Ronald Reagan actually said...

Jimmy Cagney was the classic American success story, lifting himself by determination and hard work out of poverty to national acclaim.

He was the best at whatever he did—a hero, a villain, a comic, or a dancer.

Nancy and I have lost a dear friend of many years today, and America has lost one of her finest artists.

I believe the entire Nation loved Jimmy Cagney, and I think he must have loved us, too, because he always gave us his very best.