#sugarpuss

[sugarpussdesign]

✨❤️All I Want for Xmas is… ?🎁🎁🎁 Day 20 of Sugarpuss Santa Baby Xmas 🙌🏼🎄🎅🏼💋 Model @nicolejolly Photo @muheeka for @sugarpussclothing Hairpiece by @lacasadeflores Featuring our Red Velvet Keyhole Top and Skirt from our Santa Baby Collection 🎁💋 What’s on your wish list this year??? #sugarpussclothing #christmasoutfit #elfcosplay #christmaself #santashelpers #santababy #sexysantashelper #sexyholiday #pinupxmas #festioutfitinspo #edmbabes #holidaylook #elf #pinuplook #sugarpuss #sugarpussbabe #christmascosplay #cosplaygirls #cosplayersofinstagram #holidaysarehere #pinupchristmas #shopsmallbusiness #handmadeinlosangeles (at The Sugarpuss Suite Photo Studio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZaKGlp7nw/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Carpe Noctem 12

Warnings: dark elements, noncon, age gap, gaslighting, manipulation, other dark elements. Proceed with caution. (short!reader)

Note: Please let me know what you think as it helps me a lot with ideas and I love interacting with you all.

Part of The Club AU

Your head bounces against the pillow, your body jostling over the mattress, deep heaving breaths and shuddering moans. You can’t take much more. Your lashes flutter, eyelids drooping, skin slick with sweat and other fluids. Every part of you is sore but delightfully so.

Lloyd grips just above your knees, holding your legs against his torso as he ruts, letting out a groan with each thrust. The slap of skin underlines the melody of rasping voices, wrought and desperate. He slips his touch down your left thigh, delving once more to find your clit.

Your orgasm breaks after only a few swipes of his finger. You’re so overworked that just the friction of flesh leaves you spasming. He rubs you even past your climax, hips snapping as he chases his own release. When he cums, he doesn’t stop, only bending your legs further as he carries his incessant tempo.

“Ll…” your voice warbles on your tongue, “Lloyd…” you eke out, “I… can’t…”

“Come on, baby, just a little bit, don’t let me go soft,” he begs as he presses his lips to your forehead, folding you completely beneath him.

“Mmph,” you groan through your teeth, “ple-ease, I can’t–”

His pelvis rubs against your clit and you twitch again, whining out another weak orgasm. Your eyes spring with tears of exhaustion. You shakily put your hands on his arms, squeezing the thick muscles. You feel the slight tremble within, he can’t put in much longer. You didn’t know men could go this long.

“I… I…” your eyes roll back and your head falls to the side, “I need…”

Your voice trails off and he lurches into you harder. He hammers you into the bed, his pelvis rolling wildly until he adds to slickness already leaking out around him. He quakes and lets out a drone, finally collapsing onto you. His damp breath glosses into the crook of your neck as he lets your legs splay around him.

“Five minutes,” he says as he wiggles and eases out of you, letting out a grunt as he falls onto his back and cradles his balls, “go, take a piss or whatever.”

His crassness makes you flinch, still, you won’t argue. Five minutes is better than nothing. 

You move slowly, achy but loose. You get your legs over the edge of the bed and grasp the mattress. You push yourself up and stagger, barely catching yourself against the wall, just beside the door frame. Lloyd chortles proudly.

“See, we’re not done…” he sneers, “you’re still walking.”

You ignore him and sway your way into the bathroom. You shut the door but not hard enough for the mechanism to catch. You don’t care. You sit on the toilet and bend over your lap, trying to urge out the pressure inside of you.

The release is almost orgasmic. You can’t believe it. It feels so good to get it out yet it leaves you wanting more. This man, there’s something wrong with him. He can’t possibly want this much. He must be punishing you.

You blow out a breath as you sit up. You latch onto the counter and pull yourself up again. You flush and wobble over in front of the sink to wash your hands. You twist off the warm water and splash cold water over your face before wetting your hand to pat some between your swollen folds.

