Ball of Fire
Cooper is a serious but lovable English professor working with his intellectual colleagues on a dictionary of American slang. When Stanwyck, a red-hot nightclub singer on the run from the mob, takes refuge in their house, she also finds a place in their heart. But where there's a ball of fire there's bound to be trouble, and before they know it, the professor and his colleagues are learning a lot about language--and about life--that they never knew before.
Member Reviews
Lame - rnhaas
So I guess I made a mistake, thinking a film called "Ball of Fire" set in the 40s was about the bomb...This thing is barely plausible. There are 8 academics, 7 of them look like massive stereotypes and the 8th is Cooper. Stanwyck is her usual self, and so is Cooper, in the sense that he's Mr. Deeds. I laughed maybe three or four times through the whole movie and the rest of the time I was bored stiff. The penultimate scene in the library is tenser than it has any right to be but that's about all I can say in favour of this. Boring.Still Damned Funny - FilmJunkie
What a deliciously funny fish out of water comedy! Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper team up as an unlikely pair of lovers: she a band singer on the run from the law due to her boyfriend's role in a few murders; he an English professor who employs her in his research on slang.
Stanwyck's aptly named Sugarpuss O'Shea moves into the house where eight professors, including Cooper, are conducting research for an encyclopedia. She brings a ball of, ahem, fire into their dull and routine lives with her personality and 'hep' slang.
The great thing about this movie is that it is still damned funny. Stanwyck is genuinely hilarious and slang is put to brilliant use throughout the film. Cooper is the sweet simple guy he usually plays, but it is great to see him in tweed and full on curmudgeonly. The scene where Sugarpuss shows him what "yum yum" means (kissing for us squares) you can see the epiphany occuring behind his eyes.
These two have great chemistry but much of the fun of the film is watching the other seven professors cope with a woman for the first time in their lives. It is the ultimate clash between book and street smarts and, refreshingly, there is no great victory for either side in the end, instead each learns from one another and they become the better for it.
A 40's comedy that truly holds up over the years.Terrific Gary Cooper Film! - JenBeck
As a big fan of Gary Cooper's movies I loved this film. Much like his role in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", he plays a naive young man who falls in love with a woman who is just using him. Barbara Stanwyck is her usual captivating self as Sugerpuss, charming all of the professors and falling in love with Gary Cooper in the process. A pleasant and enjoyable film full of fun and hijinks.
Note: In case this bothers you too, one of the professors (Richard Haydn) is also the voice of the caterpillar in "Alice and Wonderland". I had a lot of trouble figuring out who he was!
Rent "Ball of Fire", get some snacks and relax with a real popcorn flick!
Member Reviews
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Lame - rnhaas
So I guess I made a mistake, thinking a film called "Ball of Fire" set in the 40s was about the bomb...This thing is barely plausible. There are 8 academics, 7 of them look like massive stereotypes and the 8th is Cooper. Stanwyck is her usual self, and so ...Still Damned Funny - FilmJunkie
What a deliciously funny fish out of water comedy! Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper team up as an unlikely pair of lovers: she a band singer on the run from the law due to her boyfriend's role in a few murders; he an English professor who employs her in his ...Terrific Gary Cooper Film! - JenBeck
As a big fan of Gary Cooper's movies I loved this film. Much like his role in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", he plays a naive young man who falls in love with a woman who is just using him. Barbara Stanwyck is her usual captivating self as Sugerpuss, charming all ...