Jeanne Cagney

Jeanne Carolyn Cagney (March 25, 1919 – December 7, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress.

Jeanne Cagney
Cagney in c. 1942
Born
Jeanne Carolyn Cagney

(1919-03-25)March 25, 1919
New York City, U.S.
DiedDecember 7, 1984(1984-12-07) (aged 65)
Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Alma materHunter College
OccupationActress
Years active1939–1965
Spouse(s)
    Kim Spalding
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1944; div. 1952)​
      Jack Sherman Morrison
      ​
      ​
      (m. 1953; div. 1973)​
      Children2
      RelativesJames Cagney (brother)
      William Cagney (brother)

      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.[1] She attended Hunter College High School. Majoring in French and German,[2] 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.[3] She also starred in plays produced by the college's dramatic society.[4] Following her college graduation, she studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.[1]

      Stage
      Cagney in 1942

      Cagney performed in the original stage production of The Iceman Cometh, which premiered on Broadway on October 9, 1946.[1] The play's author, Eugene O'Neill, cast her in the role of Margie, one of the "street walkers" in his story.

      Film
      Cagney with Mickey Rooney in Quicksand (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.[4] She appeared in 19 films between 1939 and 1965, including four films with her brother James: Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), The Time of Your Life (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 Quicksand (1950).

      Radio

      Cagney briefly played the title role in the radio soap opera The Romance of Helen Trent.[5] Most of her other work on radio was as a guest in dramatic programs such as the following:

      YearRadio ProgramEpisode/source
      1942Armstrong's Theatre of TodayNA[6]
      1942Screen Guild PlayersYankee Doodle Dandy[7]
      1944Silver TheaterWanted -- Adventure for Two[8]
      1944The Kate Smith HourTill We Meet Again[9]
      1945Grand Central StationNA[10]
      1946Grand Central StationA Lion Is in the Streets[11]
      1952Family TheaterThe Red Head[12]

      Television

      In 1954, Cagney made a television pilot for a mystery series, Satan's Waiting, but it apparently was not sold.[13] Later, she served as the fashion commentator of Queen for a Day,[14] hosted by Jack Bailey on NBC and ABC 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 Spaulding) in 1944. She was divorced from him March 9, 1951. They had no children.[15] She married Jack Morrison, a faculty member in theater arts at UCLA,[14] on June 6, 1953;[16] they had two daughters, Mary and Terry.[14]

      Death

      Jeanne Cagney, at age 65, died of lung cancer in Newport Beach, California, on December 7, 1984.[1] Survivors included brothers William and James Cagney, daughters Theresa Cagney and Mary Anne Roberts, and a grandson.[1] Her grave is at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, California. Her brother William, who died in 1988, is buried next to her.[17]

      Filmography
      YearTitleRoleNotes
      1939All Women Have SecretsKay Parker Gregory
      1940Queen of the MobEthel Webster
      1940Golden GlovesMary Parker
      1940Rhythm on the RiverCountry Cousin
      1942Yankee Doodle DandyJosie Cohan
      1948The Time of Your LifeKitty Duval
      1950QuicksandVera
      1952Don't Bother to KnockRochelle
      1953A Lion Is in the StreetsJennie Brown
      1955Kentucky RifleCordie Hay
      1957Man of a Thousand FacesCarrie Chaney
      1965Town TamerMary Donley

      References
      1. "Actress Jeanne Cagney Morrison, 65". Chicago Tribune. December 11, 1984. p. 14 - Section 2. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
      2. Ferguson, Betty Jane (June 9, 1938). "Movie Tough Guy's Sister Knows He Is Only Putting on a Good Act". The Piqua Daily Call. p. 18. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      3. "Obituaries: Star's sister is dead at 65". Lodi News-Sentinel. December 10, 1984. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
      4. "At Last Jeanne Cagney Has A Role That Suits Her Name". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 7, 1943. p. 31. Retrieved May 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      5. Wolters, Larry (July 19, 1953). "Helen Trent's Romance Now 20 Years Old". Chicago Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
      6. "Jeanne Cagney Guest Star on Theatre of Today". Harrisburg Telegraph. June 20, 1942. p. 24. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      7. "Players to Open Season With 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'". Harrisburg Telegraph. October 17, 1942. p. 19. Retrieved May 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      8. "Jeanne Cagney Guest on Silver Theater Hour". Chicago Tribune. July 9, 1944. p. Part 3 - Page 4. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
      9. "Comedy". The Lincoln Star. September 24, 1944. p. 28. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      10. "Jeanne Cagney On WSOY". The Decatur Herald. May 12, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      11. "Jeanne Cagney in St. Patrick Story, On 'Grand Central'". Harrisburg Telegraph. March 16, 1946. p. 21. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      12. Kirby, Walter (February 24, 1952). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. p. 38. Retrieved May 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      13. "Malone Firm To Produce Mystery Films". Billboard. November 27, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
      14. Thompson, Ruth E. (June 13, 1964). "TV Rates with Jeanne Cagney". Simpson's Leader-Times. p. 13. Retrieved May 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      15. "Jeanne Cagney Wins Divorce". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. March 9, 1951. p. 15. Retrieved May 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      16. "Jeanne Cagney Weds". The Anniston Star. June 7, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved May 30, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
      17. "Jeanne Cagney," Find a Grave website memorial 8803 created on March 10, 2000. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
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