Most lists of the finest performances are heavy with biopics and literary adaptations, when an actor has to conjure up a role mirroring either a real person or well-described character.

In this 1942 entertainer by Michael Curtiz, Cagney plays George M Cohan, showman extraordinaire: composer, playwright, actor, singer and dancer.

Bursting at the seams with raw energy, Curtiz leaps and whooped his way with immense panache, tripping the light fantastic in every scene. And, he dances down a staircase.