The infamous grapefruit scene in THE PUBLIC ENEMY ('31) was actually a practical joke James Cagney and Mae Clarke played on the crew. Director William A. Wellman decided to keep it in the final film. After its release, women's groups around America protested the on-screen abuse of Clarke. | Turner Classic Movies: TCM

Remembering James Cagney in... Public Enemy The grapefruit Scene The Public Enemy (Enemies of the Public in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Donald Cook, and Joan Blondell The film relates the story of a young man's rise in the criminal underworld in prohibition-era urban America. The supporting players include Beryl Mercer, Murray K