James Cagney (1)

Screen legend James Cagney tells a fascinating bit about his life before, during, and after his wonderful film career, though he (like many film stars in their autobiographies) doesn't think people will be interested much in the details of picture making (he's wrong about that). I could have read this book with joy if it had had three times the material. But Cagney thought of himself purely as a song-and-dance man, and didn't make much of his career. So he tells a few interesting tales, pontificates a little about the (non-) art of acting and a little more about politics, and lets it go at that. He seems to have been a genuinely nice man who never thought the magic he brought to the screen was anything but a job--like ditch-digging or house-painting, though maybe a little better paying. I wish there'd been more to this book, but what's there is excellent.… (altro)