Brother Orchid was from 1940. Yankee Doodle Dandy was released two years later. The truth was that Cagney was a dancer as a youth and got a role as a punk gangster that launched his career. It took him at least a decade to break out of the stereotype and let him play different genre roles, just like Robinson.
-PJ
Prior to Yankee Doodle Dandy ( 1942 ), James Cagney made MANY movies in which he was neither a gangster nor just a petty criminal. Because there are SO many of these, I shall only list a few years and films to prove you incorrect.
1930/'31: OTHER MEN'S WOMEN ( released a second time in '31 with this title change )
1931:THE MILLIONAIRE
1932: WINNER TAKE ALL, THE CROWD ROARS, FOOTLIGHT PARADE ( in which he sings and dances with Ruby Keeler! )
1933: PICTURE SNATCHER,
1934 THE SAINT LOUIS KID, HERE COMES THE NAVY,JIMMY THE GENT
1935: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, G MEN, DEVIL DOGS OF THE AIR, THE IRISH IN US
AND SO ON AND SO ON, AND SO ON...ALL MADE PRIOR TO 1942! Go look the rest of the years up, I'm NOT typing out all of the rest of them from '36 through the one he made in '42, prior to Yankee Doodle Dandy!