Description
Book SynopsisOne of the biggest stars of the golden age of Hollywood, James Cagney appeared in more than sixty films throughout his career. In addition to starring in the classics White Heat, Mister Roberts, and One, Two, Three, Cagney received the Academy Award for his performance as George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. From his debut in Sinner's Holiday to one of his many gangster portrayals in The Roaring Twenties, the actor appeared in more than thirty films of the 1930s. Though he started out in supporting roles, Cagney quickly became a leading man and by the end of the decade, he was a box-office star.In James Cagney Films of the 1930s, James L. Neibaur reviews the first decade of the great actor's work. A film-by-film look at Cagney's movies during this pivotal period, this book traces the actor's transition from a song-and-dance man on stage to a tough guy on screen. Although Cagney occasionally was able to deviate from studio typecastingin such films as Footlight Parade and A Midsummer
Trade ReviewThe amount of attention Neibaur pays to each film is striking, and his detailed breakdowns of individual scenes are not only insightful, but also convey a love and respect for Cagney and his work. One could watch a Cagney movie and enjoy him immensely, but the brilliance of his talent is really apparent while reading Neibaur’s book. The book is also complemented by a stunning array of publicity photos, screenshots, and movie posters featuring Cagney. With James Cagney Films of the 1930s, Neibaur more than succeeds at the book’s goal of examining the trajectory of Cagney’s career and how he developed his screen persona. This book is more insightful than any biography or overview of his entire filmography could ever be. That’s not to say that Cagney didn’t have a successful career following the 1930s; in fact, he continued to deliver amazing performances in an array of fantastic films, finally getting to branch out from his gangster persona a bit and even winning a Best Actor Oscar for 1942’s 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'. But by focusing on the career-defining years, Neibaur gives readers a chance to watch Cagney the movie star unfold before them, with bracketing chapters filling in the details on some of the rest of his career. It’s a fantastic read that is sure to become one of the definitive works on the great James Cagney. * Examiner.com *
The format of the book follows along the lines of most of Neibaur’s other books in which he will take a classic Hollywood star and focus on a theme or an aspect/time of their career: ie. Clint Eastwood’s westerns or Harry Langdon’s silent comedies with a chapter dedicated to each film and a credits detailed list for each film. Each film is covered in detail tracing the films from a professional point of view. . . .[T]his is a good read and does effectively focus well on the career defining films of the decade. * Filmwerk *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. From the Streets to the Stage 2. Sinner’s Holiday 3. The Doorway to Hell 4. Other Men’s Women 5. The Public Enemy 6. The Millionaire 7. Smart Money 8. Blonde Crazy 9. Taxi! 10. The Crowd Roars 11. Winner Take All 12. Hard to Handle 13. Picture Snatcher 14. The Mayor of Hell 15. Footlight Parade 16. Lady Killer 17. Jimmy the Gent 18. He Was Her Man 19. Here Comes the Navy 20. The St Louis Kid 21. Devil Dogs of the Air 22. G Men 23. The Irish in Us 24. A Midsummer Night’s Dream 25. Frisco Kid 26. Ceiling Zero 27. Great Guy 28. Something to Sing About 29. Boy Meets Girl 30. Angels with Dirty Faces 31. The Oklahoma Kid 32. Each Dawn I Die 33. The Roaring Twenties 34. Cagney after the Thirties Bibliography About the Author
