Although he was the star of multiple hit films, James Cagney was known as “the thorn in Jack Warner’s side.” He repeatedly went on strikes, demanding higher and higher salaries. In John McCabe’s biography of Cagney, he explains that during the filming of Winner Take All, singer Dick Powell was making $4,000/week, whereas the much more…
Biff Grimes (James Cagney) is an ex-con living in turn-of-the-century New York City who has not found much success in his post-prison career as a dentist. One Sunday afternoon, while preparing to go for a walk with his wife, Amy (Olivia de Havilland), Biff gets a call from the president of the local bank: one…
Happy Independence Day to our readers in the United States! I’m heading off in a moment to spend the day floating on the lake … and to complete my transformation into a red, red lobster-like creature, a process that started yesterday (sunburns are a bitch). In honor of our nation’s birthday, I’m posting a clip…
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) Airing at 12:15PM EST As far as musicals go, Yankee Doodle Dandy is, without a doubt, one of the very best. In my mind, it’s one of the top five musicals of all time, right behind Singin’ in the Rain. Patriotic to the extreme and VERY loosely based on the life…
True Classics 