irish mother and her three grown boys, with script allegedly enlivened by cast's ad libbing. Cagney has great chemistry with Mary Gordon as Ma, gets to show off his boxing skills, and gets the girl. Worth watching again.
44. The Gallant Hours (1960)
Approved | 115 min | Biography, Drama, War
A semi-documentary dramatization of five weeks in the life of Vice Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, Jr., from his assignment to command the U.S. naval operations in the South Pacific to the Allied victory at Guadalcanal.
Director: Robert Montgomery | Stars: James Cagney, Dennis Weaver, Ward Costello, Vaughn Taylor
Votes: 1,895
June 2019. Cagney gives great, subtle performance as real-life Admiral Halsey in slow-moving but unusual war film that focuses more on the behind-the-scenes of Guadalcanal than the battles themselves.
45. Picture Snatcher (1933)
Not Rated | 77 min | Crime, Drama
Ex-convict Danny Kean decides to become honest as a photographer for a paper. He falls in love with Patricia, the daughter of the policeman who arrested him. Mr Nolan, her father, doesn't ... See full summary »
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Ralph Bellamy, Patricia Ellis, Alice White
Votes: 1,746
December 2019. Cagney great as clever ex-con trying to make an "honest" living putting his wiles to good use as a tabloid photographer. Fresh and surpringly racy Pre-Code film.
46. The Mayor of Hell (1933)
Passed | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Five members of a teen-age gang, including leader Jimmy Smith, are sent to the state reformatory, presided over by the melodramatically callous Thompson. Soon, Patsy Gargan, a former ... See full summary »
Directors: Archie Mayo, Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Madge Evans, Arthur Byron, Allen Jenkins
Votes: 1,842
December 2019. Unique twist on the usual cop drama with hoodlum boys at a reform school. Great performances by young actors. Cagney great as always as soft-hearted tough-guy who fights to reform a boy's reform school.
47. He Was Her Man (1934)
Approved | 70 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Dan Curly sends two hitmen to kill double-crossing Flicker Hayes, who retreats to a small village with ex-prostitute Rose to hide.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Victor Jory, Frank Craven
Votes: 692
January 2020. Cagney and Blondell both give great, soft-spoken performances in spite of paper-thin plot of crook who gives himself up for ex-call girl and confused character motivation.
48. Here Comes the Navy (1934)
Approved | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A cocky guy joins the Navy for the wrong reason but finds romance and twice is cited for heroism.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Gloria Stuart, Frank McHugh
Votes: 1,165 | Gross: $2.58M
February 2020. Refreshingly different Pre-Code dramedy about riveter (Cagney) who joins the Navy to get back at the guy (O'Brian) who lost him his job, his girl, his dance-contest win, and his tuxedo rental deposit. Cagney's rapport with Frank McHugh and Gloria Stuart makes it worth rewatching.
49. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Passed | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A priest tries to stop a gangster from corrupting a group of street kids.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan
Votes: 23,212
June 2021. Higher-quality gangster film than the usual Warners programmers. Cagney great as unrepentant gangster Rocky Sullivan who is betrayed by his duplicitous lawyer (played by Humphrey Bogart), and whose soft spot for childhood-friend-turned priest (played by Pat O'Brian) lead to his demise. Great performances all around, and excellent direction by Michael Curtiz. Memorable and moving final scene actually shot in Sing Sing prison.
50. The Seven Little Foys (1955)
Approved | 93 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
After the young wife of vaudevillian Eddie Foy passes away, he incorporates their seven children into the act and takes it on the road.
Director: Melville Shavelson | Stars: Bob Hope, Milly Vitale, George Tobias, Angela Clarke
Votes: 1,629
July 2021. Cagney a joy to watch in all-too-brief cameo as George M. Cohan, where he trades jokes and hoofs alongside Bob Hope as Eddie Foy.
51. The Millionaire (1931)
Passed | 80 min | Drama, Comedy
A millionaire automaker retires upon the advice of his doctor, but becomes so bored he buys half interest in a gas station and works it on the sly.
Director: John G. Adolfi | Stars: George Arliss, Florence Arliss, David Manners, Evalyn Knapp
Votes: 591
July 2021. Cagney leaps off the screen in his short but pivotal cameo as a fast-talking insurance salesman who convinces the retired Millionaire (George Arliss) to buy into a business interest.
52. Never Steal Anything Small (1959)
Approved | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Jake MacIllaney will do just about anything to win the presidential election of longshoreman union Local 26. When he encounters young upright attorney Dan Cabot and Cabot's attractive wife,... See full summary »
Director: Charles Lederer | Stars: James Cagney, Shirley Jones, Roger Smith, Cara Williams
Votes: 365
August 2021. Jimmy (looking far younger than 60!) is exceptionally cute and charming as an ambitious gangster who works his way up to union president. While the film is an unusual semi-musical comedy reminiscent of "How To Succeed in Business," his characterization of Jake is a throwback to his scheming smart-guys from the 30s. He even gets a short dance number, a scuba-diving scene, a short song, and the opportunity to throw a few punches! Great chemistry alongside a young Shirley Jones.
53. One, Two, Three (1961)
Not Rated | 104 min | Comedy
In West Berlin during the Cold War, a Coca-Cola executive is given the task of taking care of his boss' socialite daughter.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: James Cagney, Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin, Arlene Francis
Votes: 22,996
August 2021. Cagney only bright spot in overlong, exhausting, dialogue-heavy, angry, often dour "comedy", though it's clear he's not enjoying himself as he usually does. Another overrated Billy Wilder film.
54. Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
Approved | 102 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Thriller
Starting with a violent prison break, clever, ruthless Ralph Cotter corrupts everyone around him.
Director: Gordon Douglas | Stars: James Cagney, Barbara Payton, Helena Carter, Ward Bond
Votes: 2,463
August 2021. Cagney gives engrossing yet marginally lower-key performance as a cruel, manipulative crook in the mold of Tom Powers or Cody Jarrett, whose addiction to risk leads to his undoing. Not as fatalistic as "White Heat" but abrupt, downer ending drags it down. Not worth seeing again.
55. Blood on the Sun (1945)
Approved | 94 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A dedicated American reporter in 1930s Japan is determined to expose that government's plan for world domination.
Director: Frank Lloyd | Stars: James Cagney, Sylvia Sidney, Porter Hall, John Emery
Votes: 2,273
September 2021. Cagney gives compelling lower-key performance as an American journalist caught up in Far East intrigue. While he can't save the inadequately-explained espionage plot, he is charming as ever, and the scenes of him showing off his judo skills are can't-miss.
56. The St. Louis Kid (1934)
Approved | 67 min | Drama, Romance
Trucker Eddie Kennedy gets involved with the law when he has an car accident with Ann Reid and knocks the owner of a dairy out. He evades a penalty when he claims, that he had done it as an... See full summary »
Director: Ray Enright | Stars: James Cagney, Patricia Ellis, Allen Jenkins, Robert Barrat
Votes: 503
July 2023. Cagney gives usual good performance in unusual dramedy with better dialogue than most about truckers who spend more time in jail than on the road. A nice change to see him as a normal guy going up against crooks instead of being one. Interesting camera-work. Great to see Cagney's footwork, and who can forget his braining fight opponents with his head instead of his fists.
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