Ball Of Fire (1941)

A nightclub showgirl (Barbara Stanwyck) is wanted by the D.A.'s office to testify against her mobster boyfriend (Dana Andrews). To avoid their subpoena, she hides out at a mansion occupied by eight sheltered academics who are compiling a new encyclopedia from a grant. The youngest of them (Gary Cooper) finds himself falling for her. Directed by Howard Hawks, this delightful updating of Snow White and the seven dwarfs is one of the treasures of screwball comedy. Stanwyck's Oscar nominated performance is one of her very best but Cooper is also terrific here. After HIGH NOON, this may be my favorite Cooper performance. Enough can't be said about the wonderful character actors playing the other seven academics who give the movie its pinnings. The script by Billy Wilder and Charles Bracket is a gem of comedy writing. Stanwyck (dubbed by Martha Tilton) does a terrific musical number Drum Boogie accompanied by the great Gene Krupa. With Dan Duryea, Oscar Homolka, S.Z. Sakalls, Richard Haydn, Henry Travers, Leonid Kinsky and Kathleen Howard.