6 Best James Cagney Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 10, 2026

James Cagney defined the gangster picture with a coiled, explosive physicality and brought the same electric energy to musicals whenever he got the chance. White Heat infiltrates a psychotic, mother-obsessed gangster’s empire, Yankee Doodle Dandy dramatises George M. Cohan’s rise, Mister Roberts clashes a tyrannical captain with an officer longing for combat, and One, Two, Three scrambles a Coca-Cola executive in Cold War Berlin. The Public Enemy and Angels with Dirty Faces round out the list.

One, Two, Three (1961)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A Coca-Cola executive in divided Berlin scrambles to hide his boss's daughter's marriage to a communist.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 1h 49m · Rated NR

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mister Roberts (1955)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A frustrated naval officer aboard a cargo ship longs for a transfer to real combat duty.

Directed by John Ford & Mervyn LeRoy · 2h 03m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

White Heat (1949)

TMDB ★ 8.0

Grandon Rhodes features in this Cagney classic about a psychotic, mother-obsessed gangster who plans a daring heist while an undercover agent infiltrates his gang.

Directed by Raoul Walsh · 1h 54m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 91% Metacritic 89

Broadway legend George M. Cohan's rise, told in a flag-waving wartime tribute.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 2h 06m · Rated NR

Won 3 Oscars6 wins & 6 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Google Play Movies, YouTube · Buy: Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A reformed gangster's return to his old neighbourhood threatens to lead a group of admiring boys astray.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 1h 37m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store · Buy: Apple TV Store, Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Public Enemy (1931)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 100% Metacritic 80

James Cagney plays a small-time hoodlum whose ruthless rise through Prohibition-era Chicago's criminal underworld is the film's engine.

Directed by William A. Wellman · 1h 24m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar1 win & 1 nomination

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best James Cagney Movies

One, Two, Three (1961)

Mister Roberts (1955)

White Heat (1949)

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)

The Public Enemy (1931)

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