[FilmReview]BallofFire(1941)7.5/10

HowardHawks’emblematicscrewballcomedygerminatesfromthewheezeofBillyWilderwhenthelatterwasstillinGermany,itisthequintessentialcouplingofthepedanticandthesultry,GaryCooperplaysProf.BertramPotts,agrammarianwhoisleadingagroupofeightscholarscompilingandcollatinganencyclopedia,whenasultrynightclubperformerSugarpussO’Shea(Stanwyck)takesshelterintheirresidenceinNYC,whoindeedisthegunmollofmobbossJoeLilac(Andrews),therestiswritteninthestonealthoughittakesatortuousroutetoreachitsfeel-goodfinishline.Lessloquaciousandrapid-firethanHoward’sBRINGINGUPBABY(1938),BALLOFFIREpointsupthemineofvernacularinlieuofverbalrebuttalbetweentheoppositesexes,itisduringProf.Potts’fieldtriptocollectcurrentlexiconofslangwhenheissweptoffhisfeetbyabling-blingSugarpuss,performingDRUMBOOGIEwithGeneKrupaandhisorchestra,accentuatedbythebandleaderx27;skillingdrumsoloandaningeniousminiatureencorewithmatches.Theyaretwodifferentkettlesoffish,astuffybachelorvs.apragmaticsiren,amismatchrarelycanmaketheirwayoutinreallife,andthatx27;swhatenthrallseventoday’saudience,towatchsomethingprofoundlyabsurdbutinnocuouslyentertainingwithoutitsstorybeingdumbeddownordefamedbycrassjokespanderingtothelowestcommondenominatorisalmosttoogoodtobetrue.Also,thestarappealisinhighvoltage,Cooperisnotjustatoohandsomespecimeninabutton-downsuit,healsomakestheschtickofdoingeverythingwithproprietieslookeffortlessandgoofy;anOscar-nominatedStanwyckbenefitsfromanearthiertemperamentandlayersofinnerconflictsdeviledbyhersapio-sexualconversion,isatherbestwhensheretainsherphlegmbeforeimpishlydolingouther“yumyum”toagawkyvirgin,whichcatcheshimunawares.AnotherfountofjoycomesfromtheriffonSnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,astheother7professorsgrowsanunanimousaffinitytoSugarpuss,tothedismayofthesternhousemaidMissBragg(Howard),andamongthem,theonlywidoweristhebotanistProf.Oddly,RichardHaydnbringsaboutaloveablyprissymannerismthatstealsthelimelightinthewell-orchestratedcrunchwhenthegrouphastooutmaneuverJoe’stwopistol-wieldinghenchmen.Inshort,considerablymoreaccessibleandmorelaid-backthanBRINGINGUPBABY,BALLOFFIREexcelsinconflatingdifferentgenrefodder(comedy,musical,gangster)intoahelluvarideofamodernfairytale,andrunsawaywithouraffectiononamoment’snotice.referentialpoints:Hawks’TWENTIETHCENTURY(1934,6.0/10),BRINGINGUPBABY(1938,7.4/10);GeorgeCukorx27;sTHEPHILADELPHIASTORY(1940,8.1/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。