Directed by Howard Hawks | Starring: Gary Cooper, Dana Andrews, Barbara Stanwyck, Elisha Cook Jr.

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 When one of them discovers that his entry on slang is hopelessly outdated, he ventures into the wide world to learn about the evolving language.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

Ball of Fire - Publicity still of Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck & S.Z. Sakall

More stills and photos from Ball of Fire