“Five minutes,” Lloyd calls from the bedroom.

You grumble and turn off the faucet. You limp towards the door and elbow it open. He’s standing by the bed, playing with himself as he winks at you. You pout.

“Please, I’m tired. I need sleep–”

“You can sleep,” he points to the bed, “I don’t mind.”

You wince. He can’t mean–

“As long as you’re on my dick, you can do whatever you want, sugarpuss,” he sticks out his tongue, “I’ll give you a choice, stomach or back?”

“Hmm?” You furrow your brows.

“You can go face down or belly up, doesn’t matter to me.”

You sigh. You should say no, you should repeat yourself, you’re too tired, but that never worked. Not with Johnny. It’s always easier to just do what they want.

You’re so tired, your limbs drag as you move, and you fall onto the mattress. You force yourself to the middle of the bed and roll onto your back. Lloyd climbs up and positions himself between your legs, hooking them over his thighs as he lifts your pelvis.

“Lay back and relax, baby,” he frames your hip as he guides his tips along your cunt, “I got this.”

⏲️

Your sleep is laced with vivid sensations. A fullness that doesn’t leave you, a heat that swallows you up, a steady flow that enshrines you completely. You feel Lloyd on top of you, inside you, behind you, all around you. Until finally, you succumb to the depths of your fatigue.

When you wake fully, overtly aware of your body and surroundings, you find yourself sprawled on the bed, naked, uncovered, and left in the filth of his lust. You shiver as the cool air brushes over you. You run your hand up your stomach and whimper. Just that small movement is an incredible effort.

You stare at the ceiling. He’s gone. The door is shut and you’re alone, but not unashamed. You feel used. You can only picture him climbing off you and strutting out, just like that.

You build up the strength to pull the crumpled blanket from against the footboard over you. You hug yourself beneath the duvet and shut your eyes again. You fall asleep easier than you ever have, the tingling in your thighs following you into your unconscious.

The next time you rouse, you see the shining orange letters emblazoned on the transparent plastic. A rather modern looking alarm clock that sets your heart to lurch. Beneath the time, 4:38am, you see the letter highlighted for the day. It’s fucking Monday!

You sit up so quickly it makes you dizzy. You can’t believe it. You lost a whole day. You think. You don’t know when it ended exactly but you’re only a few hours away from work. Shit!

You crawl to the edge of the bed, muscles tugging in your thighs and hips, and stand. For just a second before you fold and land on your knees. You squeak and hold yourself up on your arms as you pant at the floor. No fucking way. No. You can’t walk. No, you can, try again.

You turn yourself around and grab the bedpost. You pull yourself up and waver on your feet. You lean until you fall face first onto the mattress. This can’t be real.

You take a moment to get yourself together and sit up, intent on trying once more. You see your phone on the square table beside the bed. You snatch it up and double check the time and date. It really is Monday.

You unlock the screen and pull up the dial pad. You pause before you can think to bring up your contacts. The last call was made yesterday at 7pm. To the daycare. What the hell? You don’t remember making that call…

[onefootin1941]

Ball of Fire, 1941

Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O’Shea, performing the Drum Boogie number with the Gene Krupa band in Ball of Fire, 1941. Directed by Howard Hawks and written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett and Thomas Monroe.

Also starring Gary Cooper, Dana Andrews, Dan Duryea and a host of wonderful character actors such as Oscar Homolka, Henry Travers and S.Z. Sakall. Costumes by Edith Head.

[pesterloglog]

Gamzee Makara, Vriska Serket, Vrissy Maryam-Lalonde

Candy, page 35

GAMZEE: HeY (vRiSkA) mY bOoTyLiCiOuS bAbY bItCh.

GAMZEE: YoUr BaD bOnE dAdDy Is GeTtIn To Be A cHiLlY mOtHeRfUcKeR fRoM tHiS dAnK sUmMeR bReEzE.

