Cagney

Rating:
Summary: John McCabe delivers James Cagney!!!
Review: John McCabe really brought Cagney to life for me. It was a total pleasure reading about the actor/artist. I was always a fan but John McCabe really did a great service to Cagney fans with this one.

Rating:
Summary: Loved the Book, but was saddened by some of the content!
Review: John McCabe's book on James Cagney, I feel is one of the best I have read. I have been a fan of James Cagney for 25 years and this book informed me the most!!! Even Cagney by Cagney was a great book by the actor, but of course he kept what he wanted to keep private, but did a fine job of telling of his childhood and career. McCabe digs deep into Cagney's feelings, truely informing the reader of his life and career. I read the book in one week, I couldnt put it down!!! It is a great book to my collection. Although the book was informative and interesting, I was saddened to find out about Cagney's adultry and how he allowed his wife to control so much of his life, such as with his own siblings and his own children. Cagney was so close to his own family, his mother being so dear to him, that I was surprised to read how he treated his own children. Although, McCabe does inform the reader, that people close to the Cagney's said Jim was closer to the children then his wife Bill. Reading about this saddened me, but also realizing Mr. Cagney was not perfect, but I always thought of him as a person in hollywood who kept his life clean from all the garbage that goes on in that type of business. I must say the adultry was a real shocker, in fact I read that page 3 times!!!! lol Because I could not believe this about the man I so much respected.Even Cagney's belief in Socialism was a shock, but was glad to here he became a repulican toward the end of his life. You couldnt say, he didnt experience all parties!!!! With all the books on Cagney, this is truely a honest, compassionate, respectful book of Cagney by John McCabe. Toward the end of the book, reading of how Mr. Cagney died was an emotional one for me, bringing tears to my eyes. Thinking back on how sad I was on that day.This is a must read book for all Cagney fans, but must warn, the content of this book might surprise and saddened you. Although all that I know on Mr. Cagney, good and bad, he will always be my favorite!!!! :-)

Rating:
Summary: A WELL DESERVED TRIBUTE
Review: Rather than the economy-size bolt of fury that flashed across the screen, he was a gentle man, an environmentalist, one who loved farming, poetry, and painting. And, in a most unHollywoodian manner, he was loyal to his wife of sixty-two years.

Such is the portrait of actor James Cagney that emerges in an affectionate biography by John McCabe who was commissioned in 1973 to ghostwrite the performer's autobiography, Cagney By Cagney. No tinsel town tell-all this for as Mr. Cagney said, ".....right I didn't tell all. All would be boring, boring, boring - and I'm in the business of entertainment. And if I choose to remember only the best parts of my life, I don't know why in hell I should apologize for that."

Yes, Mr. Cagney liked to keep his distance and he continued to do so in this memoir penned by an admittedly biased author who writes, "This was a great artist and an even greater man." In an era when privacy fences are hurdled, the actor, despite hours of taped conversations, remains as his good friend, Pat O'Brien, called him, "the faraway fella."

Raised in New York City's Lower East Side by a fiercely protective mother and an alcoholic father with blue-black hair and a magenta complexion, Mr. Cagney was one of five children. From his mother he learned how to box; a skill that led him to dancing. "I learned how to dance from learning how to fight," he said, "It was feint, duck, quick dance around your opponent on your toes mostly, then shoot out the arm like a bullet." His father taught the children how to laugh by pelting them with groan-evoking puns.

Like many turn of the century poor families the Cagneys were their own entertainment - singing songs in solo and chorus, reciting humorous poems, clog-dancing and telling jokes. The brothers were close, each devoted to family and scrambling in his own way to earn coins for Kitty, "a large battered iron pot kept near the kitchen stove." When Kitty was empty Mrs. Cagney pawned her inherited jewelry.

Feeding Kitty led Mr. Cagney to the stage - he discovered what vaudevillians were earning and tried out for the chorus line. Not only did he get the job but he met Frances Willard Vernon, the piquant featured chorus girl who became his wife. In later years the couple would adopt two children who grew up in a house built for them behind their parents' home, an arrangement given scant attention by the author.

