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guyfrommars says on 7/Nov/09
Cagney's "official height" was 5ft7, which he probably was in lifts (see RisingForce's link). 5ft5 or less.
mcfan says on 13/Oct/09
Hard to tell with Jimmy Cagney. He had a big head and was stocky. I thought he was only 5'4. RisingForce says on 19/Aug/09
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3 inch tap shoes and he still looked very short. Defintley 5'5" max and possibly shorter. Anonymous says on 30/Jul/09
I've seen a remark attributed to Howard Hughes that Cagney was a "runt". 5'5" does not seem all that small.? Parker says on 20/Jul/09
I don't know how tall Cagney was, but according to Virginia Mayo who co-starred with him, he was shorter than Alan Ladd, and consensus of opinion appears to put Ladd at around 5'6. Mayo herself estimated him between 5'6 and 5'7. I'd guess Cagney at no taller than 5'5. Orlando says on 18/Jul/09
Cagney seemed like 5'5". And Bogart no more than 5'7" - remember: he was always wearing elevator shoes, never on earth was he 5'8". Dean says on 21/Apr/09
Cagney was 5'5" and approx. 5" shorter than Gable who stood 5'10" ( Army Induction Record ) with out his high heeled shoes . Josh says on 16/Apr/09
I have seen James Cagney appear on "What's my line" (a TV show from the 50's) and he is asked by the blindfolded panel if he is over 6' tall, at which he and the audience laugh out loudly. He is then asked if he is over 5' at which he responds: "a whisker." You can watch the clip on YouTube. adam says on 21/Dec/08
One of the greatest actors of all time. Around 5-5 is correct. Ed T. says on 20/Nov/08
Patrick , you are correct. Although small in height, Cagney controlled the screen no matter who he was with,including Bogart. One of the "giant" actors of all time. Jacob64 says on 10/Nov/08
Undoubtedly he was short, 5'5" or so. you don't have too many people as coordinated as he was much over that height. sorry tall people, but you're not really all that graceful... Patrick says on 8/Oct/08
Anyway, he was also "larger than life" and looked "taller" than many others who were 5 inches over him. He was "taller" than 5'5 (great also) "Seinfeld's Jason Alexander! Ed T. says on 7/Sep/08
5'5" or 5'5-1/2"was probably the correct height for Cagney, although I could see him being 5'6". I thought the height difference between Cagney and Bogart was more like two inches rather than three inches.
One actor who Cagney was significantly taller than was the great Leo Gorcey. If I remember correctly, I think that Cagney had about three inches on Gorcey in "Angels with Dirty Faces". Parker says on 1/Sep/08
I wonder if he even made 5'5. Seen a quote from Virginia Mayo that Cagney was 'much shorter' than her 5'5 and 1/2, whereas Alan Ladd was about an inch taller. Bogart was significantly taller(2 to 3 ins) than Cagney in every film they appeared together. Bogart's character descibed him as a 'squirt' in the Okalahoma kid. Frank2 says on 31/Aug/08
Trust me. Cagney was never more than 5'5". My father was about 5'9" and his driver's license read 5'10-1/2". People fudge when it comes to height, especially on driver's licenses. And especially men. Beverly says on 30/Aug/08
On his driver's license it has his height at 5'7" at his prime. Now of course as he aged he properly shrunk to 5'5" or 5'4". I know in his book Cagney by Cagney he had to stand on a box to be a little taller than the leading lady. There is a picture of him in Oklahoma Kid where he is standing on a box. His wife Billie was possibly 5'1" to 5'2" and would have to look up to him. Frank2 says on 3/Aug/08
A.C. Lyles who I've known since I was a wee lad and was good friends with Cagney told me he was about 5'5". AG, NYC says on 1/Aug/08
Watch Cagney in 'Angels With Dirty Faces' in scenes with Bogie (who was 5'8") and Bogie towers over him. Cagney was about 5'6". Frank2 says on 31/Jul/08
Nope. Cagney was at best 5'5". john o'neill says on 30/Jul/08
at his prime james cagney stood 5'8,according to ralph bellamy.he also said that cagney would look like a giant compared to most of the stars today.he seemed shorter in his day because leading men like gable,cooper,stewart,wayne,bellamy,etc all were several inches over 6'with gable being the shortest at 6'2. BREWZER says on 10/Jul/08
ON HIS DEATH CERTIFICATE IS CLEARLY READS 5' 3" IN THE HEIGHT BOX JOSH says on 15/Jun/08
Richard harris said he was only 5ft 5-6 when he starred with him in an irish film. Aimie says on 31/May/08
Actually that is considered short today but I read that back in the 70's the average height for the American male was 5'6'' to 5'7''. Back in the 30's when this fine actor was in his prime, he probably was just considered of average height. He certainly is one of the actors with the strongest presences on screen. I love him. Seb says on 5/Feb/08
In his autobiography 'Cagney on Cagney' (1976) he talks about how other people were always asking about his height. He reckoned that his wife had to look up to him and that he was at least 5'8". I was not convinced then nor am I now of that height. But there's where they got that height from. 5'5" sound right to me. Pleasant enought book though. addie says on 6/Jan/08
On TCM, the other day, in a little bio on James Cagney, his height was given as 5' 8". I got hysterical. They must have gotten that figure from an old studio publicity file or something. The man was almost too talented, so I was not laughing at him, just at someone who would report that height, for him, as fact, he wasn't any 5'8', for Pete's sake!
A 1986 article had him at 5'8.5"?? Are you trying to kill me? Maybe, in his heeled tap shoes, with lifts??
But I don't remember him being taller than any of the actresses in "Yankee Doodle Dandy", when he wore those shoe. I'll have to watch it again. Mr. T says on 17/Jul/07
Yeah, he was small-shouldered and rarely ever close to his co-stars in height. Still a tough **** and a great actor. patrick says on 13/Feb/07
Small but not "short" which is pelorative in my opinion; J. Cagney was "giant" and much tougher than so many biger guys above all, from today!
Like E.G Robinson or even UNDERATED Alan Ladd, J. Cagney was able to act anything and ALWAYS more than credible.
He didn't need to be "a standard" nor being handsome or tall or this or that to be what he was: one of the greatest actor (and man) ever! Frank2 says on 3/Mar/06
If it was true that he was 5ft 8.5 then co-stars like Bogart and Raft were giants! My best guess is that Cagney was around five five, no more. sam says on 15/Aug/05
I read in his biography that he was once listed as 5'6 1/2" and once measured as 5'8 1/2", and they were both exactly one inch off: that he was 5'7 1/2". Don't know if this is true. |