GAMZEE: hOw AbOuT wE gEt OuR wIcKeD sNuGgLe On DoWn At ThIs GrAsS wE jUsT mAdE aLl NaStY iN. :o)

GAMZEE: HeY bEaUtIfUl. :O)

GAMZEE: iS sOmEtHiNg MoThEr FuCkIn ThE mAtTeR?

GAMZEE: We CaN tAlK aLl OpEn At EaCh OtHeR aBoUt ThE sAd NoIsE hApPeNiNg In OuR bOsOm NoW tHaT wE aLl MaDe ThE sOrDiD pLeDgE tO pRaCtIcE tHe WiCkEd InTiMaCy On ThE mOtHeRfUcKiN rEgUlAr.

(VRISKA): Gamzee...

(VRISKA): Can you just

(VRISKA): Not talk?

(VRISKA): For just a little while, so I can...

GAMZEE: :o)

(VRISKA): So I can...

(VRISKA): I don’t know.

(VRISKA): Just.

(VRISKA): 8e quiet.

GAMZEE: HONK!

(VRISKA): Did you hear what I F8CKING said????????

GAMZEE: Aw MoThEr FuCk SuGaRpUsS. :o(

GAMZEE: mY nAnNa NeCtAr!!!

(VRISKA): You 8etter fucking listen up, Makara.

(VRISKA): I don’t know what you may have thought... THIS was. Whatever the fuck it was that just happened here.

(VRISKA): 8ut let me clue you in.

(VRISKA): It was NOTHING.

(VRISKA): Nothing happened here.

(VRISKA): Do we understand each other, you reprehensi8le, malodorous PIECE OF SHIT?

GAMZEE: honk. :o)

(VRISKA): What the fuck do you think you’re doing????????

GAMZEE: I gOtS tO fUcKiN tElL mY nUmBeR oNe InVeRtEbRoThEr AbOuT aLl WhAt JuSt GoT dId.

GAMZEE: hE aNd I aReN’t As TiGhT aS tHe BoYs We UsEd To RoLl As, BuT hE sHoUlD gEt HiS kIcK oN aBoUt WhAt A hIgHlY uNaNtIcIpAtEd YeT bItChIn PiEcE oF hOt N hEaVy HoRsEpLaY i WaS jUsT mAdE tO pArToOk.

(VRISKA): You were just “made” to... ?!

(VRISKA): Why you FUCKING...

(VRISKA): You’re not telling Karkat a8out this!!!!!!!!

(VRISKA): You’re n8t telling ANY8NE. Do you hear me, cl8wn????????

GAMZEE: LoL.

GAMZEE: mOtHeRfUcKiN sHaMe On Me, FoR fAiLiNg To ReCoGnIzE uP sOoNeR fOr HoW cUtE yOu ArE wHeN yOu’Re AnGrY. :o)

(VRISKA): AAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!

GAMZEE: NoW wHy DoN’t YoU cOmE aLl SeTtLe YoUr WoRkEd Up WiGgLeR aSs DoWn HeRe WiTh YoUr SaLtY nEw RuMpUs UnClE sO i CaN sNaP sOmE mOtHeRfUcKiN sElFiEs, My FiRm YeT sLiPpErY lItTlE pAsSiOn PeAcH.

(VRISKA): GIVE ME TH8T!

(VRISKA): No selfies, no texts, no N8THING!

(VRISKA): Which fucking part of “you’re not telling anyone” is so hard to understand?!

(VRISKA): This NEVER HAPPENED.

(VRISKA): Not a single fucking word of this is EVER going to 8e 8reathed, whispered, or honked to ANY8ODY.

(VRISKA): LEAST of all any insinuation that this is something I “made” you do. You GET me, fuckface??

(VRISKA): I didn’t MAKE you do anything.

(VRISKA): You were slo88ering all over my FUCKING foot, while I was 8eating the SHIT out of you.

(VRISKA): I SAW that look on your face.

(VRISKA): I saw your how your codpiece was, like...

(VRISKA): Ok, never mind that.

(VRISKA): I mean, once we were actually... you were totally into... don’t even try to convince me you weren’t, like...

