Photo by RKO Radio Pictures
(FORT LEE, NJ) -- The Barrymore Film Center is presenting a Coffee and Classics screening of Ball of Fire, directed by Howard Hawks, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 10:00am. The film stars Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and Oscar Homolka.
In the film, a group of professors working on a new encyclopedia while living in a Manhattan mansion take in a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover.
Ball of Fire was written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and Thomas Monroe. The comedy/romance film was released in 1941. It was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in its National Film Registry in 2016.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and kids under 10. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Barrymore Film Center is located at 153 Main Street in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
The film was nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture, Best Sound, Recording (Thomas T. Moulton), Best Story, and Barbara Stanwyck was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
In the early 1900s, Fort Lee emerged as the epicenter American filmmaking due to its proximity to New York City and diverse landscapes. Major studios such as Universal Pictures, Fox Film Corporation, and Éclair Studios establish themselves in the city, laying the groundwork for the early American film industry. The Barrymore Film Center, which opened in October 2022, continues this film legacy.
The BFC celebrates Fort Lee’s place in film history, while fostering the future of filmmaking through workshops, film festivals, and collaborations with industry professionals. It also plans inclusive programs such as accessible screenings for people with disabilities and partnerships with Fort Lee High School to support students with disabilities.
The Barrymore Film Center represents the culmination of Fort Lee’s contributions to early American cinema, ensuring that the city’s pioneering role in the film industry is remembered and celebrated for generations to come.
