Ball of Fire (1941)

My Review

Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck headline one of the most enduring of the screwball comedies of the 1930’s and 1940’s called “Ball of Fire.” It tells the story of a group of mostly sheltered and secluded bachelor professors writing an encyclopedia, headed by Cooper, who try to learn the contemporary American slang by getting involved with a nightclub singer, played by Stanwyck, reluctant to help out until she needs a place to hide from police.

The zaniness and wackiness proceed from there, holding the viewers’ interest for the nearly two hour duration, thanks to expert direction by Howard Hawk (“Bringing Up Baby” 1938) and a sterling screenplay by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and Thomas Monroe, based on “From A to Z,” a short story by Wilder and Monroe.

The supporting cast includes Dana Andrews, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S. Z. Sakall, Dan Duryea, and Gene Krupa and his orchestra. Popular singer Martha Tilton provided the singing voice for Stanwyck. Alfred Newman was in charge of the musical scoring, one of four Oscar nominations including Story, Sound, and Best Actress for Stanwyck. “Ball of Fire” is a watchable screwball comedy from producer Samuel Goldwyn, director George Stevens, and RKO Radio Pictures.