GANGSTER ROLES DISCARDED

Evening Star, Issue 23143, 17 December 1938, Page 5

GANGSTER ROLES DISCARDED

CAGNEY NOW FOR LAW AND ORDER

Jimmy Cagney has played his last screen role as a gangster, the star announced recently. After his recent success in _ ‘ Something to Sing About ’ Jimmy is currently at work on ‘ Great Guy,’ his second Grand National picture for Action Pictures release. Once more in this film Cagney will be on the side of Jaw and order. “ You might think I’d be sorry to see the gangster die a natural death as screen material,” stated the dynamic star, particularly since gangster pictures started me on my career. Yes, there’s no doubt about it—l might never have had even the chance to make good on the screen but for the fact that producers saw in the gangster a fine melodramatic character, and chose me to play him in some of the first films deliberately written around him. But that doesn’t mean I like gangster roles—l don’t! All the time when I was making my first picture in a straight role—- ‘ G-Men ’ —l had a feeling that gangster pictures might come back, and 1 would again be asked to be a hoodlum. But films like ‘ G-Men ’ put paid tn that idea—there will never be anotbei picture which makes a hero of the gangster. If I am a success in my new roles— -and only the public can tell me that—it will moan I have won my fight to be a great deal more than a ‘ tough guy.’ Incidentally. it’ll make doubly sure that I don’t play any more gangsters.