Ball of Fire (DVD, 2007)

Gary Cooper plays boring Professor Bertram Potts, one of 8 boring professors working on a new encyclopedia while teaching at the local university. When they realize that their entries for slang appear outdated, Potts is elected to research the field in the local area.

In a night club, Potts meets Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck), the popular singer of the club, who belts out "Drum Boogie." Although Barbara Stanwyck does not really sing the song, she performs the moves quite well. The song is performed by Gene Krupa and his band and later he himself reprises the song using just matchsticks and a matchbox. It is quite a sight to see.

Since Sugarpuss is running from the police because of her entanglement with mobster Joe Lilac (Dana Andrews), she volunteers to work with Potts on the subject of slang. She disappears onto the university campus and soon becomes involved with all of the 8 professors in their search for current slang. Thus, this movie has been likened to a play on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; and Potts becomes Prince Charming, when he thinks that he has fallen in love with Sugarpuss.

But Joe Lilac is not about to give up on Sugarpuss because as his wife she would not be able to testify against him. And thus, the love triangle begins.

Surprisingly, this movie was nominated for 7 Oscars in 1941--Best Actress, Best Music, Best Scoring, Best Sound, Best Recording, Best Writing, and Best Original Story. It won none.

Gary Cooper shows his range here as he is the youngest of the boring professors. Barbara Stanwyck, as usual, is a vamp.

This movie is not great, but it is worth watching to see the love triangle play out with the intervention of the 7 dwarfs--errrrr 7 university professors.