Home / Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire

Year:

1941

Duration:

111 min

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

IMDB rate:

7.9

Director:

Howard Hawks

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1941-12-02

Filming Locations: Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Barbara Stanwyck

Ball of Fire

Gary Cooper

Prof. Bertram Potts

Oskar Homolka

Prof. Gurkakoff

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

Charles Lane

Larsen

Charles Arnt

McNeary

Elisha Cook Jr.

Waiter (as Elisha Cook)

Alan Rhein

'Horseface'

Eddie Foster

Pinstripe

Aldrich Bowker

Justice of the Peace

Addison Richards

District Attorney

Pat West

Bum

Kenneth Howell

College Boy

Tommy Ryan

Newsboy

Tim Ryan

Motor Cop

Will Lee

'Benny - the Creep'

Gene Krupa and His Orchestra

(as Gene Krupa and his Orchestra)

Roy Eldridge

Trumpeter

Gene Krupa

Himself - Orchestra Leader

George Barton

Garbage Man (uncredited)

Doria Caron

Girl in Subway (uncredited)

Eddy Chandler

Cop on Garbage Truck (uncredited)

Ken Christy

Cop with Ms. Bragg (uncredited)

Edward Clark

Motor Court Proprietor (uncredited)

Chet De Vito

Tollkeeper (uncredited)

Geraldine Fissette

Hula Dancer (uncredited)

Pat Flaherty

Deputy (uncredited)

Catherine Henderson

College Girl (uncredited)

Otto Hoffman

Stage Doorman (uncredited)

June Horne

Nursemaid at Park (uncredited)

Merrillee Lannon

Girl in Subway (uncredited)

Ethelreda Leopold

Nursemaid at Park (uncredited)

Hal McIntyre

Saxaphonist (uncredited)

Lorraine Miller

Girl in Café (uncredited)

Mildred Morris

Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Edward Mundy

Spieler (uncredited)

Gerald Pierce

Delivery Boy (uncredited)

Francis Sayles

Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Helen Seamon

College Girl (uncredited)

George Sherwood

Deputy (uncredited)

Walter Shumway

Garbageman (uncredited)

Bert Stevens

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Russell Wade

Nightclub Patron (uncredited)

Chalky Williams

Cop (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Carole Lombard turned down the role of Katherine O'Shea.

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Even though they play two of the "old men" lexicographers, Leonid Kinskey (Prof. Quintana) and Richard Haydn (Prof. Oddly) were both under 40 years old when they made this movie and, therefore, younger than Gary Cooper.

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Lucille Ball was set to play Katherine 'Sugarpuss' O'Shea, but once producer Samuel Goldwyn found out that Barbara Stanwyck was available he gave her the part instead.

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Goofs

During the walk through central park, the camera shadow is visible on Professor Gurkakoff's torso.

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During the "Drumboogie" sequence, the black jazz trumpet soloist Roy Eldridge disappears from the band between shots.

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In the car fleeing the nightclub: Sugarpuss O'Shea holds up Professor Potts's calling card to read it. Then the camera angle goes to a close-up of the card, with her fingers holding it around the four corners of the card, but the position of the fingers in the close-up shot do not at all match the way she is holding the card in the previous "long" shot.

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Quotes

Joe Lilac: [as the professors draw guns on Joe and his men] What is this?

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Miss Bragg: If I were the cream for that woman's coffee, I'd curdle.

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Professor Bertram Potts: That man talked a living language; I embalmed some dead phrases.

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Faq

What was the title of Howard Hawks' musical remake of this film?

Ball of Fire's director, Howard Hawks, remade the film as A Song is Born," starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, and featuring the Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras.

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