(VRISKA): UGH!!!!!!!!

(VRISKA): Why am I even TALKING a8out this??

(VRISKA): I DON’T NEED TO JUSTIFY MYSELF TO A DISGUSTING, HORNY PIECE OF FILTH LIKE YOU!

GAMZEE: I dOn’T kNoW aBoUt AlL tHe BuSiNeSs YoU sAiD, hOnEyNiPs.

GAMZEE: i’Ve GoT tO fEeLiNg ThAt WoNdEr In My HeArT wHiCh SaYs MaYbE i GoT eRoTiCaLlY bUsHwAcKeD hErE.

GAMZEE: i’M sO cOnFuSeD... i DoN’t HaRdLy KnOw At WhIcH wAy Is Up AnYmOrE, aBoUt My OrIgInAl WaNtInGs FoR tHe NaStY dAnCe We JuSt DiD.

GAMZEE: MaYbE tHe TrUtH oF tHe ShIt Is MoRe LiKe...

GAMZEE: I gOt ThE aDvAnTaGe TaKeN oF mE.

(VRISKA): You son of a 8itch.

(VRISKA): This was C8NSENSUAL!

(VRISKA): If ANYONE didn’t consent to this horror show it was ME, RETRO8CTIVELY!!!!!!!!

GAMZEE: :o(

GAMZEE: VrIsKa, I...

GAMZEE: gOt To MoThEr FuCkInG sAy.

GAMZEE: tHiS wHoLe ExPeRiEnCe HaS lEfT a MoThErFuCkEr FeElInG a LiL bIt UnCoMfY.

GAMZEE: uNcOmFy, UnReSpEcTeD, uSeD, aNd MaYbE aLsO,

GAMZEE: JuSt An EeNsY wEeNsY iTtY lItTlE bIt...

GAMZEE: uNsAfE. :o(

(VRISKA): I don’t care if you feel “unsafe”!!!!!!!!

(VRISKA): You’re a lying, disingenuous puddle of sideshow puke, and I don’t 8elieve for a SECOND you meant ANY of that!

(VRISKA): The 8NLY thing that matters here is that you keep your F8CKING MOUTH SHUT A8OUT WH8T WE JUST D8D!!!!!!!!

GAMZEE: (VrIsKa), My MeAn QuEeN sQuEeZe, AnD bOrDeRlInE sExUaL vIlLaIn,

GAMZEE: i GoTs ReAsOnS oF sElF pRoTeCtIoN aGaInSt YoUr PrObLeMaTiC hOlLeRs ThAt I sHoUlD kEeP tHe WiCkEd ShIt ZiPpEd, JuSt LiKe YoU sAy.

GAMZEE: TeLl It To Me FuCkIn StRaIgHt, TuRbO tUsH...

GAMZEE: dO tHeSe LoOk LiKe LoOsE lIpS tO yOu?

(VRISKA): NO ONE IS GOING TO FIND OUT A8OUT THIS YOU FUCKING 8ASTARD.

(VRISKA): NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW, SO HELP ME G8D.

Vriska: (Eep!)

Vriska: Um...

Vriska: Hey.

(Vriska): Sup.

[thebigkelu]

BARBARA STANWYCK as Katherine “Sugarpuss” O’Shea in BALL OF FIRE (1941) dir. Howard Hawks

[murderballadeer]

top five barbara stanwyck roles. AND top five katharine hepburn roles.

for barbara:

phyllis dietrichson in double indemnity

sugarpuss o'shea in ball of fire

jean harrington in the lady eve

lily powers in baby face

lee leander in remember the night

for kath:

tracy lord in the philadelphia story

linda seton in holiday

bunny watson in desk set

susan vance in bringing up baby

amanda bonner in adam's rib

[howardhawkshollywood]

Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers under the influence of B4 in a scene from Monkey Business (1952). Ginger had turned down the part of Sugarpuss O'Shea in Ball of Fire (1942).

