Hidden Movie Gem: “Ball of Fire”

Here is a Hidden Movie Gem courtesy of Traci Nell Peterson:

Movie Title: Ball of Fire

Year: 1941

Writers: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Thomas Monroe

Lead Actors: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck

Director: Howard Hawks

Plot Summary: A group of ivory-tower professors commissioned to create an encyclopedia. Stuck on the letter “S” the handsome professor realize he needs to hear how real people talk, for his “Slang” entry, and ends up helping a beautiful singer avoid police and escape from the Mob.

Why I Think This Movie Is A Hidden Gem: We are all familiar with Hollywood’s obsession with retelling/remaking of a good story — superheroes, novels, plays and fairy tales are common go-to sources. This obsession has led to some real stinkers, some so-so adaptations and occasionally a true gem.

In 1942, Ball of Fire was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, Barbara Stanwyck was nominated for Best Actress, and Billy Wilder/Thomas Monroe nominated for Best Original Story. The Best Original Story (not screenplay, story) competition was fierce: Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The Lady Eve (also starring Barbara Stanwyck), Meet John Doe (yet another Stanwyck/Cooper pairing), and Night Train to Munich. That nomination is significant, because Ball of Fire is a masterful retelling of Disney’s: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Seven of the professors are elderly men with the same personalities of the fairy tale dwarfs, with the younger, handsomer eighth professor, Bertram Potts (Cooper) as the valiant, uber-moral prince.

One twist to the classic tale; the mobster boss serves as the evil nemesis along with another brilliant twist — “Snow White” isn’t a puerile naiveté. No, this Snow White version could teach the wicked stepmother a thing or two, as her name, “Sugarpuss O’Shea” (Stanwyck) implies.

This two-handed Romantic Comedy gives the audience two character arcs, clever-charming dialogue and the ever important CHEMISTRY! The supporting cast is a veritable Who’s Who: Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S.Z. Sakall, Tully Marshall, Leonid Kinskey, Richard Haydn, and Aubrey Mather.

My Favorite Moment In The Movie: Sugarpuss is in a tight spot. On the lam from the District Attorney, she has taken refuge at the professors’ home. However, her feminine influence has caused disruptions and she’s being asked to leave. Now, while Snow White used her cooking and cleaning to woo the dwarfs, Sugarpuss uses a slightly different, but just as effective, method.

My Favorite Dialogue In the Movie: The moment Sugarpuss gives up the wealthy mobster and professes her love for the adorable professor is great:

Sugarpuss O’Shea: [about Potts] Yes, I love him. I love those hick shirts he wears with the boiled cuffs and the way he always has his vest buttoned wrong. Looks like a giraffe, and I love him. I love him because he’s the kind of a guy that gets drunk on a glass of buttermilk, and I love the way he blushes right up over his ears. Love him because he doesn’t know how to kiss, the jerk!

Key Things You Should Look For When Watching This Movie: All of the Snow White “easter egg” dialogue is wonderful and so wickedly suggestive.

Movie trailer:

Thanks, Traci! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!

Tomorrow: Another Hidden Movie Gem!

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