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ComedyRomanceCrime

Ball of Fire

- “I LOVE HIM because he doesn't know how to kiss—THE JERK!”

A group of academics have spent years shut up in a house working on the definitive encyclopedia. When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language. Here he meets Sugarpuss O’Shea, a nightclub singer, who’s on top of all the slang—and, it just so happens, needs a place to stay.

Release Date : 1941-12-02

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Samuel Goldwyn ProductionsRKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Professor and the Burlesque Queen

Cast

Gary Cooper

Character Name : Professor Bertram Potts

Original Name : Gary Cooper

Gender : Male

Barbara Stanwyck

Character Name : Sugarpuss O’Shea

Original Name : Barbara Stanwyck

Gender : Female

Oskar Homolka

Character Name : Prof. Gurkakoff

Original Name : Oskar Homolka

Gender : Male

Henry Travers

Character Name : Prof. Jerome

Original Name : Henry Travers

Gender : Male

S.Z. Sakall

Character Name : Prof. Magenbruch

Original Name : S.Z. Sakall

Gender : Male

Tully Marshall

Character Name : Prof. Robinson

Original Name : Tully Marshall

Gender : Male

Leonid Kinskey

Character Name : Prof. Quintana

Original Name : Leonid Kinskey

Gender : Male

Richard Haydn

Character Name : Prof. Oddly

Original Name : Richard Haydn

Gender : Male

Aubrey Mather

Character Name : Prof. Peagram

Original Name : Aubrey Mather

Gender : Male

Allen Jenkins

Character Name : Garbage Man

Original Name : Allen Jenkins

Gender : Male

Dana Andrews

Character Name : Joe Lilac

Original Name : Dana Andrews

Gender : Male

Dan Duryea

Character Name : Duke Pastrami

Original Name : Dan Duryea

Gender : Male

Ralph Peters

Character Name : Asthma Anderson

Original Name : Ralph Peters

Gender : Male

Kathleen Howard

Character Name : Miss Bragg

Original Name : Kathleen Howard

Gender : Female

Charles Lane

Character Name : Larsen

Original Name : Charles Lane

Gender : Male

Charles Arnt

Character Name : McNeary

Original Name : Charles Arnt

Gender : Male

Elisha Cook Jr.

Character Name : Waiter

Original Name : Elisha Cook Jr.

Gender : Male

Mary Field

Character Name : Miss Totten

Original Name : Mary Field

Gender : Female

Alan Rhein

Character Name : 'Horseface'

Original Name : Alan Rhein

Gender : Male

Eddie Foster

Character Name : Pinstripe

Original Name : Eddie Foster

Gender : Male

Aldrich Bowker

Character Name : Justice of the Peace

Original Name : Aldrich Bowker

Gender : Male

Addison Richards

Character Name : District Attorney

Original Name : Addison Richards

Gender : Male

Kenneth Howell

Character Name : College Boy

Original Name : Kenneth Howell

Gender : Male

Tim Ryan

Character Name : Motor Policeman

Original Name : Tim Ryan

Gender : Male

Gene Krupa

Character Name : Himself — Orchestra Leader

Original Name : Gene Krupa

Gender : Male

Pat West

Character Name : Bum

Original Name : Pat West

Gender : Male

Tommy Ryan

Character Name : Newsboy

Original Name : Tommy Ryan

Gender : Male

Will Lee

Character Name : “Benny — the Creep”

Original Name : Will Lee

Gender : Male

George Barton

Character Name : Garbage Man (uncredited)

Original Name : George Barton

Gender : Male

Doria Caron

Character Name : Girl in Subway (uncredited)

Original Name : Doria Caron

Gender : Male

Ken Christy

Character Name : Cop with Ms. Bragg (uncredited)

Original Name : Ken Christy

Gender : Male

Eddy Chandler

Character Name : Cop on Garbage Truck (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddy Chandler

Gender : Male

Edward Clark

Character Name : Motor Court Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Clark

Gender : Male

Pat Flaherty

Character Name : Deputy (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat Flaherty

Gender : Male

Otto Hoffman

Character Name : Stage Doorman (uncredited)

