What?! LIVE ammo?

So. I was in a wiki wander and reading the article on James Cagney.  Neo-neo had referenced Hope and Cagney dancing, as is her wont... highlighting dance.

So Cagney became a star when he did the movie Public Enemy and I was looking for a movie where he displayed his Yiddish skills.  Turns out it was the next one.  Taxi!

I came across this bit:

"Cagney's first film upon returning from New York was 1932's Taxi!. The film is notable for not only being the first time that Cagney danced on screen, but it was also the last time he allowed himself to be shot at with live ammunition (a relatively common occurrence at the time, as blank cartridges and squibs were considered too expensive and hard to find to use in most motion picture filming). He had been shot at in The Public Enemy, but during filming for Taxi!, he was almost hit."

What?  Blanks and squids are expensive.  Worth much more than the life of a mere actor.  Well, a mere actor that is just paid middling.  If a big star requests it we'll stop shooting em at him.

The absolute hell...

I know in Wild Bill Hickok's stage days in Cody's Wild West Show he'd shoot a lot of wax rounds, but it sorta sounds like Cagney dodged lead.   Actual lead.  Down range.  For the realism.  And for budgetary economy.  Wow.  It was the Depression and all.  Glad to have a job making $1000 a week.