Ball of Fire [DVD]

To me, the best films are the ones that you find totally engrossing. This is one such film.The opening scene with Gene Kruper's rendition of 'Drum Boogie' is superb.Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper are an unusual match, but it works. She is the 'Feme Fatale' to Gary Coopers innocent professor and when she 'Yums him' he is smitten. So if you enjoy a good simple storyline with some laughs and a lot of soul, then this is for you.

This film was unavailable in the US, so I purchased it through Amazon UK. (My DVD/Blu-Ray players are all region free; so there was no issue in that regard.)If you play this on your television, as others have said, it's unwatchable. The picture is full screen (16:9), when its aspect ratio should be 4:3, meaning that the film is cropped at the top and bottom; so, you're missing credits and the tops of heads (you don't notice the bottom crops as much as the tops of people's heads missing). Adjusting your television to correct for the aspect ratio problem, doesn't help: at the 4:3 setting, the image is squished from every angle and the top and bottom of the picture is still cropped.There were only three reasons why I didn't return it: 1) the hassle of sending something back from the US to the UK in the middle of a global pandemic; 2) the film was so difficult to find as it was, that even having a lousy version was better than not having it at all; and 3) it *is* viewable on a computer using VLC Media Player; VLC is able to compensate for the aspect ratio problem, and allows you to see the top and bottom of the film which are cut off running it through a DVD/Blu-Ray player on your TV.This a wonderful classic film with Barbara Stanwyck at her sassiest and Gary Cooper playing the innocent she falls for, but be aware and beware that Amazon (or an Amazon reseller) is selling what is likely a bootleg copy of it at a full retail price. If it lists Korean as one of the language options from whomever you're purchasing it through, assume it's a bootleg version and avoid.

a highly watchable flick with barbara stanwyck playing a moll talking tough & acting hard-edgedly,who goes into hiding with some real good-natured high-brows. this is obviously another of stanwycks's forays of that ilkinto the gangster genre, even though the comedy part in '' ball of fire '' prominently prevails here over the hood part,wherin stanwyck is glamorized by warner brothers as proven by pictures like:Ladies They Talk About & Baby Face, both of which preceded '' BALL OF FIRE''.as you might read gary cooper playing a role in that movie, it has to be stated in all claritythat stanwyck upstages cooper in every way: cooper paling into utter insignificance in comparison with her.if you haven't seen ladies they talk about & baby face, snag those dvds via amzon.fr,superb picture/sound quality in english ! I don't know about the french audio track as english is my mother tonguebut I think french subtitles are available there if that's important to you.(dvd is region code 2, pal !)

A delightful film from beginning to end.

Wonderful in every respect. Great script, great acting, great direction. In my top ten of all films (which is probably a top twenty).Don't miss it.

This has some really good music in it. Especially the playing of 'Drum Boogie' by Gene Krupa. Gary Gooper is very good as a shy professor who falls for a girl from 'the other side of the tracks .

I love the old screwball comedies. I bought this to add to my collection. It arrived as promised and did not disappoint.

This is just wonderful! Two really good movies in one pack! Ball of fire is so fantastic, and Stany and Coop are just so perfect together, and if you want to see Mr Cooper from another point, just check *Love in the afternoon" and you'll also love that :DIf you haven't seen these movies -please do! you won't regret it- and great picture and sound