Mr. Cagney & Mr. Montgomery

 They were both born in the state of New York, but were worlds apart.  The young Cagney grew up in the lower east side of Manhattan, Montgomery in an upper middle class home in upstate New York.  Bob attended a private prep school, but left before he could graduate when his father died.  Cagney, somewhat surprisingly, completed high school and attended a semester of college before dropping out when his father died.  Cagney started in show business as a dancer, Bob went straight to acting and began his movie career in 1929, followed the next year by Jimmy.  They were both successful, rising to the top rapidly.  

Anyway, they seemed more different than they actually were.  Both became involved in the Screen Actors Guild when it started.  I've always assumed that's how they met, not really sure.  Bob was very busy at MGM, and the same for Jimmy at Warner Bros.  And they did not hang about in the same social circles, for sure.   

     James Cagney, Chester Morris and Robert Montgomery visit Mary 

            Boland on set to sell tickets to a SAG fund-raising event.

Below, Cagney visits Montgomery on the set of The Night Must Fall in 1937.  Besides just wanting to check in on a friend, it was great PR having a Warner Bros. star visit a friend on an MGM set.  

Bob returns the favor in 1940, visiting Jimmy on the set of City of Conquest.

And Cagney scored a big coup getting Lt. Montgomery to attend the premiere of Yankee Doodle Dandy on May 29, 1942 in New York City.  Politically, Bob was a good friend to have when you were facing trouble due to past leftist activities.  

On September 10, 1956, Cagney appeared in an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents, titled "Soldiers from the War Returning" which was the opening episode of the show's final season.  It was a big favor to Montgomery ratings wise, the movie star Cagney appearing in a very dramatic role on live television.  The newness was a real challenge for Jimmy.  

In 1959 the two finally got a project going that they could do together.  Of course Cagney starred in and Montgomery directed The Gallant Hours, which was released in 1960.  It is a Cagney/Montgomery production, with Bob more involved with the actual production.  It was Bob's idea to make the movie about Admiral Halsey with Cagney ideal in the lead role.  It was a great movie for Bob to wrap up his movie career in.  They obviously enjoyed working together.    

Cagney would make one more movie, One, Two, Three in 1961 before retirement (not counting minor appearances in his later years).  There was talk of doing another project together, but nothing came of it.  Wouldn't it have been great to see them act together.  

Today, September 27th, marks the anniversary of Mr. Montgomery's passing at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, NYC.  He was 77.  Cagney passed in 1986 at the age of 86 on his farm near the village of Stanfordville, NY.  True-blue New Yorkers.