Ball of Fire

“I LOVE HIM because he doesn't know how to kiss—THE JERK!”

A group of academics have spent years shut up in a house working on the definitive encyclopedia. When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language. Here he meets Sugarpuss O’Shea, a nightclub singer, who’s on top of all the slang—and, it just so happens, needs a place to stay.

Comedy Romance Crime

Gary Cooper

(Professor Bertram Potts)

Barbara Stanwyck

(Sugarpuss O’Shea)

Oskar Homolka

(Prof. Gurkakoff)

Henry Travers

S.Z. Sakall

(Prof. Magenbruch)

Tully Marshall

(Prof. Robinson)

Leonid Kinskey

(Prof. Quintana)

Richard Haydn

Aubrey Mather

(Prof. Peagram)

Allen Jenkins

Dana Andrews

Dan Duryea

(Duke Pastrami)

Ralph Peters

(Asthma Anderson)

Kathleen Howard

Charles Lane

Charles Arnt

Elisha Cook Jr.

Mary Field

Alan Rhein

Eddie Foster

Aldrich Bowker

(Justice of the Peace)

Addison Richards

(District Attorney)

Kenneth Howell

Tim Ryan

(Motor Policeman)

Gene Krupa

(Himself — Orchestra Leader)

Pat West

Tommy Ryan

Will Lee

(“Benny — the Creep”)

George Barton

(Garbage Man (uncredited))

Doria Caron

(Girl in Subway (uncredited))

Ken Christy

(Cop with Ms. Bragg (uncredited))

Eddy Chandler

(Cop on Garbage Truck (uncredited))

Edward Clark

(Motor Court Proprietor (uncredited))

Pat Flaherty

(Deputy (uncredited))

Otto Hoffman

(Stage Doorman (uncredited))

Ethelreda Leopold

(Nursemaid at Park (uncredited))

Lorraine Miller

(Girl in Café (uncredited))

Ruth Clifford

(Chorus Girl (uncredited))

Yvonne Duval

(Chorus Girl (uncredited))

Joyce Matthews

(Chorus Girl (uncredited))

Patsy Moran

(Chorus Girl (uncredited))

Mildred Morris

(Chorus Girl (uncredited))

Edward Mundy

(Spieler (uncredited))

Gerald Pierce

(Delivery Boy (uncredited))

Lynne Roberts

(Veiled Woman in Gene Krupa’s Audience (uncredited))

Francis Sayles

(Taxi Driver (uncredited))

Helen Seamon

(College Girl (uncredited))

George Sherwood

(Deputy (uncredited))

Walter Shumway

(Garbage Man (uncredited))

Bert Stevens

(Nightclub Patron (uncredited))

Russell Wade

(Nightclub Patron (uncredited))

Chalky Williams

(Cop (uncredited))

Martha Tilton

(Sugarpuss O'Shea (singing voice) (uncredited))

John Alban

(Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited))

Tex Brodus

(Passerby (uncredited))

Chet De Vito

(Tollkeeper (uncredited))

Roy Eldridge

(Trumpeter (uncredited))

Geraldine Fissette

(Hula Dancer (uncredited))

Laura Gile

(Date of Prof. Bertram Potts (uncredited))

George Golden

(Nightclub Patron (uncredited))

Catherine Henderson

(College Girl (uncredited))

June Horne

(Nursemaid at Park (uncredited))

Merrillee Lannon

(Girl in Subway (uncredited))

Jean MacMurray

(Chorus Girl (uncredited))

Hal McIntyre

(Saxaphonist (uncredited))

Mike Morelli

(Pool Hall Patron (uncredited))

William H. O'Brien

(Baseball Game Spectator (uncredited))

Jack Perry

(Pool Hall Patron (uncredited))