Jeanne Carolyn Cagney (March 25, 1919 – December 7, 1984) was an

American film The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...

, stage, and television actress.

Early years

Born in New York City, Cagney and her four older brothers were raised by her widowed mother Carolyn Elizabeth Cagney (née Nelson). Two of her brothers were film actor James Cagney and actor/producer

William Cagney William Jerome Cagney (March 26, 1905 – January 3, 1988) was an American film producer and actor, remembered for roles in the Monogram Pictures films '' Lost in the Stratosphere'' and '' Flirting with Danger'', both filmed in 1934. Career H ...

. She attended Hunter College High School. Majoring in French and German, she was a cum laude graduate of Hunter College (now part of City University of New York) and a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society. She also starred in plays produced by the college's dramatic society. Following her college graduation, she studied acting at the

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

Stage

upCagney in 1942 Cagney performed in the original stage production of ''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perf ...

'', which premiered on Broadway on October 9, 1946. The play's author,

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...

, cast her in the role of Margie, one of the " street walkers" in his story.

Film

Cagney with

Quicksand Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that los ...

'' (1950) After being heard by a scout while appearing on Bing Crosby's radio program, Cagney had a film test with RKO Pictures. However, she signed a long-term contract with Paramount Pictures. She appeared in 19 films between 1939 and 1965, including four films with her brother James: ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George To ...

'' (1942), ''

The Time of Your Life ''The Time of Your Life'' is a 1939 five-act play by American playwright William Saroyan. The play is the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play opened on Broadway in 1939. Cha ...

'' (1948), '' A Lion Is in the Streets'' (1953), and '' Man of a Thousand Faces'' (1957). Cagney gave a noted performance opposite Mickey Rooney in the film noir crime film ''

'' (1950).

Radio

Cagney briefly played the title role in the radio soap opera ''

The Romance of Helen Trent ''The Romance of Helen Trent'' was a radio soap opera which aired on CBS from October 30, 1933 to June 24, 1960 for a total of 7,222 episodes. The show was created by Frank and Anne Hummert, who were among the most prolific producers during the r ...

''. Most of her other work on radio was as a guest in dramatic programs such as the following:

Television

In 1954, Cagney made a

television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distr ...

for a mystery series, ''Satan's Waiting,'' but it apparently was not sold. Later, she served as the fashion commentator of ''

Queen for a Day ''Queen for a Day'' is an American radio and television game show that helped to usher in American listeners' and viewers' fascination with big-prize giveaway shows. ''Queen for a Day'' originated on the Mutual Radio Network on April 30, 1945, i ...

'', hosted by Jack Bailey on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

and

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

from 1956 to 1963. This daytime "game show" is regarded as a forerunner of today's reality shows. Cagney hosted segments that provided viewers with tips on style and introduced to them the latest fashions.

Family

Cagney married actor Ross Latimer (also known as

Kim Spalding Kim Spalding (born Ross F. Latimer; December 7, 1915 – November 18, 2000) was an American film, television and theatre actor. Life and career Spalding was born in Washington, Missouri, the son of Ross Latimer. He began his film career in ...

) in 1944. She was divorced from him March 9, 1951. They had no children. She married Jack Morrison, a faculty member in theater arts at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, on June 6, 1953; they had two daughters, Mary and Terry.

Death

Cagney, at age 65, died of lung cancer in Newport Beach, California, on December 7, 1984. Her grave is at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, California.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cagney, Jeanne 1919 births 1984 deaths Actresses from New York City American radio actresses American film actresses American television actresses Burials at Pacific View Memorial Park Deaths from lung cancer in California 20th-century American actresses Hunter College alumni