James Cagney posing for photographers recreating the famous grapefruit scene from The Public Enemy with Mae Clarke when someone stuck half a grapefruit in his hand at a Screen Directors’ Guild of America party in Jim’s honor. Cagney gamely followed through with several menacing approaches to Mae and later said to her, “My God, they’ll never let us alone on that one, will they?” “Darling,” she said, “I know how you hate it — and I hated it at the time — but I can’t tell you how grateful I am for it now. What it means is that I can always get work. Talking to these casting directors today, all new to the business, and none of them knowing me from Adam — all I have to do is identify myself as the gal Cagney socked with the grapefruit, and I automatically get a lot of attention and frequently a job!”
