Twentieth Century (1934) | |
| Director(s) | Howard Hawks |
| Producer(s) | Howard Hawks, Harry Cohn (executive uncredited) |
| Top Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Top Topics | Romance (Comic), Screwball Comedy |
Featured Cast:
Twentieth Century Overview:
Twentieth Century (1934) was a Comedy - Romance Film directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hawks and Harry Cohn.
SYNOPSIS
Here's another whip-smart comedy from Hawks-Hecht-MacArthur, the His Girl Friday (1940) team. Theater producer Barrymore molds Lombard into a Broadway smash, but their hectic life leads her to the saner climes of Hollywood where she becomes an even bigger star. Without his former wife, Barrymore can't get a show together and he's on the run from Chicago to New York aboard the famous Twentieth Century Limited. As luck and romantic farce demand, Lombard's on the same train with her new beau, slow-witted football star Karns. After much hilarious wheedling, wooing, door-slamming, and conniving, Lombard's ready once again for the Great White Way. Barrymore at his best, and a terrific warm-up for even bigger things from the creators.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.Twentieth Century was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2011.
BlogHub Articles:
Silver Screen Standards: Twentieth Century (1934)
By Jennifer Garlen on Jan 10, 2023 From Classic Movie Hub BlogSilver Screen Standards: Twentieth Century (1934) Although it?s not as widely celebrated today as Bringing Up Baby (1938), director Howard Hawks? Twentieth Century (1934) is another go-for-broke screwball comedy with protagonists who are all bonkers. This earlier picture stars John Barrymore and ... Read full article
Silver Screen Standards: Twentieth Century (1934)
By Jennifer Garlen on Jan 10, 2023 From Classic Movie Hub BlogSilver Screen Standards: Twentieth Century (1934) Although it?s not as widely celebrated today as Bringing Up Baby (1938), director Howard Hawks? Twentieth Century (1934) is another go-for-broke screwball comedy with protagonists who are all bonkers. This earlier picture stars John Barrymore and ... Read full article
Of 2020 and "Twentieth Century"
By carole_and_co on Jan 1, 2021 From Carole & Co.At times we weren't certain we'd reach 2021, but indeed we have, which gives us plenty of reason to smile, just as Carole Lombard is doing above. But as 2020 further retreats in our figurative rear-view mirror, let's look back at a response to one of her most memorable movies, indeed the one that pu... Read full article
Twentieth Century (1934, Howard Hawks)
By Andrew Wickliffe on Aug 14, 2019 From The Stop ButtonEven with its way too abrupt finish, Twentieth Century is rare delight. Would it be more successful if the ending hadn’t wasted Carole Lombard? Yes, but also because it would’ve given lead John Barrymore more Lombard to act opposite and Barrymore’s best opposite Lombard. He’s... Read full article
Twentieth Century (1934, Howard Hawks)
By Andrew Wickliffe on Aug 14, 2019 From The Stop ButtonEven with its way too abrupt finish, Twentieth Century is rare delight. Would it be more successful if the ending hadn’t wasted Carole Lombard? Yes, but also because it would’ve given lead John Barrymore more Lombard to act opposite and Barrymore’s best opposite Lombard. He’s... Read full article
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Quotes from
Lily Garland, aka Mildred Plotka: Phooey.
Oscar Jaffe: Love blinded me. That was the trouble between us as producer and artist.
Lily Garland, aka Mildred Plotka: So that's what it was, was it? How about your name in electric lights bigger than everybody's, and your delusion that you were a Shakespeare and a Napoleon and a Grand Lama of Tibet all rolled into one?
George Smith: And you wanted my respect!
Lily Garland, aka Mildred Plotka: Who cares about your respect? I'm too big to be respected. The men I've known have understood that.
George Smith: Men you've known? Jaffe, you mean.
Lily Garland, aka Mildred Plotka: Yes, Jaffe. He'll tell you what I am: A first-class passenger entitled to privileges.
George Smith: Oh, an artist!
Lily Garland, aka Mildred Plotka: You're darned tooting I am!
Oscar Jaffe: Those movies you were in! It's sacrilege throwing you away on things like that. When I left that movie house, I felt some magnificent ruby had been thrown into a platter of lard.
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Facts about
This was later adapted as a Broadway musical "On the Twentieth Century", which opened at the St. James Theatre in New York on Feb. 19, 1978 and ran for 449 performances. In the opening night cast were Imogene Coca, Madeline Kahn, John Cullum and Kevin Kline.
O'Malley jokes that Jaffe is now calling himself Hemingway and has shot himself, a grim precursor of the writer's death.
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