(James Barron’s article appeared in The New York Times, 7/17; via Pam Green.)
In journalism, there are five W’s — who, what, why, where and when. Just this once, let’s tackle them in a different order.
The where was supposed to be a grillroom table in Manhattan made famous by a James Cagney tantrum (the old-time movie star, known for two-fisted toughness, cracked it with a single blow).
The when was supposed to be lunchtime.
The who was two men, one an actor who is playing Mr. Cagney in an Off Broadway musical, the other an actor and voice-over star who appeared in a made-for-television movie with Mr. Cagney in the 1980s and who put $100,000 into the Off Broadway production.