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Remembering Jimmy Cagney
He was more than a “Yankee Doodle Dandy”
I can’t remember the last time I saw a Jimmy Cagney movie. Though he is probably most noted for his gangster roles, he was also a pretty good dancer. Since my memory of him is fading, and I was really looking hard for some subject matter, I decided to do a little research on Cagney. Here are some things you might not have known about Jimmy Cagney. Especially if you are under 65.
1: Despite being a little under 5'5" Cagney was a good athlete, excelling as a boxer and baseball player.
As a baseball player, I’m guessing he was a shortstop. Ok, enough of that.
2: As an amateur boxer, Cagney, as a runner-up for the New York state lightweight title.
He was also a pretty good street fighter which might make some people hesitant to call him a “shortstop.”
3: Cagney had been retired for twenty years before taking a part in the movie, “Ragtime.”
Cagney took the role in part, as therapy as he was recovering from a stroke. I hope my doctor will prescribe a movie role for me if I need to rehab.
