James Cagney & Spencer Tracy
Ernest Borgnine always referred back to Spencer Tracy as an example of the way to conduct yourself as an actor. Charles Durning said when receiving a golden star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame it
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Post by petrolino on

Ernest Borgnine always referred back to Spencer Tracy as an example of the way to conduct yourself as an actor. Charles Durning said when receiving a golden star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame it meant the world to him as he was now on a pavement with his hero James Cagney. Cagney and Tracy went toe to toe and then some.

Post by Penn Guinn on

James Cagney with Spencer Tracy and director William K. Howard on the set of "The Power and the Glory", 1933.

The tragic life story of a power-hungry industrialist (Tracy) is recounted in the aftermath of his death.

Cagney is not in this film.

Post by Penn Guinn on

Were they both practicing Catholics back in the day?

Practicing Catholics irl ?

No idea ... but they played Catholics in a lot of films .... sometimes as Priest and sometimes as church going gangster.

Post by petrolino on

Were they both practicing Catholics back in the day?

Practicing Catholics irl ?

No idea ... but they played Catholics in a lot of films .... sometimes as Priest and sometimes as church going gangster.

Well, they both seem like they could be Irish Catholics to me. What do you think ?

Post by Penn Guinn on

Practicing Catholics irl ?

No idea ... but they played Catholics in a lot of films .... sometimes as Priest and sometimes as church going gangster.

Well, they both seem like Irish Catholics to me.

They both are at least partly Irish and Catholic ... it's the practicing part am not sure of !

Cagney was of Irish and Norwegian descent.

Tracy attended a Catholic University and from his biog on IMDb :

Tracy's strong Roman Catholic beliefs precluded his divorcing wife Louise, though they mostly lived apart.

Post by petrolino on

Well, they both seem like Irish Catholics to me.

They both are at least partly Irish and Catholic ... it's the practicing part am not sure of !

Cagney was of Irish and Norwegian descent.

Tracy attended a Catholic University and from his biog on IMDb :

Tracy's strong Roman Catholic beliefs precluded his divorcing wife Louise, though they mostly lived apart.

I'm sorry. Didn't mean to suggest or insinuate anything upon religious lines. I'm just a fan of these actors. I'm sorry if any hurt was caused, if it was that's my stupidity and ignorance when it comes to James Cagney and Spencer Tracuy.

Post by Penn Guinn on

Too bad JC and ST didn't work for the same studio ... might have been fun to see them together, eh ?

Funny thing happened as I was typing earlier ....

Cagney and Tracy appeared together in

made me think of TV's Cagney and Lacey !

Tracy, Cagney, O'Brien and McHugh were known as the "Irish Mafia" back in the day.

petrolino fwiw ... I saw no suggestion or insulation in the religion question.

Post by petrolino on

Well, they both seem like they could be Irish Catholics to me. What do you think ?

I don't know about Cagney, but the fact that Spencer Tracy never divorced his wife despite his long term, live-in relationship with Katherine Hepburn, means that he was a practicing Catholic.

Thanks. I didn't mean to open a can of worms. They just both remind me of people I know, growing up.

Post by Penn Guinn on

A Cagney / Tracy connection

Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)

Production began with Spencer Tracy as the star of the film, but he clashed with director Robert Wise and was extremely temperamental causing several delays in filming. When Tracy claimed that the high altitude of the mountain set was making him ill and insisted that the set be moved to a lower location, he was finally dismissed from the film by MGM and replaced by James Cagney.

Final western of James Cagney.

Post by petrolino on

Thanks. I didn't mean to open a can of worms. They just both remind me of people I know, growing up.

Can of worms? I don't see any can of worms around here. The great thing about Cagney and Tracy is that they both had/have that universal appeal of reminding us of people we know. That's why they were loved by so many and became enduring stars.

I was worried I might get cancelled for speculating these men might be recognised Catholics. Truth is, I have no idea, having known neither man in person. Just a movie fan.

Post by Penn Guinn on

I watched Tracy in Bad Day at Black Rock last month and that guy could say MORE when not saying anything than most speech making swearing mumbling acting stars that came after his era !

Two from IMDb

Ernest Borgnine always referred to Spencer Tracy as "Mr. Tracy," never by his first name. "I was in awe of him," he said. "To me, he was the world's greatest actor, and my God, here I am working with the man."

The suit that Spencer Tracy wears throughout the film, he bought himself off-the-rack at a second-hand store.

Post by phantomparticle on

I don't know if Tracy was a practicing Catholic, but he apparently kept some of his Catholic beliefs (never divorcing his wife even when living with Hepburn). He was also a periodic alcoholic, which some say stemmed from a sense of guilt over the birth of his deaf son.

Post by marshamae on

They both are at least partly Irish and Catholic ... it's the practicing part am not sure of !

Cagney was of Irish and Norwegian descent.

Tracy attended a Catholic University and from his biog on IMDb :

I'm sorry. Didn't mean to suggest or insinuate anything upon religious lines. I'm just a fan of these actors. I'm sorry if any hurt was caused, if it was that's my stupidity and ignorance when it comes to James Cagney and Spencer Tracuy.

I am sure no one was hurt or offended

Post by kijii on

A Cagney / Tracy connection

Tribute to a Bad Man (1956)

Production began with Spencer Tracy as the star of the film, but he clashed with director Robert Wise and was extremely temperamental causing several delays in filming. When Tracy claimed that the high altitude of the mountain set was making him ill and insisted that the set be moved to a lower location, he was finally dismissed from the film by MGM and replaced by James Cagney.

Final western of James Cagney.

We lived near the filming site (Montrose Colorado). My mom was hoping to see Tracy, but Cagney finally did the film.