|
| Ball of Fire | 
 enlarge | Director: Howard Hawks
Actors: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S.z. Sakall
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.21
You Save: $7.77 (52%)
New (37) Used (9) from $7.16
Avg. Customer Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 6134
Format: Black & White, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 112
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: M107518
UPC: 027616075161
EAN: 0027616075161
ASIN: B000NIBUT4
Theatrical Release Date: December 2, 1941
Release Date: May 22, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com essential video
Offering a screwball twist on the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this delightful comedy has grown dated since its release in 1941, but that only adds to its everlasting charm. Written by the ace screenwriting team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett and directed by Howard Hawks, the movie presents a breezy case of opposites attracting when nightclub singer "Sugarpuss" O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) is recruited to teach jazzy slang to a group of culturally isolated professors. Gary Cooper plays Bertram Potts, the straight-laced scholar who's compiling slang for a new encyclopedia, and his equally stodgy colleagues are fascinated when Sugarpuss and "Pottsie" seem to be warming up for romance. Complications ensue when the savvy singer must distance herself from her mobster fiance (Dana Andrews), and Ball of Fire takes a wacky turn when the klutzy intellectuals take on the mobster's henchmen. It's all a bit quaint by today's standards, but the movie's got a wealth of witty dialogue and sassy appeal, with Stanwyck leading the way in a role that's equal parts tough exterior and soft-hearted vulnerability. As a bonus, she performs a pair of rousing nightclub numbers (including a lively rendition of "Drum Boogie") with hopped-up drummer Gene Krupa and his orchestra. Ball of Fire was remade in 1948 as the Danny Kaye musical A Song is Born. This one's a real treat for fans of vintage Hollywood comedies. Don't miss it! --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
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"!System Requirements:Run Time: 111 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: WESTERN/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 027616075161 Manufacturer No: M107518
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...
 Ball of Fie May 11, 2008
This is one of my favorite screwball comedies. It used to keep me company as a teenage babysitter. It's wonderful that it is now on DVD.
Gary Cooper is so charmingly shy. Barbara Stanwyck was gorgeous and funny. The supporting cast is fabulous.
 Drum Boogie April 20, 2008
Has Gary Cooper ever been so charmingly klutzy and cute? Has Barbara Stanwyck ever been more fierce and fiesty? Come see what sparks when a shy linguistic professor falls hard for a sizzling show girl who teaches him about slang and other life interests.
Good movie April 9, 2008
Another fun movie with Gary Cooper. An interesting take on Snow White and the seven dwarves.
Oldie but gorgeous March 28, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A Billy Wilder / Charles Brackett script and Howard Hawks direction, this wonderful take on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is dated by the slang but not the sentiments. Fast paced, great lines and truly endearing characters played by a gallery of great Hollywood character actors. Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper have the requisite chemistry and the alchemy of hard boiled comedy and whimsical romance in this fairy tale for adults is so much more sophisticated than most of the romcom offerings around today. I love this film. I have seen this film so many times and it still entertains me. Not regarded by certain cinema pundits as one of Hawks best, I beg to differ, they really don't make them like this anymore. Listen carefully...it's an adult dose.
Ball of Fire January 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Gary Cooper & Barbara Stanwyck star in this romantic comedy. It's a good movie but hasn't aged as well as His Girl Friday. Coop is in a group of eight professors commissioned to write an encyclopedia. They've been at it for nine years & still have a ways to go. The opening scene illustrates their knowledge of many things. Coop is studying slang & a conversation with a trash man makes him realize how far out of date he is. The slang in this movie fires at a furious rate. To get more up to date he goes to a "boogie" club where the cats are jumping! Stanwyck is the burlesque type of entertainer there in a revealing (1941 mind you) costume. Her slang is fast & furious too. But her boyfriend, portrayed by Dana Andrews, is in trouble & she has to go on the lam to hideout from the d.a. She decides to hide out with the professors because that's the last place the authorities would look for her. Of course Cooper & Stanwyck fall in love, got to ditch the mobster boyfriend & stay alive long enough to get married.
With all that being said, as much as I like Gary Cooper, I felt he wasn't right for the role. He's a great actor & he's cast against type here. His role as a meek bookworm professor doesn't quite come off. Barbara Stanwyck as the burlesque lady comes off wonderfully well. Dan Duryea has a featured role as one of the henchman & is not only good in the role but also displays a flair for comedy. And it goes without saying Stanwyck not only changes Cooper, she also affects the whole bunch of professors.
The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Actress (Stanwyck), Best original Story ( Billy Wilder, who also co-wrote the screenplay), Score & Sound Recording. The movie is directed by the great Howard Hawks who also did His Girl Friday. The movie requires a certain amount of suspension of believability in order to go along with it. But is that so bad? Actually Hollywood has always done that, haven't they?
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
