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Title: jazz numbers are the only reason to see this Ball of (mis)FIre
Review: A tiresome remake of the tiresome comedy Ball of Fire, in which itself was a play of sorts on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the original, Barbara Stanwyck loosened up the uptight professor Gary Cooper. In the remake (both were helmed by Howard Hawks), Virginia Mayo puts some shimmy into professor Danny Kaye. That's a serious downgrade in both roles. The only reason anyone cares about this version is the fact that Kaye is "researching" jazz so we get to see great performances by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton and Mel Powell with Benny Goodman in a supporting role. I'll take Sonja Henie in the ice-skating silliness It's A Pleasure! ($14.98; MGM). At least that movie knows it's absurd.
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