Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
EAN: 0027616075161
Format: Black & White
Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
MPN: M107518
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2007-05-22
Running Time: 112
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Theatrical Release Date: 1941-12-02

Sexy wisecracking nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea is a hot tomato who needs to be kept on ice: mobster boyfriend Joe Lilac is suspected of murder and Sugarpuss' testimony could put him away. Naive Professor Bertram Potts meets Miss O'Shea while researching an article on slang and in true romantic comedy fashion the two worlds collide. When Miss O'Shea hides out with Potts and his fellow professors everyone learns something new: the professors how to cha-cha and Potts the meaning of "yum-yum"!System Requirements:Run Time: 111 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 027616075161 Manufacturer No: M107518
Offering a screwball twist on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this delightful comedy has grown dated since its release in 1941, but that only adds to its everlasting charm. Written by the ace screenwriting team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett and directed by Howard Hawks, the movie presents a breezy case of opposites attracting when nightclub singer "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) is recruited to teach jazzy slang to a group of culturally isolated professors. Gary Cooper plays Bertram Potts, the straight-laced scholar who's compiling slang for a new encyclopedia, and his equally stodgy colleagues are fascinated when Sugarpuss and "Pottsie" seem to be warming up for romance. Complications ensue when the savvy singer must distance herself from her mobster fiancé (Dana Andrews), and Ball of Fire takes a wacky turn when the klutzy intellectuals take on the mobster's henchmen. It's all a bit quaint by today's standards, but the movie's got a wealth of witty dialogue and sassy appeal, with Stanwyck leading the way in a role that's equal parts tough exterior and soft-hearted vulnerability. As a bonus, she performs a pair of rousing nightclub numbers (including a lively rendition of "Drum Boogie") with hopped-up drummer Gene Krupa and his orchestra. Ball of Fire was remade in 1948 as the Danny Kaye musical A Song is Born. This one's a real treat for fans of vintage Hollywood comedies. Don't miss it! --Jeff Shannon

Customer Rating:
Summary: Cooper Was Not A Comedian
Comment: This movie has a great cast but turns out to be a hoakie romp. Barbara is hot and Gary is made up to be a lint ridden, aged beyond his years, professor. The movie lost some of the humor with poor timing and too much time spent making Cooper to appear old.

Directing made it better than it should have been. It's cute but don't wait for the sequel.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: A sweet old comedy
Comment: Very corny but sweet black and white movie. A very enjoyable movie on a rainy afternoon.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: ball of fire
Comment: This movie features Barbara Stanwyck's legs and a Gene Krupa drum sequence with match sticks.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Ball of Fie
Comment: This is one of my favorite screwball comedies. It used to keep me company as a teenage babysitter. It's wonderful that it is now on DVD.
Gary Cooper is so charmingly shy. Barbara Stanwyck was gorgeous and funny. The supporting cast is fabulous.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Drum Boogie
Comment: Has Gary Cooper ever been so charmingly klutzy and cute? Has Barbara Stanwyck ever been more fierce and fiesty? Come see what sparks when a shy linguistic professor falls hard for a sizzling show girl who teaches him about slang and other life interests.

---