Billy Wilder wrote this delicious takeoff on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which features Barbara Stanwyck as a somewhat tainted Snow White (she's a nightclub singer-stripper and a gangster's moll) who aids eight professors working on a massive encyclopedia. Having been submerged in the project for nine years, the bookish profs are a bit out of touch with current slang, so English professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) enlists the aid of Sugarpuss O'Shea (Stanwyck) in updating the relevant article with new changes in the language…and then, of course, he falls in love with her. Director Howard Hawks coaxes good performances out of the loveable professors, and Oscar-nominated Stanwyck is great as the streetwise New York girl who knows how to handle the boys (be they geniuses or gunmen). Presented with a fine transfer on an extra-less disc, this is recommended. (R. Pitman)
Ball of Fire
MGM, 112 min., not rated, DVD: $19.98 Volume 22, Issue 6
Ball of Fire
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: