Actor Rankings

Best James Cagney Movies Ranked

Explore the best James Cagney movies ranked by Movie Rankings users. Browse the available filmography, person profile, and linked movie pages for James Cagney.

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This page tracks every ranked movie we currently have for James Cagney, and expands as more titles and comparisons are added.

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These rankings refresh whenever Movie Rankings recomputes global results. This page was last generated from site data on May 9, 2026.

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Last refreshed from site data on May 9, 2026.

James Cagney Acting Filmography (128)

Becoming Marilyn
2022
Parkinson at 50
2021·Self (archive footage)
This Is Bob Hope...
2017·Self (archive footage)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009·Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
2009·Self (archive footage)
Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film
2008·Self (archive footage)
You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
2008·Self (archive footage)
Warner at War
2008·(archive footage)
Angels with Dirty Faces: Whaddya Hear? Whaddya Say?
2005·Self (archive footage)
Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
2005·Self (archive footage)
White Heat: Top of the World
2005·Self (archive footage)
Los Angeles Plays Itself
2004·Tom Powers in The Public Enemy (archive footage)
Remembering Ragtime
2004·NY Police Commissioner Rheinlander Waldo (archive footage)
Complicated Women
2003·Self (archive footage)
Tupac: Resurrection
2003·Self (archival)
Doris Day: It's Magic
1998·Self
Bogart: The Untold Story
1997·Self (archive footage)
Vaudeville
1997·Self (archive footage)
James Cagney: Top of the World
1992·Self (Archive footage)
Movie Tough Guys
1991·Self (archive footage)
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
1988·Self (archive footage)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985·Self (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
1985·From 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' (archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984·(archive footage)
Terrible Joe Moran
1984·Joe Moran
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983·Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
1982·(in "White Heat") (archive footage)
Showbiz Goes to War
1982·(archive footage)
Night of 100 Stars
1982·Self
Showbiz Ballyhoo
1982·Self (archive footage)
Ragtime
1981·New York Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo
James Cagney: That Yankee Doodle Dandy
1981
Frank Sinatra: The First 40 Years
1979·Self
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976·(archive footage)
It's Showtime
1976·Self (archive footage)
Hooray for Hollywood
1976·Self (archive footage)
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976·Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975·Self (archive footage)
Texaco Presents: A Quarter Century of Bob Hope on Television
1975·(archive footage)
Dynamite Chicken
1971·Self (archive footage)
Arizona Bushwhackers
1968·Narrator
Ballad of Smokey the Bear
1966·Narrator (voice)
The Day of the Oath
1965·Narrator
The Road to the Wall
1962·Narrator
One, Two, Three
1961·C.R. MacNamara
The Gallant Hours
1960·Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey
Never Steal Anything Small
1959·Jake MacIllaney
Shake Hands with the Devil
1959·Sean Lenihan
Man of a Thousand Faces
1957·Lon Chaney
Short Cut to Hell
1957·Himself (prologue)
These Wilder Years
1956·Steve Bradford
Tribute to a Bad Man
1956·Jeremy Rodack
The Bob Hope Chevy Show
1956·Himself
The Seven Little Foys
1955·George M. Cohan
Love Me or Leave Me
1955·Martin Snyder
Mister Roberts
1955·Captain Morton
Run for Cover
1955·Matt Dow
A Lion Is in the Streets
1953·Hank Martin
What Price Glory
1952·Captain Flagg
Come Fill the Cup
1951·Lew Marsh
Starlift
1951·James Cagney
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
1950·Ralph Cotter
The West Point Story
1950·Elwin Bixby
White Heat
1949·Arthur 'Cody' Jarrett
The Time of Your Life
1948·Joseph
13 Rue Madeleine
1947·Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey
Blow-Ups of 1947
1947·Self
Okay for Sound
1946·Tommy Powers (archive footage)
Blood on the Sun
1945·Nick Condon
Johnny Come Lately
1943·Tom Richards
You, John Jones!
1943·John Jones
Show-Business at War
1943·Self
The Voice That Thrilled the World
1943·Self (segment 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') (archive footage)
Yankee Doodle Dandy
1942·George M. Cohan
Captains of the Clouds
1942·Brian MacLean
Calling All Girls
1942·Himself (archive footage)
The Bride Came C.O.D.
1941·Steve Collins
Breakdowns of 1941
1941·Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Strawberry Blonde
1941·Biff Grimes
City for Conquest
1940·Danny Kenny
The Fighting 69th
1940·Jerry Plunkett
Torrid Zone
1940·Nick Butler
Breakdowns of 1940
1940·Self
Each Dawn I Die
1939·Frank Ross
The Roaring Twenties
1939·Eddie Bartlett
The Oklahoma Kid
1939·Jim Kincaid
Hollywood Hobbies
1939·Self (uncredited)
Breakdowns of 1939
1939·Self
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938·Rocky Sullivan
Boy Meets Girl
1938·Robert Law
Something to Sing About
1937·Terrence 'Terry' Rooney
Great Guy
1936·Johnny 'Red' Cave
Ceiling Zero
1936·Dizzy Davies
Breakdowns of 1936
1936·Self
'G' Men
1935·‘Brick' Davis
Mutiny on the Bounty
1935·(uncredited)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1935·Bottom
Frisco Kid
1935·Bat Morgan
The Irish in Us
1935·Danny O'Hara
Devil Dogs of the Air
1935·Tommy O'Toole
A Trip Thru a Hollywood Studio
1935·Himself (uncredited)
Things You Never See on the Screen
1935·Self
A Dream Comes True
1935·Himself (uncredited)
Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8
1935
Jimmy the Gent
1934·Jimmy Corrigan
Here Comes the Navy
1934·Chesty O'Conner
He Was Her Man
1934·Flicker Hayes, aka Jerry Allen
The St. Louis Kid
1934·Eddie Kennedy
The Hollywood Gad-About
1934·Self (uncredited)
Screen Snapshots No. 11
1934·Himself
Footlight Parade
1933·Chester Kent
Lady Killer
1933·Dan
Picture Snatcher
1933·Daniel Patrick "Danny" Kean
The Mayor of Hell
1933·Richard 'Patsy' Gargan
Hard to Handle
1933·Lefty Merrill
Taxi!
1932·Matt Nolan
Winner Take All
1932·Jim 'Jimmy' Kane
The Crowd Roars
1932·Joe Greer
Other Men's Women
1931·Ed 'Eddie' Bailey
Blonde Crazy
1931·Albert 'Bert' Harris
Smart Money
1931·Jack
The Public Enemy
1931·Tom Powers
The Millionaire
1931·Schofield
How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. 11: 'Practice Shots'
1931·Himself
Intimate Interviews: James Cagney
1931·Himself
The Doorway to Hell
1930·Steve Mileaway
Sinners' Holiday
1930·Harry Delano
The Singing Fool
1928·Handsy Patron at Blackie Joe's (uncredited)