Ball of Fire
I didn’t know what to expect in Ball of Fire. However, as the opening credits ran, I found myself getting more and more excited by the names that I saw, not only in the cast (with familiar faces like S. Z. Sakall and Henry Travers) but also in the crew (Gregg Toland as cinematographer, Edith Head as costume designer, Alfred Newman as composer). However, it was when I saw the names of director Howard Hawks and the writing team of Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder that my expectations soared. Now, that’s what you call a dream team! I’m happy to say that the film was no disappointment to my high expectations. On the contrary, it exceeded them.
Framed as a fairy tale itself, the film is an homage to the smash-hit animated film from just a few years prior, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937, dir. David Hand, William Cottrell, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson). Not only does the film feature a group of seven (plus one) individually characterized comedic figures that form an attachment to a woman that finds sanctuary in their home, but the group is so animatedly directed by Hawks that they have a cartoonish physicality to themselves. There is even a dance segment between the men and Barbara Stanwyck’s “Sugarpuss” that very closely resembles a similar scene in the Disney film. However, these men go a step beyond the dwarfs of Snow White, for they are so out of touch with the modern world that all they can do is marvel at Sugarpuss with (somewhat randy) amazement. An alternate title for the film might be “Snow White and the Eight Space Aliens Who Are Having a Wonderful Time Studying Modern Humanity.” Each member of the group, while dedicating themselves to a specific area of study for the encyclopedia, also a different brand of funny old man. They were without a doubt the crowning glory of the film, with the seven supporting actors often outshining leading man Gary Cooper.
Speaking of Cooper, while I found him rather dull in the first half of the movie, and unconvincing even as a stuffy grammarian, once Potts falls in love with Sugarpuss, he becomes at least a sympathetic presence on the screen (you know… once he allows himself to use the top half of his face). I simply couldn’t stop thinking of actors who could have pulled off his character so much better and been able to convey his repressed side without seeming like a cheerless child playing a professor in a school play. The main problem with Cooper is that the rest of the cast is stellar in comparison. This includes his counterpart Barbara Stanwyck, who is always so comfortable, natural, and magnetic in front of the camera.
Of course, with Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett working on the scripts, the dialogue in Ball of Fire is quick, engaging, and consistently hilarious. An additional refreshing element of the film was the use of the study of slang as a way to propel the story. The film serves as a lovely little time capsule of early ‘40s slang. I must admit I was disappointed that the film jumps from the beginning to the end of the research meeting wherein Cooper’s Professor Potts collects his data. I thoroughly enjoyed the extended discussion of the multipurpose term ‘corny.’ I would have loved to have seen much more of what the ‘average Joe’ was saying in 1941, as many of these terms are just as unfamiliar to me as they were to the contemporary out-of-touch academic. Of course, my favorite moments in the script are the bizarrely perfect one-liners. Lines like, “He looks like a giraffe and I love him,” and “eight squirrely cherubs right out of this world,” just leave me in awe and amazement at the absolute genius behind the script.
Ball of Fire was a wonderful surprise for me. While the leading man leaves something to be desired, the hilarious writing and stellar supporting cast and leading lady far outweigh any problems. This has become one of my all-time favorite film comedies, and I’m sure I’ll be returning to the antics of these weird little men time and time again. — Bailey 👴👴👴👴👴👴👴
I have always thought that Ball of Fire (1941, dir. Howard Hawks) was one of the most fabulous and zany screwball romantic comedies. Granted, the film is not without its flaws, it still remains an exemplar of the classic Hollywood screwball canon. What continues to stand out to me, no matter how many times I watch the film, is how misplaced the film’s title feels. Sure, Barbara Stanwyck’s character is referred to as a “ball of fire” at one point in the film, but I associate this film with its playful twist on the “Snow White” fairytale and feel that those involved in selecting the title could have done a little bit better (just saying…).
In a way, the film plays into its audiences’ expectations of what its source fairytale promises (i.e., the girl ending up with her ‘prince charming’) but simultaneously subverts those expectations at every turn. Instead of a traditional ‘princess’ or ‘damsel in distress’ we have Barbara Stanwyck as Katherine “Sugarpuss” O’Shea, a nightclub performer with a rather colorful vocabulary, who intrigues one of the eight professors working on an encyclopedia, but that eighth professor is none other than Gary Cooper in the role of Professor Bertram Potts, a grammarian who is swiftly mesmerized by Katherine’s many charms. Bertram is hardly a ‘prince charming’ type in this film, if anything he comes across as a bit of a bumbling idiot at times, much to Katherine’s constant frustration and consternation: “I love him because he's the kind of guy who gets drunk on a glass of buttermilk, and I love the way he blushes right up over his ears. I love him because he doesn't know how to kiss, the jerk!”
For all that Betram can be a bit delayed in his reactions to Katherine, she is a delightfully corruptive force in the professor’s otherwise staid and regimented life. That dynamism is one of the things that I adore about screwball heroines, you just have to accept them as they are, and go along for the wild ride (no matter where it might lead). Stanwyck plays this vampish role so well, it can be hard to imagine any other actress playing this part. And yet, Howard Hawks directed a remake of Ball of Fire just six years after this film was released…
The technicolor musical remake, A Song is Born, was released in 1947, and stars Danny Kaye as ‘Professor Fisby’ and Virginia Mayo in Stanwyck’s role, not so artfully disguised with the name ‘Honey Swanson.’ The only real difference between these two films stems from the type of encyclopedia the professors are working on, as instead of a general encyclopedia, the professors in A Song is Born are in the midst of completing their “music encyclopedia,” but swiftly come to realize that they are out of touch with modern day music, like jazz and bebop. The films share the same director, much of the same dialogue, Mayo’s nightclub sequined costume is the same as Stanwyck’s from Ball of Fire, the professors live in and are funded by “The Tottan Foundation,” and the actress playing Miss Tottan (Mary Field) is the same in both films (although she does get a slightly expanded role in A Song is Born). Fans of jazz music may prefer A Song is Born for the talents of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and Louis Armstrong (among others) who take on a mix of roles and even, in some cases, play themselves. However, Ball of Fire still stands out to me as the superior film, particularly for its comedic timing and the way Stanwyck and Cooper play off one another (Kaye and Mayo just don’t have quite the same screwball energy).
My other consistent complaint about Ball of Fire (apart from its lackluster title) is Gary Cooper. Granted most of the comedy within this film stems from the fact that Cooper acts as the very wooden ‘straight man’ opposite Stanwyck’s madcap ‘Sugarpuss,’ but there are times where it would have been great if he had let loose a bit more, and really engaged with the role to make the growing connection between the characters feel more authentic. I have a hard time believing that the professor, as portrayed by Cooper, would even look at Sugarpuss in a non-academic way. Professor Potts’ entire attitude and dedication to completing his article on slang really leaves very little romantic wiggle room for this budding screwball couple. Nevertheless, I really enjoy Ball of Fire immensely, and know that this film will remain a staple within my screwball comedy film collection for years to come. – Sarah 📚
What did you think of Ball of Fire? Were you amused by the “Snow White” plot within this screwball comedy film? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and check back soon for our January Film Club Pick!
Copyright © 2022 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte Clark