After a brief but increasingly successful stint in vaudeville the actor landed a dramatic role in the 1930 Broadway play "Penny Arcade." When Warner Brothers adapted the play for the screen Mr. Cagney won a short-term contract. As reviews praised the untried young actor's film debut, Jack Warner realized the worth of the ex-Broadway song and dance man. Soon, all of the movie world realized it, too.

Typecast as a tough guy, epitomized by the classic grapefruit scene in "The Public Enemy,"the actor had little leisure time in California, a place he saw as another vaudeville stop but with nicer weather.

Much of Cagney is devoted to the making of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (Mr. McCabe is also George M. Cohan's biographer). This quintessential slice of Americana was filmed during the dark early days of World War II, causing one cast member to comment, "...we all worked in a kind of patriotic frenzy, as though we feared we may be sending a last message from the free world." When the completed film was run for George M. Cohan, the composer remarked, "My God, what an act to follow." James Cagney was, indeed, some act. He made a spectacular string of films over the years, dismissing his stellar performances as "my job."

Following the release of a disappointing film in 1961 Mr. Cagney bought a farm at Millbrook, New York. There he spent tranquil years breeding Scottish Highland cattle and Morgan horses. He emerged from retirement only once to make the 1981 film "Ragtime."

The onset of diabetes and heart trouble took their toll. Yet, he had fulfilled most of his dreams and left a rich cinematic legacy when he died at 86. The simple inscription on his gravestone reads, "James Cagney, 1899 - 1986. God Bless America."

More than a biography Mr. McCabe has written a tribute. James Cagney may well deserve it.

Rating:
Summary: A WELL DESERVED TRIBUTE
Review: Rather than the economy-size bolt of fury that flashed across the screen, he was a gentle man, an environmentalist, one who loved farming, poetry, and painting. And, in a most unHollywoodian manner, he was loyal to his wife of sixty-two years.

Such is the portrait of actor James Cagney that emerges in an affectionate biography by John McCabe who was commissioned in 1973 to ghostwrite the performer's autobiography, Cagney By Cagney. No tinsel town tell-all this for as Mr. Cagney said, ".....right I didn't tell all. All would be boring, boring, boring - and I'm in the business of entertainment. And if I choose to remember only the best parts of my life, I don't know why in hell I should apologize for that."

Yes, Mr. Cagney liked to keep his distance and he continued to do so in this memoir penned by an admittedly biased author who writes, "This was a great artist and an even greater man." In an era when privacy fences are hurdled, the actor, despite hours of taped conversations, remains as his good friend, Pat O'Brien, called him, "the faraway fella."

Raised in New York City's Lower East Side by a fiercely protective mother and an alcoholic father with blue-black hair and a magenta complexion, Mr. Cagney was one of five children. From his mother he learned how to box; a skill that led him to dancing. "I learned how to dance from learning how to fight," he said, "It was feint, duck, quick dance around your opponent on your toes mostly, then shoot out the arm like a bullet." His father taught the children how to laugh by pelting them with groan-evoking puns.

Like many turn of the century poor families the Cagneys were their own entertainment - singing songs in solo and chorus, reciting humorous poems, clog-dancing and telling jokes. The brothers were close, each devoted to family and scrambling in his own way to earn coins for Kitty, "a large battered iron pot kept near the kitchen stove." When Kitty was empty Mrs. Cagney pawned her inherited jewelry.

Feeding Kitty led Mr. Cagney to the stage - he discovered what vaudevillians were earning and tried out for the chorus line. Not only did he get the job but he met Frances Willard Vernon, the piquant featured chorus girl who became his wife. In later years the couple would adopt two children who grew up in a house built for them behind their parents' home, an arrangement given scant attention by the author.

After a brief but increasingly successful stint in vaudeville the actor landed a dramatic role in the 1930 Broadway play "Penny Arcade." When Warner Brothers adapted the play for the screen Mr. Cagney won a short-term contract. As reviews praised the untried young actor's film debut, Jack Warner realized the worth of the ex-Broadway song and dance man. Soon, all of the movie world realized it, too.

Typecast as a tough guy, epitomized by the classic grapefruit scene in "The Public Enemy,"the actor had little leisure time in California, a place he saw as another vaudeville stop but with nicer weather.

