Ball of Fire

Released Dec 2, 1941

1h 51m

Romance

Comedy

List

100%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

89%

Audience Score

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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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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Charles Taylor

Village Voice

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.

Dec 22, 2015

Full Review

TIME Magazine

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.

Feb 4, 2009

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Casting is meticulously perfect to make every character a caricature of itself.

Aug 14, 2007

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Cooper and Stanwyck are likable even when they aren't playing roles best suited to their specific screen personalities.

Rated: 6/10

Dec 7, 2020

Full Review

Aurelio Pego

Cine-Mundial

The comedy never stops being pleasant. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 11, 2019

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Great, deep, humane, well-built comedy. But throw in Barbara Stanwyck's unbelievable act of character creation, and that's when Ball of Fire becomes its best self.

Rated: 9/10

Mar 20, 2015

Full Review

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nick s

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/31/24

Full Review

Justin T

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/11/23

Full Review

G M

Thoroughly enjoyable and timeless classic

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/14/23

Full Review

Nizar N

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?

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

michael t

This movie started out well enough with Barbara Stanwyck playing the Ball of Fire showgirl to good comedic effect. Where it bogged down was after the first third. The 7 dwarves theme was tedious throughout and the romantic element between Stanwyck and Cooper seemed pretty strained. I never find Gary Cooper an appealing romantic lead. Maybe women see something I don't. The movie dragged on about 20 minutes longer than they had interesting story elements to fill it with. It would have helped if it had been in color.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Another Billy Wilder masterclass in script writing and comedy. And Barbara Stanwyck in the most stunning sequin dress you'll ever likely see on the silver screen. what more do you want? Besides the treasure trove of talent that went into making the film, its worth watching it simply to see Gene Krupe play the drums with a box of matches. A work of art, pure and simple. thank you to all those talented people who gave us this gem.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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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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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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