Ball of Fire

“Make no mistake, I shall regret the absence of your keen mind. Unfortunately it is inseparable from an extremely disturbing body.” Thus, Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) tries to show his study subject the door when she turns the house he shares with seven other professors completely upside down. The inexperienced professor discovered nightclub singer Sugarpuss O’Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) during her rendition of the memorable Drum Boogie and he wants to study Sugarpuss’ vocabulary for a dialect encyclopaedia. But Potts gets much more than he bargained for, when it turns out that mob mole Sugarpuss has to hide from the police. Not many women have to power to make a man yodel…

The short story From A to Z by Billy Wilder was used as the premise of the screenplay for BALL OF FIRE, which Wilder co-wrote as well. Back then, Wilder had already decided that he would start directing his own screenplays to protect his intellectual property, but he trusted director and screwball legend Howard Hawks (BRINGING UP BABY, HIS GIRL FRIDAY) with this hilarious story, that was partly inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In exchange, Wilder was allowed to stay on set and observe Hawks behind the scenes. Not long after, Wilder would start directing himself.

Barbara Stanwyck is unequalled as Sugarpuss with her conga dance instructions, jive talk lessons, yum yum techniques. Nobody was as convincing at rapid-fire dialogue and could deliver it equally intimidating as touching. Stanwyck’s beautiful gowns in the film were designed by her favourite costume designer and Oscar winner Edith Head. The two had a wonderful relationship and Head praised Stanwyck often for her disdain of diva behaviour: “There are those actresses who stand before the mirror absorbing each minor adjustment. Barbara is the only one who stood with her back tot he mirror.”