James Cagney

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On March 30, 1986, actor James Cagney died. He was born on July 17, 1899 in New York City. Although he won acclaim and major awards in a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing tough guys. Cagney's seventh film, The Public Enemy, became one of the most influential gangster movies of the period. Notable for its famous grapefruit scene, the film thrust Cagney into the spotlight, making him one of Warners' and Hollywood's biggest stars. In 1938, he received his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination, for Angels with Dirty Faces, before winning in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He was nominated a third time in 1955 for Love Me or Leave Me. Cagney retired for twenty years in 1961, spending time on his farm, before returning for a part in Ragtime, mainly to aid his recovery from a stroke. He died on March 30, 1986 from a heart attack in Stanford, New York and is buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York.