[madmoviemark]

Ball of Fire Review - Professor Betram Potts is part of a distinguished group of geniuses tasked with the job of creating the next Encyclopedia. Potts , who is in charge of slang, realizes he is completely out of touch with how the youths of the day talk. He decides to go to a night club to learn some of the new lingo, only to fall in love with the performer of the night, Sugerpuss O'Shea. Will Sugarpuss help him with his writing or will she write him off as just some weirdo? You'll have to tune in to find out.

[booksandwords]

Dancing Lessons by R. Cooper

Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

The Quote: “There are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to lead, where the man leads and the lady—or whoever—must follow.” Rafael stepped forward, flashing another smile when Chico immediately responded by stepping back and then to the side. “But that forgets that no one has to follow. It’s always the partner’s choice to keep dancing. If the person leading steps on your toes, steers you into the wall, turns you when you don’t want to be turned, then you can stop.” — Rafael Winters

Warnings: mentions of past emotional abuse

Dancing Lessons is the charming story of Rafael Winters and Francisco 'Chico "Nobody calls me Francisco but my mother and bill collectors."' Silva. Chico is pronounced in the way that shows his Portuguese heritage, Sheeco. The story is told entirely through Chico's eyes in varying degrees of flawed narration. As sometimes happens in R. Cooper's works there are some gorgeous life messages, advice and analogies. In this case that is obviously in the dances and ballet used. To be honest, there is a moment in Dancing Lessons that is going to haunt me. It shouldn't but it's a sign of exactly how emotionally invested I got in this novella. For me this is a 4.5-star book that I'm rounding up to 5, there are some concerns with pronouns for Davi. The female support cast is strong and fierce though only one is intimidating (as becomes her former career)

Chico Silva is new to the small largely holiday town of Brandywine. He is living with his cousin Davi, using it as a place to be himself again after a fairly shattering relationship and break-up. Honestly, he spent a large part of the story slowly breaking my heart. At 34 he is an emotionally broken man who just needs to heal. His touch starvation which I picked from the earliest pages was near devastating to read. R.Cooper may have used Chico as a slightly unreliable narrator but that allowed for the creation of deception leading to a moment I entirely didn't see coming in the middle somewhere that might haunt me. Also, Chico's unreliability is fully backed by his history and experiences. I think you can see the markers in the support cast.

Rafael Winters is exceptionally charming, attractive and endearing. His patience with both students and the emotionally wounded Chico is perfect. His love of teaching dance and dedication to his students shines. There is a revelation with him at one point that sounds like a joke but really isn't. The dance elements are so well intertwined. As a couple, I adore Chico and Raf. They have a style and chemistry to them that doesn't appear every day. Though the chemistry between Rafael and Chico is so sizzling it feels more like it belongs in the Latin ballroom rather than the slightly more structured waltz. The waltz still has the perfect meaning for them. The performance put on but the kids is a fantastic choice with its metaphor for their relationship. If the source material is real I will be reading it (I can't find it sadly).

The support cast is impressive. We never meet the dick, John aka, the gaslighting bastard, aka Chico's ex only hear about the damage he caused. Davi is the adorable trans cousin. Unfortunately, their pronouns are a tad inconsistent I think. They are fun though Chicos greatest cheerleader supporter and the biggest tattletale. The kids gave their own messages to send. Crushes, confidence and being overlooked. The maternal characters are both impeccably strong and fierce though only one is intimidating (as becomes her former career). Ruthie is fantastic for the little we see her, she reminds me of the librarian-type characters that Cooper often includes. There are two badass old queers, Ethal and Alonzo that help Chico build his confidence and see the light "“You’re not very bright, are you, sugarpuss?” Alonzo said as he petted the back of Chico’s hand. “You could make a man do anything.”" (Alonzo). But the strongest and most intimidating character is Elisabet Winters, Rafael's mother. She is a retired dancer and exceptionally fierce and demanding of her dancers. Most people run from her when she enters a room. But she loves her son, just wants him to be happy and she knows talent when she sees it. She acknowledges and encourages Chico's talent for delicate sewing. I really like her. More than expected.

