Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire

111 mins | Comedy, Romance | Dec. 2, 1941

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 When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language.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.

Ball of Fire

111 mins | Comedy, Romance | Dec. 2, 1941

Ball of Fire
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 When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language.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.
IMDb rating 7.7
Producers Samuel Goldwyn Productions
Original title Ball of Fire
Directors Marty Moss, John Sherwood, William Tummel, Arthur Rosson, Howard Hawks
Writers Thomas Monroe, Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder

Cast

Gary Cooper

as Professor Bertram Potts

Barbara Stanwyck

as Sugarpuss O’Shea

Oskar Homolka

as Prof. Gurkakoff

Henry Travers

as Prof. Jerome

S.Z. Sakall

as Prof. Magenbruch

Tully Marshall

as Prof. Robinson

Leonid Kinskey

as Prof. Quintana

Richard Haydn

as Prof. Oddly

Aubrey Mather

as Prof. Peagram

Allen Jenkins

as Garbage Man

Dana Andrews

as Joe Lilac

Dan Duryea

as Duke Pastrami

Ralph Peters

as Asthma Anderson

Kathleen Howard

as Miss Bragg

Charles Lane

as Larsen

Charles Arnt

as McNeary

Elisha Cook Jr.

as Waiter

Mary Field

as Miss Totten

Alan Rhein

as 'Horseface'

Eddie Foster

as Pinstripe

Aldrich Bowker

as Justice of the Peace

Addison Richards

as District Attorney

Kenneth Howell

as College Boy

Tim Ryan

as Motor Policeman

Gene Krupa

as Himself — Orchestra Leader

Pat West

as Bum

Tommy Ryan

as Newsboy

Will Lee

as “Benny — the Creep”

George Barton

as Garbage Man (uncredited)

Doria Caron

as Girl in Subway (uncredited)

Ken Christy

as Cop with Ms. Bragg (uncredited)

Eddy Chandler

as Cop on Garbage Truck (uncredited)

Edward Clark

as Motor Court Proprietor (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty

as Deputy (uncredited)

Otto Hoffman

as Stage Doorman (uncredited)

Ethelreda Leopold

as Nursemaid at Park (uncredited)

Lorraine Miller

as Girl in Café (uncredited)

Ruth Clifford

as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Yvonne Duval

as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Joyce Matthews

as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Patsy Moran

as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Mildred Morris

as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Edward Mundy

as Spieler (uncredited)

Gerald Pierce

as Delivery Boy (uncredited)

Lynne Roberts

as Veiled Woman in Gene Krupa’s Audience (uncredited)

Francis Sayles

as Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Helen Seamon

as College Girl (uncredited)

George Sherwood

as Deputy (uncredited)

Walter Shumway

as Garbage Man (uncredited)

Bert Stevens

as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Russell Wade

as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Chalky Williams

as Cop (uncredited)

Martha Tilton

as Sugarpuss O'Shea (singing voice) (uncredited)

John Alban

as Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)

Tex Brodus

as Passerby (uncredited)

Chet De Vito

as Tollkeeper (uncredited)

Roy Eldridge

as Trumpeter (uncredited)

Geraldine Fissette

as Hula Dancer (uncredited)

Laura Gile

as Date of Prof. Bertram Potts (uncredited)

George Golden

as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Catherine Henderson

as College Girl (uncredited)

June Horne

as Nursemaid at Park (uncredited)

Merrillee Lannon

as Girl in Subway (uncredited)

Jean MacMurray

as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Hal McIntyre

as Saxaphonist (uncredited)

Mike Morelli

as Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)

William H. O'Brien

as Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited)

Jack Perry

as Pool Hall Patron (uncredited)