Ball of Fire

Synopsis: Sexy, wisecracking nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea is a hot tomato who needs to be kept on ice: mobster boyfriend Joe Lilac is suspected of murder and Sugarpuss' testimony could put him away. Naive Professor Bertram Potts meets Miss O'Shea while researching an article on slang and in true romantic comedy fashion the two worlds collide. When Miss O'Shea hides out with Potts and his fellow professors, everyone learns something new: the professors how to cha-cha and Potts the meaning of "yum-yum"!
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director(s): Howard Hawks
Production: MGM
  Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win.
 
IMDB:
7.8
Rotten Tomatoes:
100%
APPROVED
Year:
1941
111 min
1,593 Views


00:
02:02,355 -- 00:02:03,720

(WHISTLING)

2

00:
02:11,898 -- 00:02:15,857

Make the same. It's good for you.

Spring air.

3

00:
02:16,236 -- 00:02:19,672

The way you're gulping it up,

there won't be enough left to go around.

4

00:
02:19,739 -- 00:02:22,708

Isn't it very hot for so early in April,

Dr. Gurkakoff?

5

00:
02:22,775 -- 00:02:24,140

I'm not surprised.

6

00:
02:24,210 -- 00:02:27,202

This recent bombardment

by ions from the sun.

7

00:
02:27,280 -- 00:02:30,408

You see, temperature is due

to the quantity of molecular...

8

00:
02:30,483 -- 00:02:32,212

Hey, hey. Stop, stop,

9

00:
02:32,285 -- 00:02:33,843

if you don't want me to retaliate

10

00:
02:33,920 -- 00:02:36,946

by reciting all the tributary branches

of the Amazon.

11

00:
02:37,023 -- 00:02:40,550

Incredible that only last week we were

drawing lots for our hot water bottle.

12

00:
02:40,627 -- 00:02:43,824

Observe the forsythia or golden bell.

13

00:
02:43,897 -- 00:02:46,161

I never knew it to bloom so early.

14

00:
02:54,841 -- 00:02:56,809

Gentlemen. Gentlemen.

15

00:
02:58,278 -- 00:02:59,939

It's 8:
46, gentlemen.

16

00:
03:00,013 -- 00:03:02,641

Oh, Potts.

Just once more around the park.

17

00:
03:02,715 -- 00:03:04,740

Before we go back to our mausoleum.

18

00:
03:04,817 -- 00:03:06,546

I saw a scarlet tanager

19

00:
03:06,619 -- 00:03:09,918

which must have flown

all the way from Florida just to enjoy it.

20

00:
03:09,989 -- 00:03:11,650

- 1,500 miles.

- Yes.

21

00:
03:11,724 -- 00:03:14,591

Our constitutional

has taken up too much time already.

22

00:
03:14,661 -- 00:03:16,185

We're working under pressure.

23

00:
03:16,262 -- 00:03:19,527

After nine years of effort we are,

as the race track enthusiast might say,

24

00:
03:19,599 -- 00:03:21,157

in the home stretch.

25

00:
03:21,234 -- 00:03:23,225

Three more years

and our encyclopedia will be finished.

26

00:
03:23,303 -- 00:03:25,567

Let's not bog down

in the middle of the letter "S."

27

00:
03:25,638 -- 00:03:27,765

PROFESSOR:
All right. All right.

That's done it.

28

00:
03:27,840 -- 00:03:30,866

It's now 8:
49, gentlemen.

I, for one, am going back to work.

29

00:
03:30,944 -- 00:03:33,538

- Teacher's pet!

- Bertram Potts, the incorruptible.

30

00:
03:33,613 -- 00:03:35,444

The eternal no-no man.

31

00:
03:35,515 -- 00:03:36,504

Back home. Back home.

32

00:
03:36,583 -- 00:03:39,108

Oh, well,

it may be raining this afternoon, anyway.

33

00:
03:39,185 -- 00:03:40,743

(WHISTLING)

34

00:
03:59,272 -- 00:04:01,365

- Good morning, Miss Bragg.

- Good morning, Miss Bragg.

35

00:
04:01,441 -- 00:04:04,376

- Good morning, Miss Bragg.

- Good morning, Professor.

36

00:
04:04,444 -- 00:04:06,309

- Good morning, Miss Bragg.

- Good morning.

37

00:
04:06,379 -- 00:04:09,678

- Good morning, Miss Bragg.

- Good morning, Professor.

38

00:
04:11,551 -- 00:04:14,850

Gentlemen, before you get down to work,

I have got something to say.

39

00:
04:14,921 -- 00:04:16,912

One of you made off with

a jar of strawberry preserves

40

00:
04:16,990 -- 00:04:18,252

from my pantry last night.

41

00:
04:18,324 -- 00:04:22,761

I located the empty jar on the shelf behind

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

42

00:
04:22,829 -- 00:04:26,060

That seems to indicate our historian,

Professor Peagram.

