Customer Reviews

Ball of Fire

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This retelling of the SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS was actually based on a script that Billy Wilder wrote before immigrating to the United States from Germany, but it was only after the success of the Disney version that a demand was created for it. The enormously versatile Howard Hawks (quite literally the most versatile director in film history, the only director to have mastered and/or created five or six genres) took the script and turned it into one of the last great pre-WW II comedies. The story is simple: a group of monkish scholars living together in New York City are writing an encyclopedia. One of them is writing about slang, but being unfamiliar with contemporary argot begins research his topic by talking to people outside his normal range of acquaintance. He runs into gangster moll Sugarpuss O'Shea, who takes advantage of the scholars to move in with them in order to escape the police, who want to talk to her to implicate her guy Joe Lilac. While hardly Snow White, she certainly managed to stir up their lives.

The film is made wonderful by a number of things: Wilder's clever script, Hawks typically deft direction, a solid performance by Gary Cooper, but most of all by a scintillating job by the overwhelmingly alluring Barbara Stanwyck and a stellar collection of veteran character actors playing the seven dwarves. All the latter are great, but special mention has to be made of Richard Haydn (who excells even beside the others, with his extraordinary overpronounciation of everyday words), Oskar Homolka, and S.Z. Sakall. There are few more delightful collections of character actors in any Hollywood comedy. I personally prefer Barbara Stanwyck to any other actress in Hollywood history. She possessed an emotional immediacy that no other actress could approximate, and while her skills were perhaps a tad below those of someone like Katherine Hepburn, the latter never managed to match her fire and passion. And she is so sexy! I grew up watching Stanwyck on THE BIG VALLEY, so when I first started seeing her great roles from the thirties, forties, and fifties, I was absolutely stunned at how sexy she could be. She was attractive, yes, but sexier than she was attractive. And she was never sexier than she was here, with the exception of her role the same year in THE LADY EVE.

Another reason to see this film is the appearance of Gene Krupa in the early nightclub sequence. Krupa had, of course, been with Benny Goodman throughout the thirties, so this was very early in his career as leader of his own band.

Why haven't we heard more about this comedy classic? Gary Cooper is one of eight super-brains writing an encyclopedia. Barbara Stanwyck is a definitely non-intellectual entertainer looking for a place to hide. With her sassy freshness, she captures the hearts of all the professors, particularly Cooper; then he - and they - capture hers. But her boyfriend, a local gangster, has some other ideas. This movie is first-class in every way - writing (Billy Wilder), directing (Howard Hawks), and an elite cast of 1940s stars. Any movie sixty years old is going to seem dated - all films should be regarded as period pieces - but that can be part of the fun of watching, especially as "Professor Cooper" investigates the ins and outs of the "slanguage" of the times. A couple of musical numbers accent the story, including a drum solo on a matchbox.... really! "Ball of Fire" was remade some years later as "A Song is Born," which loses some of the sparkle of its predecessor but gains some enjoyable jazz music; the two movies should be treated only as cousins. If you really enjoy the classic comedies, you should find this one worth your time.

Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper are perfectly cast as Sugarpuss O'Shea and Professor Bertram Potts. Potts and seven other erudite, academically entrenched professors are creating a new encyclopedia. Their residence is the perfect hiding place for Sugarpuss, when her gangster boy friend (played by Dana Andrews) forces her to go on the lam in order to avoid a subpoena. Using subterfuge and feminine wiles, she easily convinces the professors to let her stay with them. Her pretence being that linguist Potts will benefit from her expertise with modern (1941) slang. After a lifetime of academic isolation, Potts is attracted by her worldly sophistication and insouciance. This attraction rapidly turns into love, and this feeling becomes mutual. "Ball of Fire" is an exceptional movie. Let's not spoil it by revealing too much. If you haven't seen "Ball of Fire", it's well worth seeing. It's so outstanding that one viewing is not enough.

"Ball Of Fire" is one my favorite screwball romantic comedies. It was made towards the end of a golden era of this genre of films, which also includes such better-known classics as "The Philadelphia Story" (1940), "His Girl Friday" (1940) and "Bringing Up Baby" (1938). Directed by Howard Hawks, the master of rapid-fire comedic dialogue, it tells the story of nerdy language scholar Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper, in one of his best "aw-shucks" performances, along with "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town") who lives in a house with seven other stodgy, albeit older bachelor scholars, all of whom are working on an encyclopedia.

