Starring the electrifying Barbara Stanwyck and the ever-charming Gary Cooper, Ball of Fire is a fast-talking, quick-witted screwball comedy from the golden age of Hollywood. Directed by Howard Hawks, this 1941 gem blends romance, linguistics, and gangster intrigue with dazzling dialogue and unforgettable performances.
⏳ Runtime: 1h 19m
🎥 Genre: Romantic Comedy / Screwball Comedy
🏆 Academy Award Nomination: Best Story
Plot Summary:
A team of eight eccentric professors—each brilliant in their own field—is working together on an encyclopedic dictionary of human knowledge. Among them is Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper), a reserved grammarian with a passion for slang.
When Bertram realizes his knowledge of contemporary slang is outdated, he ventures out to learn from the streets of New York City. There, he encounters Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck), a sassy nightclub singer whose boyfriend is a notorious mobster. She becomes the unlikely source of linguistic enlightenment for Bertram and unexpectedly takes refuge in the professors' house to avoid testifying against her boyfriend.
As Sugarpuss disrupts the scholarly household with her vivacity and charm, romantic tensions brew—especially between her and the initially stuffy Bertram. What starts as an academic exercise soon becomes a heartfelt battle of the minds—and hearts—as Bertram must overcome his timid nature to protect the woman he loves.
With razor-sharp dialogue, romantic chemistry, and a hilarious cultural clash between academia and street smarts, Ball of Fire is a classic screwball comedy that still sparkles today.
🎭 Main Cast:
⭐ Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O'Shea
⭐ Gary Cooper as Professor Bertram Potts
🎩 Oskar Homolka as Professor Gurkakoff
📚 Henry Travers as Professor Jerome
🧠 S.Z. Sakall as Professor Magenbruch
🎻 Tully Marshall as Professor Robinson
🧮 Leonid Kinskey as Professor Quintana
📏 Richard Haydn as Professor Oddly
🎷 Dana Andrews as Joe Lilac (gangster boyfriend)
👒 Kathleen Howard as Miss Bragg
⏳ Runtime: 1h 19m
🎥 Genre: Romantic Comedy / Screwball Comedy
🏆 Academy Award Nomination: Best Story
Plot Summary:
A team of eight eccentric professors—each brilliant in their own field—is working together on an encyclopedic dictionary of human knowledge. Among them is Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper), a reserved grammarian with a passion for slang.
When Bertram realizes his knowledge of contemporary slang is outdated, he ventures out to learn from the streets of New York City. There, he encounters Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck), a sassy nightclub singer whose boyfriend is a notorious mobster. She becomes the unlikely source of linguistic enlightenment for Bertram and unexpectedly takes refuge in the professors' house to avoid testifying against her boyfriend.
As Sugarpuss disrupts the scholarly household with her vivacity and charm, romantic tensions brew—especially between her and the initially stuffy Bertram. What starts as an academic exercise soon becomes a heartfelt battle of the minds—and hearts—as Bertram must overcome his timid nature to protect the woman he loves.
With razor-sharp dialogue, romantic chemistry, and a hilarious cultural clash between academia and street smarts, Ball of Fire is a classic screwball comedy that still sparkles today.
🎭 Main Cast:
⭐ Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O'Shea
⭐ Gary Cooper as Professor Bertram Potts
🎩 Oskar Homolka as Professor Gurkakoff
📚 Henry Travers as Professor Jerome
🧠 S.Z. Sakall as Professor Magenbruch
🎻 Tully Marshall as Professor Robinson
🧮 Leonid Kinskey as Professor Quintana
📏 Richard Haydn as Professor Oddly
🎷 Dana Andrews as Joe Lilac (gangster boyfriend)
👒 Kathleen Howard as Miss Bragg
Category
🎥
Short film