What a great way to get ready for the Fourth of July! Movie Addict HQ pays tribute to James Cagney, one of Hollywood’s legendary actors, during an episode scheduled for July 2. Noted film critics Diana Saenger, James Colt Harrison and A.J. Hakari plan to join this celebration of Cagney’s illustrious movie career, including his Oscar-winning performance in Yankee Doodle Dandy. Cagney earned many honors for his on-screen work. In addition to his Best Actor Academy Award, he garnered two other Oscar nominations. One for Angels with Dirty Faces, the other for Love Me or Leave Me. He also received the AFI Life Achievement Award, a Kennedy Center Honor and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.

Although known primarily for his many “tough-guy” roles, Cagney started out in show biz as a dancer. For his first stage performance, he danced dressed as a woman in the chorus line of Every Sailor, a 1919 revue. In later years, he even opened a dance studio for professionals and served as a choreographer. But he only danced in a small number of movies, including Footlight Parade, Taxi, The Seven Little Foys and Yankee Doodle Dandy.  After Cagney’s breakthrough gangster part in The Public Enemy, many moviegoers had a hard time accepting him playing “good-guy” roles, but it’s not surprising that in 1999 the AFI ranked Cagney as 8th among the 50 Greatest American Screen Legends.  

Below are titles of other Cagney films the panel members might talk about during this special tribute show.

WHITE HEAT

MR. ROBERTS

RAGTIME

ONE TWO THREE

STRAWBERRY BLONDE

SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL

SINNER’S HOLIDAY

THE ROARING TWENTIES

EACH DAWN I DIE

13 RUE MADELEINE

TRIBUTE TO A BAD MAN

MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES

THE OKLAHOMA KID

NEVER STEAL ANYTHING SMALL

THE BRIDE CAME C.O.D.

A LION IS IN THE STREET

THE WEST POINT STORY

“James Cagney Tribute” airs on BlogTalkRadio at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, July2, 2013. During the live show, listeners are invited to call in and to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668

HOST: Betty Jo Tucker

PRODUCER: Nikki Starr 

LINK TO LISTEN: Click here.