CAGNEY Paperback – January 21, 1999

Although lengthy and a bit “wordy” the book is worth reading. I admire Cagney for his dedication to working hard and his efforts to put forth a good movie. His respect for other actors, friends, and directors he worked under is commendable. A great human being.

5 stars because the book came on time and was exactly as expected. It was an interesting book but some of the information I question the validity of. There is a reference in back - which is important to me. But (as an example) on page 221 it speaks about Charles Boyer putting the moves on an unnamed starlet, with no direct quotations from anyone reciting the tale. Charles Boyer was universally known to be faithful to his wife and highly regarded by his female costars. I have never read of him putting the moves on anyone - this in direct contrast to everything that I have ever read about him. I'm not saying it didn't happen but with no direct source relating the story, we have no idea who told the author this information. It never says that Cagney related the story, or Pat O'Brien, or anyone on that USO tour. Which makes me suspect if it's true or just a sordid fabrication. And if there is no way to validate that story, what else in the book can't be traced back to the source? I don't know. Maybe it's a little thing, but that kind of thing bothers me. If it's true - back it up by citing the source or leave it out of the book. Other than that, it was an okay book. I liked Jimmy Cagney's autobiography better. The five stars is because the seller did their job well. It isn't their fault I doubt the credibility of the author, and they shouldn't take the hit on their ratings for it.

The book reinforced my good impression of my favorite actor. I got to know his wife and events of his private life.

The author ghostwrote a Cagney autobiography, Cagney on Cagney, years before he wrote this biography. He spent a great deal of time with Cagney for both projects. Cagney was much more open during the writing of the second book than he was the first. I don't know how many young people today even know who he was but they're missing out if they don't. Just because his best work was done in black and white doesn't mean I isn't worth watching. He started as a chorus boy dancing behind the actors on the stage before working up his own act and later getting into movies. .In the beginning he was typecast as a bad guy but later was able to get roles more to his liking.

I was a Cagney fan as a kid. He was a villain in his movies, but there was something understandable.It was a shock to read how profane and violent his childhood was. You wouldn't think the start of the last century was like that. There were pimps, hoods, swearing, drunks. It's not a sad story.This details several of Cagney's movies. A big part of the book is directed to "Yankee Doodle Dandy."It's also honest about Cagney's later movies. Most were good, but he claims not be interested in Hollywood, but he kept acting.I had no idea about Cagney's health issues.I learned a lot and have a new fondness for those movies and the man.

Shakespeare scholar, Laurel & Hardy expert, and all-round Renaissance man John McCabe has written a biography worthy of his subject, but I have two objections. Mr. McCabe ghost wrote Cagney's autobiography, in which Cagney refused to relate certain distressing stories of his youth on the grounds that it was difficult enough for HIM to live through the incidents, and he didn't want to inflict them on others; why then, did John McCabe feel the need to fill in the blanks, given Cagney's own feeling? Also, concerning an unflattering story involving a certain actress, I cannot help but feel that Cagney, had he decided to tell the story at all, would have let the lady remain nameless!

Boring book in the beginning but has gotten better.

I was glad to find a first edition of this book for my collection. John McCabe was a very interesting writer creating this biography of someone he became friends with. He was Cagney's ghostwriter for "Cagney by Cagney". He was honest with his depictions of Cagney's career as well as factual about Cagney's personal life. A good read for anyone interested in that time period or actors.