one of my favorite movies is Yankee Doodle Dandy.{ a bio pic, of George M. Cohan} James Cagney was excellent in this role and won a well deserved Oscar for it. He did not have any formal dance that i know of. Cagney himself said he considered himself a "hoofer" and he was one good hoofer. he may not have had the professional training as some other dancers. he still could put on a show with his skills. I agree with Castlebee that he sure looks like he is having a lot of fun.

Lacked the dancer's physique, was some what clumsy-looking with his stunted athleticism (compared to dancers who specialized in dancing), but by adding 'song and dance' to his repertoire of comedy and tough guy, he became the most well-rounded Hollywood property of his time and a lot of fun to watch...

4.11

One of my all time favorites, Cagney may not have been as technically stellar as Astaire or Kelly - but his appeal for me was that he was just having so much blasted fun in the process. He was a joy to watch.