Twentieth Century
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Movie Reviews of Twentieth Century
Movie Review: A Sparkling Collaboration of 1930's Luminaries
Summary: 5 Stars
Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht wrote the script for this movie. Howard Hawkes directed. It stars Carole Lombard and John Barrymore as a sort of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne couple. These Hollywood glitterati and literati collaborated to make this sparkling champagne freshet of a movie that should be brought back into wide circulation. Much of it comes across as crisp, modern, and even technologically ahead of its time - as when Barrymore orders a phone tap in an attempt to catch his wife in what he believes are her frequent infidelities.
There might not be many belly laughs here, although I did literally LOL at least once. Barrymore boards the Twentieth Century train in heavy disguise in an attempt to evade his creditors. Once sequestered aboard in his compartment, he laments his dismal situation, meanwhile tugging at the putty on his nose. He pulls the putty into a longer and longer taffy extension, until he's unwittingly achieved a veritable Pinocchio proboscis. Finally, when neither nose nor man is able to sustain any further prolongation of their misery - they droop in unison. It's a hilarious scene.
Barrymore is in top form here. He generally disdained movies, believing they were beneath him. He regarded the legitimate theater as the only medium for the true actor. As a result, he usually chewed up the scenery in his movie rolls, leaving his characters mercilessly shredded. Here though, he strikes just the right note of hamminess. He stops short of being over-the-top in any scene, but retains the kind of antic energy that this sort of madcap comedy calls for.
Barrymore is also at his most handsome in this film. The viewer can readily see how he got the cognomen "The Great Profile." It's a pleasure to go back to a time when there were, not "media figures," but "matinee idols." The latter rarified creatures radiated unattainably from the silver screen - beyond the trivializations of paparazzi or talk shows. This movie allows that sort of transport.
"Twentieth Century" allows another kind of transport though. It might be of special interest to train buffs. Since the real Twentieth Century train made its last run a few years ago, it left many train club members especially eager to collect memorabilia from those old glory days of cross-country luxury travel. It's unlikely that any of the interior train shots in this movie are authentic. Those are probably all just studio lot sets. However there are a few shots of what I took to be the actual Twentieth Century train pulling into New York's Grand Central Station in the early 1930's. Train enthusiasts might like to check out "Twentieth Century" for these shots alone.
Anyone else who would just like to roll along with some breezy, fast-paced dialogue in the company of Hollywood legends - will also want to get on-board.
Movie Review: Fantastic film looks like a VHS transfer to DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
On top of that there are no extras. The film itself is quite good, being one of the first screwball comedies. Popular later in the 30's because the manic pace of the comedy could make up for the lack of realism due to the imposition of the production code in mid-1934, this film is one of the rare screwball comedies made before the code began to be enforced. John Barrymore shows that besides being a great serious actor he was terrific at physical comedy as well. He even manages to comically jab at some of his own serious performances, such as when Carole Lombard calls him "Svengali", a part which he played in an earlier Warner Brothers film. Carole Lombard hasn't quite reached the peak of her powers yet though, and she comes off as overacting. I just can't figure where some of her screaming is coming from and what or who exactly it is supposed to be directed at.
There is some great comic support in the person of Walter Connally whom Barrymore's Oscar Jaffe is constantly firing and rehiring. The best light touch is in the person of fellow passenger on the "Twentieth Century", Matthew Clark. He goes around the train putting up signs that say "Repent the end is at hand" and also likes writing large checks for which he has no cash reserves. He ends up figuring into the final plot twist in a big way.
One odd thing that has come up in other films from the 30's that also comes up in this one is that apparently people could be arrested and jailed for bad debts. At the height of the depression, credit was very hard to come by and you would basically have to lie to get into debt and be unable to repay, thus the criminal offense. Very different from today's situation.
At any rate, I own this one and after seeing the much clearer presentation on TCM several times, I feel somewhat taken by my purchase. Apparently the good people at TCM could be bothered to present a much clearer transfer than the film's rightful owner, Sony, ended up selling to the public. That is a shame.
