Wednesday, June 15, 2011

They Don't Make Em Like They Use To

Some of y'all may still be scratching your heads today over something I posted and said yesterday.
In reference to a Tony Awards musical number from the show "Catch Me If You Can".
I said that the actor Norbert Leo Butz was channeling Jimmy Cagney in that song.

Here is the clip again.



Watch Norbert dancing in it again and then go HERE and watch this clip of James Cagney from the 1942 movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

Do you see what I saw or not?

I'm guessing there are scads of people out there(mostly younger than myself)who have never watched "old" movies(anything before color film)or have watched very few of them.
Many know Jimmy Cagney only from his very successful "gangster/hoodlum" films and don't know that he was a versatile actor who could play a wide range of characters.  Among his accomplishments, he was an excellent comedian, a singer and a very talented tap dancer.  He began his career in vaudeville and his first role was playing a woman.  Pretty good for a tough guy, huh? 

No real point to this post other than to ramble I guess. ;-)

I saw that the American Film Institute has Mr. Cagney on their Greatest Film Stars of All Time List at the #8 position for the Men.  This list came out in 1999.

Who do you feel should not be on that list or who did they leave off that is your favorite?

Sluggy


2 comments:

  1. I got the Cagney reference since I have seen 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' at least two dozen times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Practical--I knew you'd know my reference since you have been around the block a few times like me! 8-)

    ReplyDelete

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