43

00:
04:26,132 -- 00:04:27,565

I did no such thing, Miss Bragg.

44

00:
04:27,634 -- 00:04:29,192

I'm not accusing anybody,

45

00:
04:29,269 -- 00:04:32,761

but until it's cleared up, I think

we'll dispense with jam for breakfast.

46

00:
04:32,839 -- 00:04:35,103

- Miss Bragg.

- Yes, Professor Oddly.

47

00:
04:35,174 -- 00:04:36,766

I am the one.

48

00:
04:36,843 -- 00:04:41,280

I was writing about strawberries

when suddenly I got a horrible craving.

49

00:
04:41,347 -- 00:04:43,747

A crime confessed is half atoned.

50

00:
04:45,385 -- 00:04:47,319

Miss Bragg. Miss Bragg.

51

00:
04:47,387 -- 00:04:50,652

I had some material here.

What happened to it?

52

00:
04:50,723 -- 00:04:51,815

What happened?

53

00:
04:51,891 -- 00:04:54,359

I blushed for my duster

when I did your desk.

54

00:
04:54,427 -- 00:04:57,453

You'll find everything

in the middle drawer, face down.

55

00:
04:57,530 -- 00:05:01,830

I'm just starting my article on sex,

Miss Bragg. Any objections?

56

00:
05:01,901 -- 00:05:06,031

No, I trust you have more control

of yourself than Professor Oddly.

57

00:
05:10,043 -- 00:05:12,637

Professor Gurkakoff,

your window shade again.

58

00:
05:12,712 -- 00:05:14,646

Yes, Miss Bragg.

59

00:
05:14,714 -- 00:05:17,376

It's a crime

to carelessly expose this good carpet.

60

00:
05:17,450 -- 00:05:19,941

You've just committed

a more serious crime, Miss Bragg.

61

00:
05:20,019 -- 00:05:21,782

You have split an infinitive.

62

00:
05:21,854 -- 00:05:25,620

Never "to carelessly expose."

Always "to expose carelessly."

63

00:
05:25,692 -- 00:05:27,091

I'm not here to juggle words.

64

00:
05:27,160 -- 00:05:29,890

It's my job

to conscientiously see that this house...

65

00:
05:29,962 -- 00:05:31,896

You've just split another one, Miss Bragg.

66

00:
05:31,964 -- 00:05:33,022

- Professor...

- Oh, oh.

67

00:
05:33,099 -- 00:05:34,726

- Here's whatchamacallit.

- Who?

68

00:
05:34,801 -- 00:05:37,702

The lawyer for the Foundation.

And Miss Totten's with him.

69

00:
05:37,770 -- 00:05:39,965

And this place looking like a flicker's nest.

70

00:
05:40,039 -- 00:05:43,941

Yes, we're in for our semi-annual wigging,

I suppose.

71

00:
05:44,010 -- 00:05:45,705

- You'd better put your coat on, Potts.

- Why? What...

72

00:
05:45,778 -- 00:05:48,269

- Better fix your tie.

- Fix your hair, fix your hair.

73

00:
05:48,348 -- 00:05:49,645

Say, what is all this nonsense?

74

00:
05:49,716 -- 00:05:52,685

GURKAKOFF:
This nonsense is Miss Totten.

JEROME:
And will you please smile at her?

75

00:
05:52,752 -- 00:05:53,980

Say, this is all very undignified.

76

00:
05:54,053 -- 00:05:56,385

- Lf you think you're being funny, I...

- Shh!

77

00:
05:58,458 -- 00:06:00,756

- Morning, gentlemen.

- ALL:
Good morning.

78

00:
06:00,827 -- 00:06:03,057

Won't you sit here, Miss Totten?

79

00:
06:03,129 -- 00:06:05,120

It's a very nice morning, Miss Totten.

80

00:
06:05,198 -- 00:06:07,098

Would you like to speak, Miss Totten,

or shall I?

81

00:
06:07,166 -- 00:06:08,929

You, please, Mr. Larsen.

82

00:
06:09,001 -- 00:06:11,060

I'll make this as brief as possible,

gentlemen.

83

00:
06:11,137 -- 00:06:16,575

To date, $283,000 have been expended

in writing this encyclopedia.

84

00:
06:16,943 -- 00:06:20,777

You all realize that Miss Totten's father,

the late Daniel S. Totten,

85

00:
06:20,847 -- 00:06:23,441

left only a quarter of a million dollars

for this project.

86

00:
06:23,516 -- 00:06:26,781

Every additional penny will have to come

from Miss Totten's own pocket.

87

00:
06:26,853 -- 00:06:30,949

We would like a frank estimate

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Charles Brackett

Charles William Brackett (November 26, 1892 – March 9, 1969) was an American novelist, screenwriter, and film producer, best known for his long collaboration with Billy Wilder. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Ball of Fire" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/ball_of_fire_3506>.

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