Movie Review: Barrymore! Bravo!
Summary: 5 Stars
When one thinks of great cinematic acting performances the usual associations are with Brando in "Streetcar Named Desire" or DeNiro in "Raging Bull" or Garbo in "Camille". You know, the serious high brow kind of stuff. However another kind of brilliance can be seen in this wonderful 1934 release. It is John Barrymore positively filling the screen with an over the top -- way way over the top --portrayal of theater impresario Oscar "OJ" Jaffe in "Twentieth Century." He is a positive howl, a scream a preening drama king and -- now here's the real trick -- always within character. This is comic acting at its absolute best.
As if that weren't enough the stellar cast includes the queen of screwball comedies, the luscious Carole Lombard. Also on hand is the kind of wonderful supporting cast that typically blessed major studio productions in the 1930's, specifically Walter Connally, Roscoe Karns, Edgar Kennedy and the ubiquitous Charles Lane.
The movie begins with Jaffe guiding his latest discovery, Lily Garland (nee Mildred Plotkin) who he has plucked from obscurity, to give a great performance in her stage debut.
Garland (played by Lombard) goes on to earn great acclaim and star in several more Jaffe plays but eventually splits from him for reasons that add significantly to the film's overall hilarity. As a consequence of losing his star, Jaffe produces a series of flops and goes broke in the process. Meanwhile Garland goes on to even bigger fame in -- horrors! -- Hollywood.
Aboard a train called the Twentieth Century the two meet again and the real fun ensues as Jaffe tries to win her back.
"Twentieth Century" was blessed with the deft direction of Howard Hawks who knew a thing or twelve about directing comedies.
The DVD has no special features to speak of, but it is special enough just to watch Barrymore, a grand master at his craft, go all out. Bravo!
Movie Review: "Out! I close the iron door."
Summary: 5 Stars
Howard Hawks filmed this elegantly madcap look at actor's egos. John Barrymore, with some help from Carole Lombard, stayed upright long enough to give one more great performance on film. He's a producer with an ego bigger than the Great White Way and she's a lingere model he molds into the toast of Broadway.
Once she becomes a huge star, however, she wants to live it up rather than sit around and discuss his genius. His hilariously insane jealousy drives her to Hollywood where she becomes the biggest thing in pictures. Meanwhile, he has flop after flop but retains his volatile temperment and ego. Broke and running from creditors, he and his put upon backer Webb (Walter Connolly) take the 20th Century Limited and who should be on the train but Lily Garland (Lombard).
But she now has an ego nearly as big as his and is nearly as big a ham! The script from Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur shines as they thrust and parry towards the inevitable. While the film does suffer just a bit from lack of a likable and normal lead character usually found in most screwball comedies, it still survives as a terrific example of the genre.
Barrymore has one last hurrah and Lombard isn't just in fabulous form, but her fabulous form is shown to breathtaking advantage as Hawks has her constantly adorned in satin evening dress or lingere. A bit detached but certainly a must see for Lombard fans.
Movie Review: Great screwball fun
Summary: 5 Stars
Carole Lombard and John Barrymore are at their best in this screwball comedy. Broadway producer Barrymore "discovers" Lombard working in a department store and makes her a star actress (and his mistress). But they bicker all the time and Lombard decides to go to Hollywood: she wants to be in pictures. Later when the two coincidentally occupy the same Twentieth Century Limited train from Chicago to New York, well, it becomes the wackiest train ride until Preston Sturges put Claudette Colbert and the Ale & Quail Club aboard a similar train to Florida in THE PALM BEACH STORY. The pace of the movie is lightning fast, and the yelling back and forth combined with the moments of fleeting tenderness is hilarious. The train is also filled with other weird characters, including a religious fanatic with delusions of wealth and two bearded guys who hope to get into one of Barrymore's plays. But Barrymore has his ways, and when the train rolls into Grand Central, Lombard has inked the contract he wanted from her. Great fun to watch - a classic!