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Ball of Fire

Play trailer Poster for Ball of Fire 1941 1h 51m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Hoping to update his chapter on modern slang, encyclopedia writer Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) ventures into a chic nightclub. Inside, he meets the snarky burlesque performer "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck). Fascinated by her command of popular jargon, Potts invites her to stay with him. But, unknown to Potts, she is the fiancée of a mobster (Dana Andrews) and wanted by the police. In the ensuing mayhem, Potts must stay on his toes or be swallowed up by bigger fish.
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Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire

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Critics Consensus

A splendidly funny twist on the story of Snow White, Ball of Fire boasts a pair of perfect leads in Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.

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Critics Reviews

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Charles Taylor Village Voice 12/22/2015
Ball of Fire came out five days before Pearl Harbor. You can imagine Americans listening to its flood of slang and knowing exactly what they were fighting for. Go to Full Review TIME Magazine 02/04/2009
Actor Cooper plays his Mr. Deeds role with the authority of long familiarity, and Miss Stanwyck (once Ruby Stevens, of Brooklyn) is equally at home in hers. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety 08/14/2007
Casting is meticulously perfect to make every character a caricature of itself. Go to Full Review Sean Burns Crooked Marquee Apr 3
The only live-action remake of ‘Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs’ anyone ever needed. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 12/07/2020
6/10
Cooper and Stanwyck are likable even when they aren't playing roles best suited to their specific screen personalities. Go to Full Review Aurelio Pego Cine-Mundial 09/11/2019
The comedy never stops being pleasant. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Will G Mar 28 A great classic Hollywood film. I enjoyed the acting and jazz music. It was about a female entertainer who falls in love with a professor. The movie was funny, but somewhat slow. See more Lars N @movie_douche 01/09/2025 Not great. The humor is it's biggest drawback, but there's some charming moments here and there. See more nick s @Nick_S 05/31/2024 It is nicely shot. However it was a bit too silly for my taste. It was a stagey style of comedy... probably a good fit for the era of production. See more Justin T 11/11/2023 Stanwyck at her finest. Cooper at his most endearing. Yes, it's a two hour romantic comedy, but every minute of Wilder's screenplay is pure genius and Hawks' direction is seamless. What a pure joy this film is. See more G M 05/14/2023 Thoroughly enjoyable and timeless classic See more Nizar N 02/10/2023 Everything that has to be said about this movie has been said over the years. The Tomatometer score is enough by itself. One of the wittiest scripts I've ever seen in a movie, and the cast play it out so meticulously they make it seem like it was written with them in mind. There's even a dose of suspense and another one of music. And as if that isn't enough, Ball of Fire stars Barbara Stanwyk and Gary Cooper, and is directed by Howard Hawks, with Billy Wilder participating in the writing. What more could one ask for? See more Read all reviews
Ball of Fire

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Cast & Crew

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Howard Hawks

Director

Gary Cooper

Prof. Bertram Potts

Barbara Stanwyck

Katherine 'Sugarpuss' O'Shea

Dana Andrews

Joe Lilac

Oscar Homolka

Prof. Gurkakoff (Mathematics)

Dan Duryea

Duke Pastrami

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Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire (1941) Ball of Fire (1941) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Hoping to update his chapter on modern slang, encyclopedia writer Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) ventures into a chic nightclub. Inside, he meets the snarky burlesque performer "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck). Fascinated by her command of popular jargon, Potts invites her to stay with him. But, unknown to Potts, she is the fiancée of a mobster (Dana Andrews) and wanted by the police. In the ensuing mayhem, Potts must stay on his toes or be swallowed up by bigger fish.
Director
Howard Hawks
Producer
Samuel Goldwyn
Screenwriter
Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Billy Wilder, Thomas Monroe
Distributor
Embassy Pictures, Sultan Video, Home Box Office Home Video
Production Co
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 2, 1941, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 8, 2020
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Mono
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