Upon discovering that his knowledge of slang is outdated, Potts bravely ventures forth into the real world, where he discovers flashy (literally, as the dress she is first seen in is sequined and purposely lit so as to momentarily "blind" Potts when she shows up at his house in it) nightclub singer Katherine "Sugar Puss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck). He is taken in by O'Shea's gusty performance of "Drum Boogie", (accompanied by a famous drummer of the times, Gene Krupa, who reminds me onstage a bit of "The Who" drummer Keith Moon), and her lively banter, and asks her to help him with his slang research. She takes him up on his invitation very abruptly by showing up at his home that same night, claiming to be arriving to help, when in fact she's trying to hide. The resulting storyline is predictable, fast-paced, extremely well-written, thoroughly dated, and filled with 1940's slang...in other words, to anyone who is a fan of this genre...completely captivating and charming.

With this in mind, and taken as a movie of the times, it's a comedic gem. Gary Cooper (my all-time personal favorite actor) is absolutely sexy here, believe it or not, and Barbara Stanwyck is perfect as the title's sassy little "Ball Of Fire", with her brash, streetwise exterior but ultimately soft heart, climbing onto a stack of books to reach the 6'4" Potts so she can show him the meaning of "yum-yum". Also, the above-mentioned dress she first wears, which is featured in most of the ads for the film is amazing; it's something Bob Mackie might have designed for Cher, and she looks gorgeous in it. The outstanding supporting parts are interesting, clever, and except for the gangster parts, individually well-fleshed. Veteran character actors such as Oskar Homolka (the servant in "Mr. Sardonicus") and Henry Travers (the angel in "It's Wonderful Life") help lend charm to the story. Dana Andrews ("Laura") and Dan Duryea ("The Little Foxes"), are effective, if somewhat wasted, in small parts as typical sterotypical 1940's mobsters.

You'd have to enjoy these kind of old screwball, dated comedies of the '40's to love this one...and I do.

Side note: the roles of the seven professors (excluding Cooper's) were inspired by Disney's dwarfs from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".

For me, the highlight of this terrific comedy is the perfect performance by Barbara Stanwyck. Although not a conventional beauty by Hollywood standards, she is very sexy and funny as nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea, who ends up hiding out with eight stuffy professors writing up a new encyclopaedia. She needs to hide to protect her crook boyfriend Dana Andrews, and the professors want her there because she can explain to them the meanings behind modern slang, since the professors are anything but hip and modern. Gary Cooper plays the professor responsible for the language sections of the encyclopaedia, and he quickly falls in love with her. Of course, numerous complications arise. Stanwyck, one of classic film's most versatile actresses, is terrific, and all of the professors (including Cooper) deliver warm, affectionate performances. The scene where Stanwyck gets them dancing is hilarious. This is classic comedy has been somewhat overlooked, but don't miss a chance to watch it.

This comic masterpiece must be one of the best kept secrets in film history. I had only vaguely heard of it, and what I'd heard of it was all negative. But the cast (Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck and Dana Andrews) and screenwriter (Billy Wilder) and director (Howard Hawks) intrigued me, I rented this DVD and was blown away. I immediately bought the DVD, which is crystal-clear. Gary Cooper is the unwordly egghead who becomes entangled with the very-worldly stripper Barbara Stanwyck. Dana Andrews is her gangster boy friend. Sparks fly between the three of them. It is fast, funny, and surprisingly warm for a Howard Hawks film. But then, so was the Cooper/Hawks Sergeant York warm, perhaps Cooper gave Hawks a level of warmth that other stars didn't. Whatever, don't miss this wonderful, wonderful screwball farce.

Rollicking satire is what is dished out in this superb 1941 valentine to 40's jive and slang. Rarely have written words and actors to deliver them ever experienced a happier marriage than here as the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck adds another triumph (and another Oscar nomination to boot!) to her list as the jive talking, flashy show girl come mobster's gal Sugarpuss O'Shea. Playing opposite her is frequent co star Gary Cooper as the upright and very proper Prof Bertram Potts in the Billy Wilder written, Oscar nominated screw ball comedy hit "Ball Of Fire".

