Realizing that her future in movies was slowing down, she turned to the supper club circuit in the 60s with her husband, Michael O'Shea, touring the country in such productions as No, No Nanette, Barefoot in the Park, Hello Dolly, and Butterflies Are Free. (1952) and worst of all, the Biblical bomb, The Silver Chalice (1954) which was, incidentally, Paul Newman's film debut, and is a film he still derides as the worst of his career. (1951), co-starring Gregory Peck, was merely decorative that of a burlesque queen attempting to earn a university degree in the gormless comedy, She¿s Working Her Way Through College Her next film, with Cagney, The West Point Story (1950), was a pleasant enough musical but her role as Lady Wellesley in Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. Remember, it was Verna who shot Cody¿s mother in the back, and yet when Cody confronts her after he escapes from prison to exact revenge for her death, Verna effectively places the blame on Big Ed (Steve Cochran):Ĭritics and fans purred over the newfound versatility, yet strangely, she never found a part as juicy as Verna again. That film, White Heat (1949), and her role, as Cody Jarrett's (James Cagney) sluttish, conniving wife, Verna, is memorable for the sheer ruthlessness of her performance. It wasn't until the following year that Mayo got the chance to sink her teeth into a meaty role. Mayo did make a brief break from light comedy, and gave a good performance as Dana Andrews' unfaithful wife, Marie, in the popular post-war drama, The Best Years of Their Lives (1946) but despite the good reviews, she was back with Kaye in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), and A Song Is Born (1948). Both films were big hits, and the chemistry between Mayo and Kaye - the classy, reserved blonde beauty clashing with the hyperactive clown She proved a hit with moviegoers, and her next two films would be with her most frequent leading man, Danny Kaye: Wonder Man (1945), and The Kid from Brooklyn (1946). Almost immediately, Goldwyn saw her natural movement, comfort and ease in front of the camera, and in just her fourth film, she landed a plumb lead opposite Bob Hope in The Princess and the Pirate (1944). She then received minor billing as a "Goldwyn Girl," in the Danny Kaye farce, Up In Arms (1944). He gave her a small role in her first film, starring future husband, Michael O'Shea, in Jack London (1943). While still in her teens, she joined the nightclub circuit, and after paying her dues for a few years traveling across the country, she eventually caught the eye of movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn. Louis, Missouri on November 30, 1920, and got her show business start at the age of six by enrolling in her aunt's School of Dramatic Expression. Leading lady of the 40s, who on occasion, could prove herself quite capable in dramatic parts, died on January 17 at a nursing home in Thousand Oaks, CA of pneumonia and heart failure. Virginia Mayo, the delectable, "peaches and cream" Fox), James Cagney, Casey Cagney Thomas, Mae Clarke, Julius Epstein, David Huddelston, Burt Kennedy, Jack Lemmon, Joan Leslie, Virginia Mayo. Lindahl, James Cagney: Top of the World also features interviews with Cagney's daughter Casey Cagney Thomas, Jack Lemmon, Mae Clarke and screenwriter Julius Epstein.Ĭast: Host (Michael J. Bucking the Hollywood norm, he remained married to the same woman for 64 years and lived quietly out of the spotlight on his beloved farm on Martha's Vineyard. A bigger-than-life presence on the silver screen, Cagney was a private and unassuming man when he wasn't acting. The documentary also examines James Cagney, the man. James Cagney: Top of the World explores Cagney's distinguished 63-film career beginning with his working class roots and early days in vaudeville through his star-making performance as Tommy Powers in The Public Enemy (1931). Fox, gives a fascinating glimpse into the life and career of screen legend James Cagney.įrom his explosive tough guy image in the gangster pictures that made him famous to his notorious battles with Jack Warner and his Oscar®-winning triumph in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), James Cagney continually impressed audiences with his tremendous talent and versatility. The Turner Pictures original documentary James Cagney: Top of the World (1992), hosted by actor Michael J.
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