Much of Cagney is devoted to the making of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (Mr. McCabe is also George M. Cohan's biographer). This quintessential slice of Americana was filmed during the dark early days of World War II, causing one cast member to comment, "...we all worked in a kind of patriotic frenzy, as though we feared we may be sending a last message from the free world." When the completed film was run for George M. Cohan, the composer remarked, "My God, what an act to follow." James Cagney was, indeed, some act. He made a spectacular string of films over the years, dismissing his stellar performances as "my job."

Following the release of a disappointing film in 1961 Mr. Cagney bought a farm at Millbrook, New York. There he spent tranquil years breeding Scottish Highland cattle and Morgan horses. He emerged from retirement only once to make the 1981 film "Ragtime."

The onset of diabetes and heart trouble took their toll. Yet, he had fulfilled most of his dreams and left a rich cinematic legacy when he died at 86. The simple inscription on his gravestone reads, "James Cagney, 1899 - 1986. God Bless America."

More than a biography Mr. McCabe has written a tribute. James Cagney may well deserve it.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST Cagney Bio ever!
Review: This book covers every detail of James Cagney's life so articulately that, by the time you've finished the book, you'll feel that you've made a new friend. It chronicles Cagney's almost impossibly steep upward climb out of the slums of New York to the success he ultimately became in a way that is truly inspiring to those of us who find ourselves stuck in an ignominious place in life working toward a dream. The book makes the reader realize that "It can happen to you," is more than just a catch phrase, if you are willing to work hard and never lose sight of what's important. James Cagney was truly one of the good ones to come out of the phoney, plastic Hollywood scene. He never let it corrupt him, was a loyal husband, family man, and friend. You'll read this book again and again, whenever you need a restorative shot of faith in humanity.

Rating:
Summary: The BEST Cagney Bio ever!
Review: This book covers every detail of James Cagney's life so articulately that, by the time you've finished the book, you'll feel that you've made a new friend. It chronicles Cagney's almost impossibly steep upward climb out of the slums of New York to the success he ultimately became in a way that is truly inspiring to those of us who find ourselves stuck in an ignominious place in life working toward a dream. The book makes the reader realize that "It can happen to you," is more than just a catch phrase, if you are willing to work hard and never lose sight of what's important. James Cagney was truly one of the good ones to come out of the phoney, plastic Hollywood scene. He never let it corrupt him, was a loyal husband, family man, and friend. You'll read this book again and again, whenever you need a restorative shot of faith in humanity.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive biography of Cagney
Review: While it is true in a Amazon.com review (below) that McCabe "is in love with his subject," there is little NOT to be in love with about James Cagney.

This is the definitive biography about Cagney, and one appreciates that it is not a kiss and tell all. Cagney would not allow such self-indulgent blather from a biographer, much less himself.

Cagney guarded his privacy -- he was a man's man not given to drivelling displays, tell all accounts, trashing others, or sob stories. As a 35-year-old female, I am so tired the American pasttime of crying about our horrible childhoods and blaming our troubled pysches on others. With our nation's leader gracing the tube to describe his underwear and feel our pain, I long for men who cry in private -- or at least cry about the right things. Cagney might weep about the beauty of horse races or sentimental Irish storytelling, but he certainly wasn't going to keen over himself.

This book shows a no-nonsense man who looked his impoverished childhood square in the eye and appreciated it for the strength and character he derived. There's nothing to feel sorry for, only an example to emulate. Which as I did as a child, when I first read the 1970s autobiography (ghostwritten by McCabe) "Cagney by Cagney."

Cagney could have ended up in Sing Sing like many of his childhood pals. He struggled on the streets of Hell's Kitchen and adored an irresponsible, incurable alcoholic of a father. Jim was the "rearguard tough" in a street gang, but held himself above it. He battled with his talented fists, and studying the footwork of boxers kept him relatively free of injury while contributing to the quickness and grace he gained later as a dancer.

It was his tough, yet loving Ma who saved the brace of Cagneys, four rough Irish sons and a daughter, from the streets. She emphasized education and a profession. Two of the Cagney sons became doctors, one a businessman, and the daughter an actress. Then there is the incomparable Jim.

