Eight Professors are in the 9th year of a twelve year encyclopedia writing project . The youngest is the nerdy Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) who specializes in language and grammar . When Professor Potts discovers that his section on slang is outdated , he sets out to research the topic . Nightclub performer Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwick) is engaged to gangster who's under investigation by the police . But then the gang moll hides out with the group of mundane professors , attempting to avoid her loathsome and pursued boyfriend . As the professors are busy compiling an encyclopedia and she helps them with their section on slang in the English language. Along the way , the fine professor Cooper falls in love for the damsel in distress. "I love him because he doesn't know how to kiss -- The Jerk! . Riotous but agreeable comedy of a professor so anxious to learn the slang of a music hall queen that she puts his heart in a sling ! . A professor baffled by the words, but a sucker for the wiles of a hot-spot Queen of Jive who used his study as a hide-out! Professor Potts gets Yum Yum Girl ¡ . "Don't be a drizzle-puss, Prof. Throw in Your Clutch for a little hoyboytoy"!
An enjoyable and sparkling Billy Wilder-Charles Brackett storyline dealing with a nightclub singer hides out in language research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her , providing a sympathetic role for Gary Cooper , while Barbara Stanwick stands out with a rare comedy glamour character as a bombshell showgirl . Director Hawks , regularly found shooting Westerns , Noir , Thrillers and action , here he's displaying an unexpectedly deft comedy touch . Howard Hawks even remade of his 1941 comedy "Ball of Fire" as ¨A song in born¨ (1948) it resulted to be a vehicle for Danny Kaye, who was popular at the time . Concerning an ordinary theme in Howard Hawks' comedy films : the abrasive battle of sexes , here with two greatest actors , as there's a countinous facing between Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwick , and , of course , finally , falling in love . There occurs a large number of fun incidents and a series of bemusing misadventures suffered by the disconcerting couple , all of them make rollicking entertainment . Adding a bemusing and inventive contemporary reworking of the Snow White . And some of the early Forties slang is as riveting as it is baffling . Gary Cooper at his defiest , follows his peculiar style as a botcher , naive , but really likeable professor . Barbara Stanwick gives a nice acting who takes a personal liking to naive professor and resolves to teach him more than just slang. They are very well accompanied by a top-notch support cast , such as : Oskar Homolka , Henry Travers , S. Z. Sakall , Tully Marshall , Allen Jenkins, Richard Haydn , Dana Andrews , Dan Duryea , Charles Lane , Elisha Cook Jr , among others.
Well financed by powerful producer Samuel Goldwyn who ever one to waste adequate material , revamped the whole thing a few years later as a recital for Danny Kaye titled : A song is born (1948) with Virginia Mayo , Benny Goodman , Tommy Dorsey , Louis Armstrong , Lionel Hampton and set at a musical research institute . This film is based on a story by Billy Wilder and Thomas Monroe, which had also been the basis of the original film . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Howard Hawks . He was a comedy expert , Hawks usually dealing with the thorny battles of sexes between two people eventually destined to fall in love , this issue began in Twentieth Century , Bringing up Baby , His Girl Friday , Ball of Fire and To Have and Have not . Although he also made other genres with too much successes , such as Western : El Dorado, Río Lobo , Río Bravo, Red River , The Big Sky , Barbara Coast . FIlm Noir : Scarface , Criminal Code , The Big Sleep . Wartime : Sergeant York, Ceiling Zero, Air Force . Adventure : Hatari , Land of Pharaohs , Only Angels have Wings . Rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average . Worth watching for Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwick interpretations .
An enjoyable and sparkling Billy Wilder-Charles Brackett storyline dealing with a nightclub singer hides out in language research institution staffed by bachelor professors - one of whom begins to fall for her , providing a sympathetic role for Gary Cooper , while Barbara Stanwick stands out with a rare comedy glamour character as a bombshell showgirl . Director Hawks , regularly found shooting Westerns , Noir , Thrillers and action , here he's displaying an unexpectedly deft comedy touch . Howard Hawks even remade of his 1941 comedy "Ball of Fire" as ¨A song in born¨ (1948) it resulted to be a vehicle for Danny Kaye, who was popular at the time . Concerning an ordinary theme in Howard Hawks' comedy films : the abrasive battle of sexes , here with two greatest actors , as there's a countinous facing between Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwick , and , of course , finally , falling in love . There occurs a large number of fun incidents and a series of bemusing misadventures suffered by the disconcerting couple , all of them make rollicking entertainment . Adding a bemusing and inventive contemporary reworking of the Snow White . And some of the early Forties slang is as riveting as it is baffling . Gary Cooper at his defiest , follows his peculiar style as a botcher , naive , but really likeable professor . Barbara Stanwick gives a nice acting who takes a personal liking to naive professor and resolves to teach him more than just slang. They are very well accompanied by a top-notch support cast , such as : Oskar Homolka , Henry Travers , S. Z. Sakall , Tully Marshall , Allen Jenkins, Richard Haydn , Dana Andrews , Dan Duryea , Charles Lane , Elisha Cook Jr , among others.
Well financed by powerful producer Samuel Goldwyn who ever one to waste adequate material , revamped the whole thing a few years later as a recital for Danny Kaye titled : A song is born (1948) with Virginia Mayo , Benny Goodman , Tommy Dorsey , Louis Armstrong , Lionel Hampton and set at a musical research institute . This film is based on a story by Billy Wilder and Thomas Monroe, which had also been the basis of the original film . The motion picture was compellingly directed by Howard Hawks . He was a comedy expert , Hawks usually dealing with the thorny battles of sexes between two people eventually destined to fall in love , this issue began in Twentieth Century , Bringing up Baby , His Girl Friday , Ball of Fire and To Have and Have not . Although he also made other genres with too much successes , such as Western : El Dorado, Río Lobo , Río Bravo, Red River , The Big Sky , Barbara Coast . FIlm Noir : Scarface , Criminal Code , The Big Sleep . Wartime : Sergeant York, Ceiling Zero, Air Force . Adventure : Hatari , Land of Pharaohs , Only Angels have Wings . Rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average . Worth watching for Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwick interpretations .