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ComedyRomance

Twentieth Century

- The Star of Stars in the Hit of Hits!

A temperamental Broadway producer trains an untutored actress, but when she becomes a star, she proves a match for him.

Release Date : 1934-05-11

Language :EnglishGerman

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Columbia Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : 20th Century

Cast

John Barrymore

Character Name : Oscar Jaffe

Original Name : John Barrymore

Gender : Male

Carole Lombard

Character Name : Lily Garland, formerly Mildred Plotka

Original Name : Carole Lombard

Gender : Female

Walter Connolly

Character Name : Oliver Webb

Original Name : Walter Connolly

Gender : Male

Roscoe Karns

Character Name : Owen O'Malley

Original Name : Roscoe Karns

Gender : Male

Ralph Forbes

Character Name : George Smith

Original Name : Ralph Forbes

Gender : Male

Charles Lane

Character Name : Max Jacobs

Original Name : Charles Lane

Gender : Male

Etienne Girardot

Character Name : Matthew J. Clark

Original Name : Etienne Girardot

Gender : Male

Dale Fuller

Character Name : Sadie

Original Name : Dale Fuller

Gender : Female

Edgar Kennedy

Character Name : Oscar McGonigle

Original Name : Edgar Kennedy

Gender : Male

Billie Seward

Character Name : Anita

Original Name : Billie Seward

Gender : Female

Herman Bing

Character Name : Beard #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Herman Bing

Gender : Male

James Burke

Character Name : Sheriff (uncredited)

Original Name : James Burke

Gender : Male

Pat Flaherty

Character Name : Flannigan (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat Flaherty

Gender : Male

Clarence Geldart

Character Name : Colonel Merriweather in Play (uncredited)

Original Name : Clarence Geldart

Gender : Male

A.R. Haysel

Character Name : Bob (uncredited)

Original Name : A.R. Haysel

Gender : Male

Howard Hickman

Character Name : Dr. Johnson (uncredited)

Original Name : Howard Hickman

Gender : Male

Lee Kohlmar

Character Name : Beard #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Kohlmar

Gender : Male

Frank Marlowe

Character Name : Mulligan (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Marlowe

Gender : Male

Mary Jo Mathews

Character Name : Emmy Lou in Play (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Jo Mathews

Gender : Female

George Offerman, Jr.

Character Name : Page Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : George Offerman, Jr.

Gender : Male

Gigi Parrish

Character Name : Myrtle Schultz (uncredited)

Original Name : Gigi Parrish

Gender : Female

Steve Pendleton

Character Name : Brother in Play (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Pendleton

Gender : Male

George H. Reed

Character Name : Uncle Remus in Play (uncredited)

Original Name : George H. Reed

Gender : Male

Clifford Thompson

Character Name : Lockwood (uncredited)

Original Name : Clifford Thompson

Gender : Male

Fred 'Snowflake' Toones

Character Name : George Washington Jones (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred 'Snowflake' Toones

Gender : Male

Lynton Brent

Character Name : Train Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Lynton Brent

Gender : Male

Anita Brown

Character Name : Black Stage Showgirl (uncredited)

Original Name : Anita Brown

Gender : Female

James P. Burtis

Character Name : Train Conductor (uncredited)

Original Name : James P. Burtis

Gender : Male

Eddy Chandler

Character Name : Cameraman (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddy Chandler

Gender : Male

Nick Copeland

Character Name : Treasurer (uncredited)

Original Name : Nick Copeland

Gender : Male

Arnold Gray

Character Name : Stage Actor (uncredited)

Original Name : Arnold Gray

Gender : Male

Sherry Hall

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Sherry Hall

Gender : Male

Kid Herman

Character Name : Black Train Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Kid Herman

Gender : Male

Fred Kelsey

Character Name : Train Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Kelsey

Gender : Male

Frank Mills

Character Name : Marquee Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Mills

Gender : Male

King Mojave

Character Name : McGonigle's Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : King Mojave

Gender : Male

Frank O'Connor

Character Name : Stagehand (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank O'Connor

Gender : Male

Charles O'Malley

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles O'Malley

Gender : Male

Ky Robinson

Character Name : Train Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Ky Robinson

Gender : Male

Harry Semels

Character Name : Poster Artist (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Semels

Gender : Male

Earl Smith

Character Name : Light-Skinned Black Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Earl Smith

Gender : Male

Irene Thompson

Character Name : Stage Actress (uncredited)

Original Name : Irene Thompson

Gender : Male

Lillian West

Character Name : Charwoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Lillian West

Gender : Female

Buddy Williams

Character Name : Black Stage Actor (uncredited)

Original Name : Buddy Williams

Gender : Male

Reviews

B

barrymost

@barrymost

2021-06-23

You'd best hold on tight and don't let go because you're in for quite the ride on board the Twentieth Century. It's screwball comedy taken to the absolute max, and it barely lets up for a minute. It's one ridiculously memorable (or memorably ridiculous) scene after another, with just a couple highlights being Carole Lombard getting stabbed in the behind with a pincushion, and John Barrymore faking a fatal bullet wound in order to get her to sign another contract. John Barrymore is unbelievably and hopelessly hammy, and I mean that in a very good way. The film itself is so completely over the top, you will either love it wholeheartedly, or hate it with a passion. I do hope it's the former.

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-08-21

I'm not quite sure what the title had to do with anything, but this is still an enjoyable opportunity for John Barrymore and Carole Lombard to have some theatrical games of cat and mouse with a bit of help from the long suffering Walter Connolly's "Oliver" and the permanently sozzled "Owen" (Roscoe Karns). Barrymore is the acclaimed impresario "Jaffe" who discovers the improbably named "Mlldred Plotka", re-christens her "Lily Garland" and - despite herself - decides to make her a star. Turns out he's not a bad judge of character, but as her star ascends the relationship between them sours. She takes up an offer to move to Hollywood and that leaves him in the lurch. A few flops later and he's desperate to get her back. Might a chance meeting on a train manage to reconcile them or are things just too far gone for that now? The writing really does allow Barrymore and Lombard to play to their strengths here providing loads of thespian dramatics and ham as the plot motors along for an hour and an half. There's a diverting little sub-plot featuring a poster boy with a difference (Etienne Girardot) before a clever little denouement that just has to raise a smile. It's a classy comedy this with more than a little of the stage play to it's dynamic as Howard Hawks sits back and let's his stars entertain us.