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Coming out in the same year as Barbara Stanwyck’s wonderful turn in THE LADY EVE, this film is just as hilarious and just as fun.

Written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett and directed by Howard Hawks, the film has eight stodgy professors living in one big house working for years on an epic encyclopedia. Leading the group of scholars is the youngest of them — linguist Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper, MEET JOHN DOE). One day the garbageman (Allen Jenkins, DESTRY RIDES AGAIN) comes in to ask them to answer some questions on a quiz he’s trying to win and they are fascinated with his use of new slang. Potts realizes that his chapter on slang is woefully out of date and has to venture out into the world to discover the current data on the ever-changing topic.

In his pursuit of regular Joes to participate in his study, he meets nightclub singer Katherine “Sugarpuss” O’Shea (Stanwyck), who happens to be the mole of gangster Joe Lilac (Dana Andrews, LAURA) and uses the professor’s offer as a way to hide out from the cops. The seven other professors quickly become infatuated with the sexy and straight-talking Sugarpuss. And it doesn’t take a long time for Potts-y to fall real hard for Sugarpuss either.

First and foremost, the film’s success comes from the witty writing and wonderfully subtle character development. This film was the last written by Wilder in which he didn’t direct it as well. Cooper’s awe-shucks style is perfect for the aged boy genius. Stanwyck radiates in her role, combining dangerous sexuality with a hint of depressed vulnerability. The supporting professors are a who’s who of famed character actors. Oskar Homolka (Hitchcock’s SABOTAGE) plays mathematics professor Gurkakoff, Henry Travers (Clarence the angel from IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE) plays history scholar Jerome, S.Z. Sakall (Carl the bartender from CASABLANCA) plays cheeky Prof. Magenbruch, Tully Marshall (GRAND HOTEL) plays law expert Robinson, Leonid Kinskey (Russian bartender Sascha in CASABLANCA) plays Prof. Quintana, Richard Hayden (best known as the voice of the Caterpillar in Disney’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND) plays the only professor to have been previously married — Prof. Oddly and Aubrey Mather (James, Jack’s Butler, in 1943’s HEAVEN CAN WAIT) plays literature expert Peagram.

They’re merely a collection of character traits, but working as a unit they are marvelously funny. At Potts’ bachelor party, Hayden and even Homolka get to stand out a bit with some touching dialogue. The film is hilarious from start to finish and that’s why its emotional moments hit us off guard and really tickle the heartstrings. Hawks is probably best known for the screwball comedy BRINGING UP BABY, however this film is smarter and has better developed characters. I loved this film so much it ranks right up there with my favorite Hawks films RED RIVER and SCARFACE. It truly deserves its place on AFI’s 100 Greatest Laughs list. It’s a forgotten classic that needs to be re-embraced. It’s a must-see gem.

(Currently, the DVD is hard to obtain, so watch out for it on Turner Classic Movies.)