SimilarScreen
Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire

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

19417.41h 51m

Overview

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 When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language.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.

Directed by Howard Hawks
Written by Billy Wilder, Thomas Monroe, Charles Brackett
Produced by Samuel Goldwyn
Box Office0Revenue: $2.6M

Top Cast

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper

Professor Bertram Potts

Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck

Sugarpuss O’Shea

Oskar Homolka

Oskar Homolka

Prof. Gurkakoff

Henry Travers

Henry Travers

Prof. Jerome

S.Z. Sakall

S.Z. Sakall

Prof. Magenbruch

Tully Marshall

Tully Marshall

Prof. Robinson

Leonid Kinskey

Leonid Kinskey

Prof. Quintana

Richard Haydn

Richard Haydn

Prof. Oddly

Aubrey Mather

Aubrey Mather

Prof. Peagram

Allen Jenkins

Allen Jenkins

Garbage Man

Themes & Keywords

researchmarriage proposalslanggangsterprofessornightclubromcomencyclopediasingerus republican partymobsterblack and whitescrewball comedyconganightclub singerinterrupted weddingnightclub performeracademiacrime comedy

About Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire is a comedy, romance, crime film released in 1941 exploring themes of research, marriage proposal, slang, gangster, professor, nightclub. Directed by Howard Hawks, it stars Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka. 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 When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language.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.

Movies Similar to Ball of Fire

Discover titles like Ball of Fire — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Ball of Fire

If you enjoyed Ball of Fire, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Ball of Fire.

The Mad Miss Manton
25% Match

When the murdered body discovered by beautiful, vivacious socialite Melsa Manton disappears, police and press label her a prankster until she and her group of friends prove them wrong.

A Song Is Born
23% Match

The story of seven scholars in search of an expert to teach them about swing music. They seem to have found the perfect candidate in winsome nightclub singer Honey Swanson. But Honey's gangster boyfriend doesn't want to give her up.

Hit Man
23% Match

Hit Man(2024)

Movie6.8/10

A mild-mannered professor moonlighting as a fake hit man in police stings ignites a chain reaction of trouble when he falls for a potential client.

She Done Him Wrong
22% Match

New York singer and nightclub owner Lady Lou has more men friends than you can imagine. One of them is a vicious criminal who’s escaped and is on the way to see “his” girl, not realising she hasn’t exactly been faithful in his absence. Help is at hand in the form of young Captain Cummings, a local temperance league leader.

Trouble in Paradise
22% Match

Thief Gaston Monescu and pickpocket Lily are partners in crime and love. Working for perfume company executive Mariette Colet, the two crooks decide to combine their criminal talents to rob their employer. Under the alias of Monsieur Laval, Gaston uses his position as Mariette's personal secretary to become closer to her. However, he takes things too far when he actually falls in love with Mariette, and has to choose between her and Lily.

Pillow Talk
20% Match

Playboy songwriter Brad Allen's succession of romances annoys his neighbor, interior designer Jan Morrow, who shares a telephone party line with him and hears all his breezy routines. After Jan unsuccessfully lodges a complaint against him, Brad sets about to seduce her in the guise of a sincere and upstanding Texas rancher. When mutual friend Jonathan discovers that his best friend is moving in on the girl he desires, however, sparks fly.

Move Over, Darling
20% Match

Three years into their loving marriage, with two infant daughters at home in Los Angeles, Nicholas Arden and Ellen Wagstaff Arden are on a plane that goes down in the South Pacific. Although most passengers manage to survive the incident, Ellen presumably perishes when swept off her lifeboat, her body never recovered. Fast forward five years. Nicholas, wanting to move on with his life, has Ellen declared legally dead. Part of that moving on includes getting remarried, this time to a young woman named Bianca Steele, who, for their honeymoon, he plans to take to the same Monterrey resort where he and Ellen spent their honeymoon. On that very same day, Ellen is dropped off in Los Angeles by the Navy, who rescued her from the South Pacific island where she was stranded for the past five years. She asks the Navy not to publicize her rescue nor notify Nicholas as she wants to do so herself.

Austin Powers in Goldmember
19% Match

The world's most shagadelic spy continues his fight against Dr. Evil. This time, the diabolical doctor and his clone, Mini-Me, team up with a new foe—'70s kingpin Goldmember. While pursuing the team of villains to stop them from world domination, Austin gets help from his dad and an old girlfriend.

A Night at the Roxbury
18% Match

Despite being well into adulthood, brothers Doug and Steve Butabi still live at home and work in the flower shop owned by their dad. They exist only to hit on women at discos, though they're routinely unsuccessful until a chance run-in with Richard Grieco gets them inside the swank Roxbury club. Mistaken for high rollers, they meet their dream women, Vivica and Cambi, and resolve to open a club of their own.

White Chicks
18% Match

Two FBI agent brothers, Marcus and Kevin Copeland, accidentally foil a drug bust. To avoid being fired they accept a mission escorting a pair of socialites to the Hamptons--but when the girls are disfigured in a car accident, they refuse to go. Left without options, Marcus and Kevin decide to pose as the sisters, transforming themselves from black men into rich white women.

Be Cool
18% Match

Be Cool(2005)

Movie5.5/10

Disenchanted with the movie industry, Chili Palmer tries the music industry, meeting and romancing a widow of a music executive along the way.

The Apartment
18% Match

Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he's left with a major problem to solve.