Twentieth Century (1934)

88% of critics liked it
(24 reviews)
74% of users liked it
(1,352 ratings)

Flamboyant, egomaniacal theatrical impresario Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore) transforms chorus girl Mildred Plotka (Carole Lombard) into leading lady Lily Garland, the toast of Broadway. Once she's ascended to stardom, Mildred/Lily cannot abide Jaffe's obsessive control of her life and career. When he… More Flamboyant, egomaniacal theatrical impresario Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore) transforms chorus girl Mildred Plotka (Carole Lombard) into leading lady Lily Garland, the toast of Broadway. Once she's ascended to stardom, Mildred/Lily cannot abide Jaffe's obsessive control of her life and career. When he hires a private detective (Edgar Kennedy) to keep tabs on her, it's the last straw. Lily whisks herself off to Hollywood, where she quickly becomes a top movie star. Months pass: without his "creation" to star in his productions, Jaffe goes bankrupt. With his faithful stooges O'Malley (Roscoe Karns) and Webb (Walter Connolly) in tow, Jaffe boards the Twentieth Century Limited, one step ahead of his creditors. By an incredible coincidence, Lily is also on the Twentieth Century, accompanied by her stuffy fiance George Smith (Ralph Forbes). With near-maniacal glee, Jaffe undertakes the herculean task of signing Lily to star in his upcoming spectacular staging of "The Passion Play". Now the laughs, which have been erupting at safe intervals for the past 45 minutes, really begin to cascade, with Oscar, Lily, and a wide variety of eccentrics chasing each other around the Twentieth Century as it speeds its way from Chicago to New York. Based on the Broadway play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, Twentieth Century is "screwball comedy" at its screwiest. Director Howard Hawks once claimed that he was the first to treat his romantic leads like comedians: whether he was or not, it is true than Barrymore and Lombard deliver two of the funniest performances of the 1930s. Nearly 50 years after the release of Twentieth Century, the property was revived as a Broadway musical, On the 20th Century, starring Kevin Kline and Madeline Kahn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Howard Hawks
Written By: Charles Bruce Millholland, Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur
Genres: Romance, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1934 Limited
On DVD: Feb 22, 2005

Critic Reviews

Mordaunt Hall, New York Times
There is many a witty remark in this harum-scarum adventure.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
The movie is a veritable concerto for their remarkable talents, put across by Hawks with maximal energy and voltage.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
A weird look at an actress with a love-hate relation with her outrageous, dominating director.
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
[Howard Hawks'] mix of frantic pacing, whiplash shifts in tone and devil-may-care direction of glamorous stars in wacky parts launched the defining comedy genre of the thirties.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
One of the sharpest ever comedy film scripts is turned in by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht.
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
Often credited as the first screwball comedy… an acerbic satire of show-business ego and superficiality.
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Classic screwball romance between overbearing Broadway producer and his gorgeous but empty headed protege
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
A shining example of moviemaking magnificence.
Brent Simon, Now Playing Magazine
It's the appealing, engaging turns of its two stars that give the movie its real pop.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
Funny, but it gets too repetitious in the last act and slowly crumbles into the relatively obscure minor work it has become today.
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
Less a backstage farce than prototypical screwball, Howard Hawks' brilliantly funny Twentieth Century set the stage for the subgenre that most consider the peak of American screen humor.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Witness John Barrymore's brash thee-at-ah director remove puddy from his nose for the sake of his art.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
Casually reverses and undermines its frumpy thesis by validating the effortlessly supple benefits of the seventh art.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...far from the classic it's often made out to be.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Hawks was gifted above all at this kind of fast-paced farce, and somehow made it work without the aid of padding or rest periods.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

John Barrymore and Carole Lombard ham it up as thespians who are each other's best audience ... and maybe the only audience the other cares for. The one liners zing like hail in a storm.
AJ V

A pretty funny comedy, but very predictable.
Stella D

great early screwball comedy with a hilarious performance by john barrymore as a hammy broadway producer and carole lombard as his adorable diva. hawks soon perfected his rapid-fire style with bringing up baby and his girl friday

Cast

            John Barrymore as Oscar Jaffe

            Carole Lombard as Mildred Plotka/Lily Garland

            Walter Connolly as Oliver Webb

            Roscoe Karns as Owen O'Malley

            Etienne Girardot as Matthew J. Clark

            Ralph Forbes as George Smith

            Edgar Kennedy as McGonigle

            Dale Fuller as Sadie

            Billie Seward as Anita

            Clifford Thompson as Lockwood

            James P. Burtis as Train Conductor

            Gigi Parrish as Schultz

            Herman Bing as First Beard

            Lynton Brent as Train Secretary

            Anita Brown as Stage Show Girl

            James Burke as Chicago Detective

            Eddy Chandler as Cameraman

            Nick Copeland as Treasurer

            Pat Flaherty as Flannigan

            Snow Flake
            
            Edward Gargan as Sheriff

            Clarence Geldert as Southern Colonel

            Sherry Hall as Reporter

            Howard Hickman as Dr. Johnson

            Fred Kelsey as Detective on Train

            Lee Kohlmar as Second Beard

            Mary Jo Matthews as Emmy Lou

            Gaylord "Steve" Pendleton as Brother in Play

            George H. Reed as Uncle Remus

            Harry Semels as Artist

            Fred 'Snowflake' Toones as Porter

            Lillian West as Charwoman

            Buddy Williams as Stage Actor

            Charles Lane as Max Jacobs

            Ted Offenbecker as Stage Carpenter

            King Mojave as McGonigle's Assistant

            Irene Thompson as Stage Actress

            Charles Levison
            
See full cast