Known
as the "Little Tough Guy," James Cagney was an
Irish New Yorker. Cagney's first real job as an entertainer
was in a chorus line as a "female Dancer / impersonator
and was considered a Vaudeville hoofer (tap) in the
1920's until becoming a dramatic movie star.
--Cagney played in many musicals
and was an excellent dancer. He was the first to use the
"Moonwalk" (a dance step)
in a movie. His greatest roles were as a gangster in many
gangster movies of the 1940's. However he won an Academy
award for his dancing and portrayal in the film musical
"Yankee Doodle Dandy" (pictured left).
--The famous line "You
Dirty Rat" used to portray him was never spoken by
Cagney, however it was spoken by a "Comedian Impersonator"
(some say a writer) who did it so well, everyone
attributed it to the real Cagney.
