Top 50 Actresses, #7 - Barbara Stanwyck: "Ball of Fire" (1941)

Movie Stats:
Released 1941 (USA)
American, in English
Director - Howard Hawks
Stars - Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper

Plot Summary:
With the police on her trail, trying to bring down her mobster boyfriend, nightclub singer Katherine “Sugarpuss” O’Shea (Stanwyck) hides out with a group of professors—including Bertram Potts (Cooper)—who are writing an encyclopedia.

Warnings:
Minor violence.

Bad Stuff:
It’s a little too long.

There’s a fair bit of stereotyping, especially of academics.

One plot line sort of gets dropped/remains unresolved by the end of the film, which annoyed me.

Good Stuff:
I loved the spirit of this film. It’s very wholesome, fun-loving, and positive.

It’s funny & clever.

Everything about it is slick in the best sense. The costumes (especially Stanwyck’s), the set design, the music; all of it makes for a very cool film.

About the Performance:
Stanwyck is great in this role. Sugarpuss is a bit of a rough character. Like stuffy housekeeper Miss Bragg (Kathleen Howard), you don’t want to like Sugarpuss. She’s improper, she’s using the professors, and she leads “Pottsy” on. And yet, even when the character is at her worst, Stanwyck imbues her with a sense of warmth and charm that prevents you from hating her. She’s fun, she’s lively, and she’s on a journey of self-discovery. It’s enjoyable to watch her grow into the good person she’s always been.

Other performances of Stanwyck’s I’ve reviewed: Double Indemnity.

The Verdict:
I fell in love with this movie practically from the opening scene. There’s something about it that’s just so fun. I don’t typically use the word “wholesome” to describe something in a positive manner, but I mean it that way here. This film manages to be thoroughly entertaining, funny, and enjoyable without resorting to any sort of crudeness & virtually no slapstick. There are a few slightly racy jokes that would be considered very tame by today’s standards, but other than that it mostly relies on wit & wordplay. It’s definitely too long for my taste (I prefer my comedies short & sweet) but my other gripes are just that; simply small annoyances. Mostly, I would say that this film is a delight & would encourage absolutely anyone & everyone to watch it.

I give it 4.5 stars.