James Cagney Films of the 1930s

(Hardback)

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Description

One 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 Sinners 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 actors work. A film-by-film look at Cagneys movies during this pivotal period, this book traces the actors 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 Nights Dreamhis most notable roles were in gangster dramas like The Public Enemy and Angels with Dirty Faces. Throughout this book, Neibaur provides readers with plot summaries, production details, and critical and commercial reception of each film. For fans of the actors work, James Cagney Films of the 1930s is an invaluable resource that will also appeal to anyone interested in movie-making during one of Hollywoods greatest eras.

Reviews

The 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 Neibaurs 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 books goal of examining the trajectory of Cagneys 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. Thats not to say that Cagney didnt 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 1942s '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. Its 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 Neibaurs 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 Eastwoods westerns or Harry Langdons 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 *

Author Bio

James L. Neibaur is a film historian and educator who has written hundreds of articles, including more than forty essays in the Encyclopedia Britannica. He is the author of several books on film, including The Fall of Buster Keaton (2010), Chaplin at Keystone (2012), The Silent Films of Harry Langdon (2012), and The Charley Chase Talkies (2013), and coauthor with Terri Niemi of Buster Keaton's Silent Shorts: 1920-1923 (2013), all published by Scarecrow Press.