Directed by veteran Howard Hawks this terrific screen confection is loosely based on the idea of Snow White and the Seven Dwarf's in its telling of a group of mostly elderly professors, led by the younger Cooper who have been hired to write a new encyclopedia containing all the up to date slang terms used in society. Into their tightly academic and isolated world waltzes the flashy woman of experience Sugarpuss O' Shea on the lam from the vice squad who needs a place to safely hide out in till the heat gets off her and her crooked fiance . In a delightful way she proceeds to turn the professors snug little world upside down with her gangster connections, sassy language loud music and free and easy manner with all of the professors who all become quite smitten with this rare bird who has flown into their nest.

Barbara Stanwyck was born to play Sugarpuss and had already teamed beautifully with the lanky Gary Cooper in "Meet John Doe". Barbara was as expert in comedy as she was in the hard hitting dramas she is probably better known for. In "Ball Of Fire" she has the perfect screen teaming with Cooper contrasting her tart and breezy mobster's moll character with Cooper's sound and respectable academic with no experience of the opposite sex. Of special delight are Sugarpuss's wonderful exchanges with the elderly professors (expert character actors like Henry Travers, S.Z. Sakall and Tully Marshall among them in truly delightful performances).By employing her considerable feminine wiles and smart talk she manages to not only convince them to let her stay with them in the house but also dupes them into literally becoming her personal bodyguards when her fiance (Dana Andrews in an early performance) starts to cause her trouble. Prof. Potts finds himself attracted to her worldly manner and proposes marriage with a minisule diamond ring that pales beside the vulgar nuckle duster given to her by her mobster fiance. Sugarpuss also finds herself falling for the prim Professor's sincerity and what ensures is a mad race to the altar complete with interfering mobsters, machine guns and the professors taking on the mobsters at their own game.

Under Hawk's breezy direction this madness all works beautifully and the film is unique in containing a very complete catalogue of all the early war time slang expressions which are a delight to listen to and are as fresh and funny today as they were back in the forties. Edith Head's designs for Stanwyck are wonderful as always and Cooper's shock at Barbara's gold lame show costume slit right up the sides in their first scene together is priceless.

"Ball Of Fire' is fast, sexy and great fun all round with the stars at their absolute peak. I always laugh at Barbara's reactions to the stuffy professors, the gem being when S.K Sakall is stroking her hand repeatedly and Barbara simply states "Do you mind if I have that back?" Great stuff delivered with relish and it's evident that they were all having as much fun filming this piece as the audience has watching it. Simple and extremely innocent it indeed is but what's wrong with that? It easily beats many of todays so called attempts at a heart warming comedy. Enjoy Barbara and her beloved Coop at their best in "Ball Of Fire".

We are talking about the best of the best in romantic comedy. Here is one of the 2 couples that stood out during the golden age of American films. (Capra, Cukor and Preston Sturges, each in their own styles, also gave us some of the greatest classics in the genre). Here Cooper plays himself, the innocent, sweet and honest man who is incapable of doing a bad deed. He and seven older learned men are trying to assemble a modern encyclopedia in New York City. Their search for the newest street slang causes them run into 'trouble-girl' Stanwyck and her gang.

With touches of gang thriller and romantic comedy, its not very ambitious plot captivates by the sheer charm of its stars and the magical touch of genial Howard Hawks, who has a knack for making great classics look simple and unpretentious.

Capra, Hawks and Cukor; Stewart, Cooper and Grant or Jean Arthur, Barbara Stanwyck and Hepburn... whatever the combination it's always a winner. Truly the stuff classics are made of.

Even if any new edition of this classic is welcome, we must still hope for a better treatment (some extras and better print quality) of this treasure of American movie-making history in the future.

A gangster's moll (Barbara Stanwyck) gets involved with eight stodgy professors who are writing an encyclopedia, and plenty of funny complications ensue. The professors are seven old guys and Gary Cooper. (Guess which one winds up with Barbara.) Seven of Hollywood's finest old character actors turn in excellent performances as the others. One of the best Forties screwball comedies. Not to be missed!

Ball Of Fire opened at Christmas, 1941, not the most propitious moment for a screwball farce to open. However, it was a huge hit, critically and financially. Since then, it has remained popular with moviegoers, but has suffered at the hands of the "auteurist" critics. It comes up short in the Howard Hawks pantheon because it doesn't deal with professionals. If one hasn't had his or her's critical faculties polluted by this idiotic school of criticism, you'll have a ball watching egghead Gary Cooper going up against nightclub stripper Barbara Stanwyck. It is classic screwball farce and it deserves to be mentioned with the great screwball farces of all time. You'll love this one!