A group of professors working on a new encyclopedia encounter a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover.
Yvonne Strahovski gives us the inside scoop about what goes down on the set of "The Handmaid's Tale."
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Title: Ball of Fire (1941)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Gary Cooper | ... | Prof. Bertram Potts | |
| Barbara Stanwyck | ... | Sugarpuss O'Shea | |
| Oskar Homolka | ... | Prof. Gurkakoff (as Oscar Homolka) | |
| Henry Travers | ... | Prof. Jerome | |
| S.Z. Sakall | ... | Prof. Magenbruch | |
| Tully Marshall | ... | Prof. Robinson | |
| Leonid Kinskey | ... | Prof. Quintana | |
| Richard Haydn | ... | Prof. Oddly | |
| Aubrey Mather | ... | Prof. Peagram | |
| Allen Jenkins | ... | Garbage Man | |
| Dana Andrews | ... | Joe Lilac | |
| Dan Duryea | ... | Duke Pastrami | |
| Ralph Peters | ... | Asthma Anderson | |
| Kathleen Howard | ... | Miss Bragg | |
 |
Mary Field | ... | Miss Totten |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (81) »
Storyline
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"! Written by A.L.Beneteau <albl@inforamp.net>
Plot Keywords:
national film registry | deception | screwball comedy | professor | slang |Taglines:
The New Year's red-hot comedy! See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
9 January 1942 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Professor and the Burlesque Queen See more »Filming Locations:
Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USACompany Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Professor Bertram Potts: No.
Sugarpuss O'Shea: 'Course you don't. An Ameche is the telephone, on account of he invented it.
Professor Bertram Potts: Oh, no, he didn't.
Sugarpuss O'Shea: Like, you know, in the movies.
Professor Bertram Potts: Well, I see what you mean. Very interesting. Make no mistake, I shall regret the absence of your keen mind; unfortunately, it is inseparable from an extremely disturbing body.
See more »
They were so wise they knew everything: the depth of the oceans, and what makes a glowworm glow, and what tune Nero fiddles while Rome was burning.
But there was one thing about which they knew very little - as you will see . . . See more »
(1941) (uncredited)
(Published as "Drumboogie")
Music and Lyrics by Roy Eldridge and Gene Krupa
Performed by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra
Sung by Barbara Stanwyck (dubbed by Martha Tilton)
Reprised by her and audience members
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Considered by some modern critics as the last "Golden Age" screwball comedy. See more »Goofs
When the gangsters visit the professors' house, they beckon to Sugarpuss to come out by the front door. After speaking to them, she is seen from inside the house returning via the front door, but when the camera moves outside, instead of seeing her on the steps that lead to the door of the brownstone, we see her emerging into a narrow alley, and the door has changed from the large, elaborate front door to a much smaller and plainer one. See more »Quotes
Sugarpuss O'Shea: For instance, do you know what this means - "I'll get you on the Ameche"?Professor Bertram Potts: No.
Sugarpuss O'Shea: 'Course you don't. An Ameche is the telephone, on account of he invented it.
Professor Bertram Potts: Oh, no, he didn't.
Sugarpuss O'Shea: Like, you know, in the movies.
Professor Bertram Potts: Well, I see what you mean. Very interesting. Make no mistake, I shall regret the absence of your keen mind; unfortunately, it is inseparable from an extremely disturbing body.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening credits prologue: Once upon a time - in 1941 to be exact - there lived in a great, tall forest - called New York - eight men who were writing an encyclopedia.They were so wise they knew everything: the depth of the oceans, and what makes a glowworm glow, and what tune Nero fiddles while Rome was burning.
But there was one thing about which they knew very little - as you will see . . . See more »
Soundtracks
Drum Boogie(1941) (uncredited)
(Published as "Drumboogie")
Music and Lyrics by Roy Eldridge and Gene Krupa
Performed by Gene Krupa and His Orchestra
Sung by Barbara Stanwyck (dubbed by Martha Tilton)
Reprised by her and audience members
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
See more »Contribute to This Page
Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.
"Ball of Fire" is known as the last great pre-war comedy, and with good reason. It all begins when a group of egghead professors are writing an encyclopedia. Then, grammarian Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) realizes that he doesn't know any modern slang. Frequenting the nightclubs, he meets dancer Katherine "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck), who has a connection to the mob. This leads all the characters on the most unexpected adventure.
I really liked the way that every one of the nerdy professors is tempted to correct every mistake made by the others. But the gags throughout the movie are really something. Hilarious.