James Cagney

When auditioning for “Pitter Patter”, Cagney met sixteen-year-old Frances Willard Vernon. They married in 1922. The couple adopted a son whom they named James Cagney, Jr., and later a daughter, Cathleen “Casey” Cagney.

In 1955, he bought a 120-acre farm in Stanfordville, Dutchess County, New York, and named it Verney Farm. He expanded it to 750 acres gradually. He also raised horses on his farms, especially Morgans.

He was diagnosed with glaucoma, and began taking eye drops. Later it was discovered that he had been misdiagnosed, and that he was actually diabetic. In 1977, he had a minor stroke.

James Cagney was born on July 17, 1899 to James Francis Cagney, Sr. and Carolyn Nelson. His father was of Irish descent, and worked as a bartender and amateur boxer. His mother was part Norwegian and part Irish.

He was the second of seven children. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City in 1918, and attended Columbia College of Columbia University, but dropped out after his father died.

His brother Harry was performing in a pantomime directed by Florence James. When Harry fell ill, Cagney, working as a scenery boy, stood in for him since he was able to recall lines without mistake.

In 1919, Cagney auditioned for the role of a chorus girl in “Every Sailor”, a wartime play. The only dance he knew was the Peabody dance. It convinced the producers that he could dance.

His first significant non-dancing role was in 1925 when he played a young tough guy in the three-act play “Outside Looking In” by Maxwell Anderson, earning $200 a week.

He built a dance school for professionals. Reputed as an innovative teacher, he won an opportunity to choreograph and star in “Grand Street Follies of 1928”, followed by “Grand Street Follies of 1929”.

In 1931, he played Matt Doyle with Edward Woods as Tom Powers in “The Public Enemy”. Later, the roles were interchanged.

He and Edward G. Robinson teamed in “Smart Money”. After the US Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 was introduced, he got a break from portraying violent characters in the comedy “Blonde Crazy”.

Cagney starred with Doris Day in “Love Me or Leave Me” as Martin Snyder, a lame gangster from Chicago. His performance earned him another Best Actor Academy Award nomination.

In his 1960 critically acclaimed movie “The Gallant Hours”, he played Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. His penultimate film “One, Two, Three” was a comedy in which he played a Coca-Cola executive.