Have some quotes

extended his hand in a graceful movement reminiscent of a Disney prince. — R. Cooper shows that way with words I know and love. That is such a brilliantly visual description. (Chico)

Chico was and always had been a small and fragile creature. He caught a glimpse of his wrist and wondered how it had felt when the dance instructor had held it to carefully pull Chico’s hand to his skin. No one should be that gentle in real life unless they were handling a newborn or trying to catch a ladybug. — Oh... That's pretty. And self-deprecating which just works for him. This is less that 10% of the way in, we know that there is something not quite... whole (💔😢) about Chico but it is hard to tell to what amount. (Chico)

“Davi hasn’t said anything except in response to what I asked after you arrived in town.” He put his hand out reassuringly when Chico froze. “Davi and I talk a lot. We’re neighbors. And Davi likes to say small town queers have to stick together.” — Yas Davi! 🌈 Davi is right. I like Davi's role in this relationship. Just stay out of it and be happy when your friend and cousin get their s**t together. (Rafael)

“I promise not to show you off in front of everyone again, cross my heart. Not unless you want me to.” “Oh God.” — Chico. You totally want that. And god your chemistry is made for dance. Given the first time they meet Chico is almost unwillingly used as a dance mannequin. But the gentle human contact to someone who is touchstarved is absolutely someone he wants. (Rafael and Chico)

“Especially your partner. Complementing them is about matching your movements to theirs, which means knowing them, noticing what their bodies are telling you about their mood and their intentions and their feelings. When you don’t do that, you’ll not only have a stiff, awkward dance, but you could actually cause damage. Don’t force anything. Just pay attention and try to make each other better. And for God’s sake, no showing off. You know who I’m talking to." — This is Raf talking to his teenage dance class. But you know what this could easily be an analogy for. Do I have a slightly dirty mind? Maybe. But this is R. Cooper and they write in such away that it leads you to think. (Rafael)

“I'm seriously considering ‘accidentally’ sticking you with a pin,” Chico told him as meanly as he knew how, which only meant Travis rolled his eyes again. “Doesn’t everyone, when dealing with Travis?” Rafael inquired from outside the door. Chico had partially closed the door to give Travis some privacy, although he hadn’t really gotten undressed. Travis calmly flipped his teacher off and seemed amused when he got the bird in return through the crack in the door. Rafael inquired from outside the door. Chico had partially closed the door to give Travis some privacy, although he hadn’t really gotten undressed. Travis calmly flipped his teacher off and seemed amused when he got the bird in return through the crack in the door. — This is just a moment. Travis is one of Raf's older students he has an atitude but really suits the role he's dancing. This is just fun Raf's dynamic with his students and Chico slipping so easily into an unextepect role. Coming out of that shell. (Chico and Rafael)

That’s not what I meant. I’m thinking about you. I’m anxious, and I’ll miss you; that’s what I’m trying to say. Someone ought to kick your ex in the balls. — This is a gem of a line. It is Raf speaking for the audience, most of whom had likely already decided John needed something unpleasant to happen to him. So... can we all please form an orderly queue to kick the ex-boyfriend in the junk? Preferably with steel caps on. (Rafael)

[sugarpussdesign]

💖🌿I can’t wait for my cuddly Poison Ivy to come back home and see me wearing this out fit!! 🥰 We hope you all are enjoying your prezzies and some cozy Holidaze while you can! Cosplayer @ivycosplay Wearing our @sugarpussclothing Hot Pink Crushed Velvet Play Set 💘💘 #Cosplay #cosplayer #cosplaygirl #cosplaysexy #cosplayerofinstagram #mcillusionphotography #mcillusion #sugarpuss #sugarpusscostumes #harleyquinn #harleyquinncosplay #dcvillains #christmascosplay #pinupxmas https://www.instagram.com/p/CmuJCAMvLkN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jomaporpalcineclasico]

