Vale Milos Forman - John Conomos remembers the great director and his enticement of James Cagney out of retirement

RIP Milos Forman (1932-2018) 

Milos Forman

Sad news : the recent passing of Milos Forman. He was 86 yrs old. Extraordinarily gifted filmmaker notable for his sly, satiric sensibility and humour. 

His film legacy includes such milestones as The Fireman's Ball, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Hair ( with a cameo appliance by Nicholas Ray), Amadeus, The People vs Larry Flynt and Ragtime (1981). 

Milos Forman had a gentle, reflexive, subversive view of the world and he was someone who prized cinema history and preceding exemplary figures like James Cagney for example.

James Cagney, Ragtime

When he directed Ragtime he persisted in trying to persuade James Cagney to do the role as the police commissioner because of the vast respect he had for Cagney. Finally, Cagney agreed to do the role after much resistance ( "Who will remember me" he is reported to have said to Forman.) 

When Cagney arrived at the set to do his role everyone stopped what they were doing and clapped their welcoming appreciation of paying respect to JC as one of Hollywood's elder iconic figures. It is said that Cagney wept because of their great warm support to have him in the film.