Ball of Fire (1941)

 Howard Hawks' "Ball of Fire"


If I am to surmise correctly, I believe that "Ball of Fire" would be one of the last 'screwball comedies' in Howard Hawks' filmography. Starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck, the film is about a group of professors working on a new encyclopedia while living in a Manhattan mansion who take in a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover. As far as films go, it's a fairly mild and standard product. The plot is pretty predictable and Stanwyck is perhaps the highlight, as she is in most of her films. "Ball of Fire" is nothing to write home about, but it certainly wasn't a complete bore either. 



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