This book is a solid read on the life and perspectives of this incredible man -- a fast-talking, fleet-footed, quick-fisted sprite with the heart of a giant, and the sense, discipline and hard-working ethic of an immigrant family sage. People took care of themselves back then and didn't look for handouts or people to blame.

Cagney didn't put much stock in being a star. When Warner Brothers tried to shirk on raising his salary in the 30s, he quit show business to contemplate medical school at Columbia. He later became an accomplished equestrian, painter, guitarist, and writer of verse.

Cagney, "a faraway fella," as pal and fellow actor Pat O'Brien described, didn't fall into the Hollywood crowd or gain the unbearable pretentions of celebrity. He was modest and grounded at all times.

It's an inspirational book that shows that success can go hand in hand with a stable life. He found peace in his farm and wild things. He kept his life free from bad publicity and controversy. He truly believed that the lowliest laborer behind the camera was as important as he. Everyone who successsfully puts food on the table and does his best everyday is a success. Such was Cagney's grasp on life.

He was a true hero in every sense of the word -- not for being a Hollywood star -- but for being an extremely decent man. Quote upon quote by notable performers and writers describe Cagney as the finest man, and most solid American, they ever knew.

This book, delightfully written by McCabe, goes a long way to showing how people ought to conduct themselves.

McCabe has written other books -- his book on George M. Cohan was comprehensive as well.

McCabe should be, as Cagney would say, "given the palm."

Rating:
Summary: Definitive biography
Review: While it is true that McCabe is in love with his subject, there is little NOT to be in love with about James Cagney.

This is the definitive biography about Cagney, and one appreciates that it is not a kiss and tell all. Cagney would not allow such self-indulgent blather from himself, much less a biographer.

Cagney guarded his privacy -- he was a man's man not given to driveling displays, tell all accounts, trashing others, or sob stories. I am so tired of the American pastime of crying about our horrible childhoods and blaming our troubled psyches on others. Cagney might weep about the beauty of horse races or sentimental Irish storytelling, but he certainly wasn't going to keen over himself.

This book shows a no-nonsense man who looked his impoverished childhood square in the eye and appreciated it for the strength and character he derived. There's nothing to feel sorry for, only an example to emulate. Which as I did as a child, when I first read the 1970s autobiography (ghostwritten by McCabe) "Cagney by Cagney."

Cagney could have ended up in Sing Sing like many of his childhood pals. He struggled on the streets of Hell's Kitchen and adored an irresponsible, incurable alcoholic of a father. Jim was the rearguard tough in a street gang, but held himself above it. He battled with his talented fists, and studying the footwork of boxers kept him relatively free of injury while contributing to the quickness and grace he gained later as a dancer.

It was his tough, yet loving Ma who saved the brace of Cagneys, four Irish sons and a daughter, from the streets. She emphasized education and a profession. Two of the Cagney sons became doctors, one a businessman, and the daughter an actress. Then there is the incomparable Jim.

This book is a solid read on the life and perspectives of this incredible man -- a fast-talking, fleet-footed, quick-fisted sprite with the heart of a giant, and the sense, discipline and hard-working ethic of an immigrant family sage. People took care of themselves back then and didn't look for handouts or people to blame.

Cagney, "a faraway fella," as pal and fellow actor Pat O'Brien described, didn't fall into the Hollywood crowd or gain the unbearable pretensions of celebrity. He was modest and grounded at all times.

It's an inspirational book that shows that success can go hand in hand with a stable life. He found peace in his farm and wild things. He kept his life free from bad publicity and controversy. He truly believed that the lowliest laborer behind the camera was as important as he. Everyone who successfully puts food on the table and does his best everyday is a success. Such was Cagney's grasp on life.

He was a true hero in every sense of the word -- not for being a Hollywood star -- but for being an extremely decent man. Quote upon quote by notable performers and writers describe Cagney as the finest man they ever knew.

This book, delightfully written by McCabe, goes a long way to showing how people ought to conduct themselves.

McCabe should be, as Cagney would say, given the palm.