BOLA DE FUEGO (HOWARD HAWKS, 1941) es una genialidad, una obra maestra de la SCREWBALL COMEDY en la que encontramos a un GARY COOPER en un inusual papel de erudito que trabaja, junto con siete colegas más, en la elaboración de una ENCICLOPEDIA. Al darse cuenta de que su aislamiento y su dedicación extrema les han privado de conocer mejor el lenguaje de la calle, el profesor BERTRAM POTTS decide investigar in situ las expresiones y la forma de hablar populares, encontrando en su camino a SUGARPUSS O´SHEA (BARBARA STANWICK, nominada al OSCAR por esta fabulosa interpretación), cantante de un club nocturno que consigue llamar la atención del buen profesor por sus variopintas explosiones lingüísticas y su irresistible atractivo. Pero ella es además la novia del peligroso gangster JOE LILAC (DANA ANDREWS), y este no está dispuesto a perder a la mujer que puede librarle de la cárcel. ¿Ganará el conocimiento? ¿Ganará el amor? ¿Ganará el mafioso? Descubre esta divertidísima película escrita por el inigualable BILLY WILDER. ^^^Link de YouTube en la bio^^^ #comedy #rko #barbara #balloffire #boladefuego #garycooper #barbarastanwick #billywilder #howardhawks #classic #cinematic #oscars #enciclopedia #teacher #newyork #newjersey #screwballcomedy #jerryleelewis #greatballsoffire #jerrylewis #enciclopedia #wisdom #professor #doctor #drumboogie #oscars #1941 #femmefatale #gangster #goldenageofhollywood https://www.instagram.com/p/CpVzSUSMEHu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[signalwatch]

Screwball Watch: Ball of Fire (1941)

Watched:  01/07/2023

Format:  Criterion

Viewing:  First

Director:  Howard Hawks  

Skewing towards the end of the screwball cycle, Ball of Fire (1941) is an absolute g-d delight and another entry in the "yes, Stanwyck is that good" file.  

You would think the movie was made during the crush of the war as the large cast of supporting males are mostly over sixty, but also features Gary Cooper (43 here), Dana Andrews and Dan Duryea also popping up (Andrews and Duryea didn't serve for legit reasons).   Directed by Hawks with his usual flair, the script and story is by Billy Wilder in part, something I spent no small amount of time pondering while watching.  

Wilder arrived in the US in 1934, driven out of Germany by the Nazis, and like some people who have an outsiders perspective - he saw America clearly and showed it back to us.  And, in fact, I'd guess his attempts to understand American English and slang were in part what led to the set-up for this movie.  

Gary Cooper plays Professor Potts, one of eight scholars of different fields working to develop a set of Encyclopedias to compete with Britannica, sharing a brownstone in Manhattan where they live and work under the largesse of a millionaire's daughter still financing her deceased father's vanity project.

Cooper is a professor of English, and has just finished a 23-page article on Slang for the encyclopedia when he realizes that his research is inadequate and outdated, and so he takes to the streets of New York to assemble a small group to help him break down the etymology of 1940's slang (something I am sure Wilder was baffled by as he learned English).  

At a nightclub, Cooper sees Sugarpuss O'Shea (Stanwyck), the chanteuse of the program, and seeks her inclusion.  Sugarpuss's boyfriend Joe Lilac (Andrews), it turns out, is a gangster and the cops want to question her, so Lilac sends his goons to stow her.  She takes the opportunity offered by Cooper to bunk with the scholars, act as an assistant, and participate in the slang round-table.  But, of course, a fast-talking songstress with legs is a massive disruption to the staid and managed, monk-like lives of the scholars - who more than welcome the change, minus Cooper (of course).  

