Howard Hawks is known for his male themed movies. Not everyone knows about how he transformed women into formidable actresses. This was the case with Carol Lombard. She was working with Hawks, and acting alongside John Barrymore. Lombard was struggling with a scene, frustrating both Hawks and Barrymore. The instruction from the director, was to lash out and be angry. This resulted in unfortunate realism for John Barrymore. Lombard kicked him in a very vulnerable place. When he recovered he laughed about it. This made Carole Lombard loosen up. She was able to become one of the true comediennes of Hollywood.
Twentieth Century was one of many screwball comedies. It may not be the best, but works well with Barrymore and Lombard. John Barrymore plays Oscar Jaffe. He is a a successful broadway director, with a massive ego. He persuades Lily Garland, (Carole Lombard), to star in a play he is directing. The play is a success, as are two more starring Garland. Oscar Jaffe is overcome by his success, and wants to control his star. Lily finally has enough of this, and goes to Hollywood. She becomes a star, and Oscar Jaffe’s career suffers. He takes a train ride on the Twentieth Century Limited. Oscar meets Lily in a chance encounter. He tries everything he can to persuade her to work for him. Lily finds him to be the same overbearing person. Oscar must resort to desperate measures to get his star back on broadway.
Twentieth Century is an example of how a director can make a film work. Most of the movie is shot on a train. The principals are moving back and forth from different compartments. Hawks does a fine job of steady camera work. The two leads are very different personalities. John Barrymore was a star. Carole Lombard was unsure of herself. They mesh well on screen because their personalities fit their characters. Barrymore was notorious for his drinking. He may even have corrupted Errol Flynn. His love of spirits only briefly interrupted production. Hawks was so good at his job, that Barrymore apologized for his lack of professionalism. The two actors go together much like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor a few decades later.
No movie would be complete without supporting players. They are Walter Connelly as Oliver Webb and Roscoe Karns as Owen O’Malley. They are friends who help Oscar Garland in his scheme to get Lily back to the stage. Charles Lane is also good as Max Jacobs. He was an assistant to Oscar, and became a success in the business. Lane later became know for his many television appearances. His most notable role was as the recurring bad guy, Homer Bedloe on Petticoat Junction. The best supporting role is Matthew J. Clark played by Etienne Girardot. Clark is an escapee from a mental hospital. He manages to con Oscar Jaffe and his friends, before being caught.
A screwball comedy needs many things. The most important thing is the writing. The two scribes are Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. The movie is based on their broadway play. These two men would write some of the best know comedies of Hollywood’s golden age.
Many thing are difficult in life. One of the hardest things is making a successful movie. Twentieth Century is one such example. It was one of the earliest screwball comedies. It follows the example set by It Happened One Night. The movie’s charm is because of the story, which is a sillier modern version of a Shakespeare comedy.