There are some classic movie stars that I've completely missed. Whenever I can, I try to catch up and learn about the actors & actresses that I missed when I was a couch potato kid. I discovered William Holden in my early 20s (hubba hubba), Joel McCrea, Dick Powell...
TCM is showcasing James Cagney this month so I've set my Tivo to collect some of his work. I've always known about him, always heard accolades, but my childhood memory of Cagney is seeing him make a final appearance in the film Ragtime. I've never seen any of his classic films.
First up is White Heat, not one of his early works, but one of his best and most memorable. He plays, of course, a tough guy, this time with mama issues. He's the feared leader of a gang of thieves and he's fantastic. Cagney is ferocious as Cody Jarrett. He's a smart criminal with insanity in his genes. His wife doesn't love him, but stays with him out of fear. His own mother is part of his gang! Only when an undercover cop infiltrates his gang does Jarrett meet his demise, screaming out to the one person he loved the most, "Top of the world, Ma!"
Next up: a total departure from the tough guys, George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.
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