Original Name : Otto Hoffman

Gender : Male

Ethelreda Leopold

Character Name : Nursemaid at Park (uncredited)

Original Name : Ethelreda Leopold

Gender : Male

Lorraine Miller

Character Name : Girl in Café (uncredited)

Original Name : Lorraine Miller

Gender : Female

Ruth Clifford

Character Name : Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Ruth Clifford

Gender : Female

Yvonne Duval

Character Name : Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Yvonne Duval

Gender : Male

Joyce Matthews

Character Name : Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Joyce Matthews

Gender : Male

Patsy Moran

Character Name : Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Patsy Moran

Gender : Female

Mildred Morris

Character Name : Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Mildred Morris

Gender : Male

Edward Mundy

Character Name : Spieler (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Mundy

Gender : Male

Gerald Pierce

Character Name : Delivery Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Gerald Pierce

Gender : Male

Lynne Roberts

Character Name : Veiled Woman in Gene Krupa’s Audience (uncredited)

Original Name : Lynne Roberts

Gender : Female

Francis Sayles

Character Name : Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Francis Sayles

Gender : Male

Helen Seamon

Character Name : College Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Helen Seamon

Gender : Male

George Sherwood

Character Name : Deputy (uncredited)

Original Name : George Sherwood

Gender : Male

Walter Shumway

Character Name : Garbage Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Walter Shumway

Gender : Male

Bert Stevens

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

Russell Wade

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Russell Wade

Gender : Male

Chalky Williams

Character Name : Cop (uncredited)

Original Name : Chalky Williams

Gender : Male

Martha Tilton

Character Name : Sugarpuss O'Shea (singing voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Martha Tilton

Gender : Female

John Alban

Character Name : Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : John Alban

Gender : Male

Tex Brodus

Character Name : Passerby (uncredited)

Original Name : Tex Brodus

Gender : Male

Chet De Vito

Character Name : Tollkeeper (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet De Vito

Gender : Male

Roy Eldridge

Character Name : Trumpeter (uncredited)

Original Name : Roy Eldridge

Gender : Male

Geraldine Fissette

Character Name : Hula Dancer (uncredited)

Original Name : Geraldine Fissette

Gender : Male

Laura Gile

Character Name : Date of Prof. Bertram Potts (uncredited)

Original Name : Laura Gile

Gender : Male

George Golden

Character Name : Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : George Golden

Gender : Male

Catherine Henderson

Character Name : College Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Catherine Henderson

Gender : Male

June Horne

Character Name : Nursemaid at Park (uncredited)

Original Name : June Horne

Gender : Male

Merrillee Lannon

Character Name : Girl in Subway (uncredited)

Original Name : Merrillee Lannon

Gender : Male

Jean MacMurray

Character Name : Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Jean MacMurray

Gender : Female

Hal McIntyre

Character Name : Saxaphonist (uncredited)

Original Name : Hal McIntyre

Gender : Male

Mike Morelli

Character Name : Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Morelli

Gender : Male

William H. O'Brien

Character Name : Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : William H. O'Brien

Gender : Male

Jack Perry

Character Name : Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Perry

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-06-25

This is a cracking little comedy with Gary Cooper as the unlikely boffin "Prof. Potts" who, alongside a group of equally eminent academics has been working on an encyclopaedia for the previous 9 years - and they've only got to "S". Enter the mailman who is doing a radio quiz just as our professor is concluding his section on slang - only for him to realise that their studious isolation has left them so out of touch as to render his slang definition worthless. Off he sets into the city to learn more where he alights on night-club singer "Sugarpuss O'Shea" (Barbara Stanwyck) and her colleagues who offer him a fascinatingly new vernacular. Turns out that she is the moll of wanted gangster "Joe Lilac" (Dana Andrews) so she agrees to help them develop their book whilst using their dignified home as a hideaway. A bit like Greer Garson in "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1939), only much feistier, she melts the hearts of the old starched shirts and soon Cooper has become totally smitten.... Both leads are on top form; the writing barely comes up for breath as this pacy, engaging comedy comes to a suitably Damoclean conclusion... Great fun!