Stanwyck is maybe as close to a Glenn Close or Meryl Streep as anyone I can think of from old Hollywood.  She can play anything - O'Shea is as far removed from her Christmas in Connecticut role as anything.  It's even a different flavor of sexy from Double Indemnity.  And, hats off to Howard Hawks for getting one of the sexiest and chaste seduction scenes on film I can think of from the Hayes Code era as Stanwyck convinces Cooper to let her stay.  But she's mostly just hilarious - maybe not the first thing I think of with Stanwyck, but... yeah.  Playing against the clutch of old nerds and especially against the hausfrau, Miss Bragg, she's a riot.

It's a terrifically entertaining movie, upping the stakes repeatedly in the way of the best of these films, right up to the finale - and a film student's study in how to map dramatic action for comedy or otherwise.  

https://ift.tt/3rDaiKm

from The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/dNtUVzG

[byneddiedingo]

Henry Travers, Aubrey Mather, Oskar Homolka, Leonid Kinskey, Gary Cooper, S.Z. Sakall, Tully Marshall, Barbara Stanwyck, and Richard Haydn in Ball of Fire (Howard Hawks, 1941) Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Richard Haydn, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers, S.Z. Sakall, Tully Marshall, Leonid Kinskey, Aubrey Mather, Dana Andrews, Allen Jenkins, Dan Duryea, Ralph Peters, Kathleen Howard, Mary Field, Charles Lane, Elisha Cook Jr. Screenplay: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Thomas Monroe. Cinematography: Gregg Toland. Art direction: Perry Ferguson. Film editing: Daniel Mandell. Music: Alfred Newman. If this intersection of the talents of Billy Wilder and Howard Hawks doesn't feel much like a typical film from either, lacking some of Wilder's acerbity and Hawks's ebullience, it's perhaps because it was made under the watchful eye of producer Samuel Goldwyn. In fact, it's surprising to find Hawks working for Goldwyn at all after the brouhaha over Come and Get It (1936) that led to Hawks's being fired and replaced with William Wyler. But Goldwyn wanted the writing team of Wilder and Charles Brackett to work for him, and Wilder wanted to work with Hawks. Like everyone else in Hollywood, Wilder wanted to direct, and he wound up shadowing Hawks on the set of Ball of Fire, learning from the best. Wilder later called the picture "silly," and so it is -- not that there's anything wrong with that: Some of the greatest pictures both Wilder and Hawks made were silly, viz. Some Like It Hot (Wilder, 1959) and Bringing Up Baby (Hawks, 1938). Ball of Fire never quite reaches the heights of either of those movies, partly because it's encumbered by plot and cast. The "seven dwarfs"  of Ball of Fire are all marvelous character actors, but there are too many of them so the film sometimes feels overbusy. The gangster plot feels cooked-up, which it is. The musical numbers featuring Gene Krupa and his orchestra bring the movie to a standstill -- a pleasant one, but it saps some of the momentum of the comedy. Still, Barbara Stanwyck is dazzling as Sugarpuss O'Shea, performing a comic twofer in 1941 with her appearance in Preston Sturges's The Lady Eve, in which she enthralls Henry Fonda's character as efficiently as she does Gary Cooper's in Ball of Fire. There are those who think Cooper is miscast, but I think he's brilliant -- he knows the role is nonsense but he gives it his all.

[yifytorrentmovies]

Download Paul s'en va 2004 HD/Full HD/2K/4K

Genres: Comedy / Romance

Sexy, wisecracking nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea is a hot tomato who needs to be kept on ice: mobster boyfriend Joe Lilac is suspected of murder and Sugarpuss' testimony could put him away. Naive Professor Bertram Potts meets Miss O'Shea while researching an article on slang and in true romantic comedy fashion the two worlds collide. When Miss O'Shea hides out with Potts and his fellow professors, everyone learns something new: the professors how to cha-cha and Potts the meaning of "yum-yum"!

[selbstparadies]

BARBARA STANWYCK as Katherine “Sugarpuss” O’Shea in 

BALL OF FIRE (1941) dir. Howard Hawks

[howardhawkshollywood]

Barbara Stanwyck behind the scenes of Ball of Fire (1942) as Sugarpuss O’Shea. It was the only Osar nomination of a female in a Howard Hawks film.