SimonJack It would be hard to come up with a better cast than this for "Twentieth Century." The cast was perfect for the plot and script of this hilarious comedy. And this is one film that clearly fits the category of "screwball." It starts off slowly, but after the opening scenes it turns into a riotous farce with one crazy scene after another. John Barrymore excels as stage producer Oscar Jaffe. Carole Lombard is wonderful as Mildred Plotka whom Jaffe makes into the star, Lily Garland. Walter Connolly and Roscoe Karns are the ideal supporting cast for the mad and hilarious genius Jaffe – as Oliver Webb and Owen O'Malley. All others of the cast give top performances.No one could play an intentionally hammy role or scene better than John Barrymore. One scene in particular must have cracked up the cast, and I'd wager that it had to be shot a few times. Oliver and Jaffe's secretary are standing in the room when the private eye Jaffe hired to trail Lily (Oscar McGonigle played by Edgar Kennedy) tells him that Lily has boarded a train for Hollywood. Jaffe says, "She has left me," and he feigns an attack of some sort. He swaggers slowly, staggering from side to side as he makes his way out of the room. He seems as though he may fall at any moment. The others stand there watching. Not a word is said for what seems like an eternity. He lumbers slowly through the doorway, and puts his right hand on the doorjamb as if to steady himself. He disappears around the door, but his hand is clasped against the wall – not grabbing or holding onto the doorframe, but lying flat against the wall. The whole focus is on his hand against the wall at center stage. It was a wonderful interlude for laughter by us viewers so that we wouldn't miss any dialog. What a hilarious, hammy scene!More hilarity is added to the film with some new characters and little side plots on the train. Barrymore's changing moods and manners are the things that show the great talent of this actor. But Lombard showed her talent as well in her temperament swings on the train. Overall this is one fantastically funny film. Yet, it didn't receive any awards, or even nominations. The year 1934 was a big one for the Academy Awards. A full dozen films were nominated for Best Picture – then, it was called "outstanding production." That was the year when comedy reigned supreme at the Oscars, with "It Happened One Night" winning top honors. For many years, it was the only film in history to have won the top five Academy Awards -- for best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor and best actress. Clark Gable won as best actor for that film, but there were only three nominees for best actor. I don't know what kind of politics may have been at play back then, but I can't see how John Barrymore did not at least receive a nomination for best actor for "Twentieth Century." Here is a sampling of funny lines from this wonderful film. Oscar Jaffe to Lily Garland: "Just wait, dear. You're in America now, don't you know? The Old South does not yodel."Jaffe: "Oliver, did you hear that? She's left me." Oliver: "Say the word, O.J., and I'll kill myself." Owen to Oliver: "He won't kill himself. It'd please too many people."Jaffe: "I never thought I should sink so low as to become an actor." Lily: "Well, I showed him. Right on top of the ladder and going up."Jaffe: "I wouldn't take that woman back if she and I were the last people in the world, and the future of the human race depended on it."Jaffe: "Where's Oliver?" Owen: "You fired him." Jaffe: "Oh, he's taking advantage of that, is he?"Jaffe to conductor: "There's a law in this country about riding on trains." Conductor: "What?" Jaffe: "I want you to enforce it. Stop the train."Lily to George: "Who cares about your respect? I'm too big to be respected."Jaffe: "Get Oliver with that contract." Owen: "I'll do my best sire, but we've crossed the river and I've lost the scent."Lily: "What do you want, scorpion?" Jaffe: "If it makes you any happier to call me names, go ahead."Jaffe: "When I love a woman, I'm an Oriental. It never goes. It never dies." Lily: "Phooey!"Jaffe: "I don't want him (the sultan of Turkey), you fool. I want his dervishes, the whirling ones."Jaffe: "That's the final irony. Killed by a lunatic."Jaffe: "She loves me. I could tell it through that screaming."

writers_reign Presumably in preparing for the role of Oscar Jaffe Jack Barrymore immersed himself in Charles Laughton, Donald Wolfit and Al Jolson and then multiplied the result by ten thus emerging as a ham's ham. The difference is, of course, that Barrymore was creating a character whilst his role models were merely being themselves. Whatever, this is a bravura performance, arguably the last great performance from a Titan who, momentarily, arrested his descent into pygmyhood for one last hurrah. Though he has the benefit of a fine screenplay, fine direction and admirable co-actors this is a classy, stylish one-man band brushing aside the symphony and philharmonic orchestras of minor cities. With no superlatives worthy of describing Barrymore's Master-Class we are free to admire the support of Carole Lombard, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Kearns and Charles Lane, and nod to one of the earliest examples of Screwball Comedy. Impossible to derail.

VictusMortuus Off the top of my head, Jerry Lewis, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Don Knox, Lucille Ball, Bettie White, Alan Alda, Werner Klemperer, Jackie Gleason, Art Carny, Dick van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Larry Linville, Carol Burnette, JIM CARREY, etc. etc. have all derived their comedic style from this performance by the GREAT Barrymore. You don't have to be a genius to know that Black Sabbath had a tremendous influence on Heavy Metal Music. This performance by Barrymore set a stage. I forgot Billy Crystal. You do schtick, the audience knows it, you still do the schtick and get away with it. I loved the fact he was having so much fun that Carol Lombard finally got with it. His side kicks were far superior to R2D2, and C3PO.

mark.waltz It's been years since I've seen this classic Columbia comedy from 1934. I was very familiar with the story from the Cy Coleman/Comden and Green Broadway musical and a recent Broadway revival. But a recent viewing of the film made me appreciate what a fine film this was. John Barrymore and Carole Lombard were perfect for the roles of Oscar Jaffe, eccentric Broadway Producer, and Lily Garland, his muse. Barrymore repeats the theme of Svengali here, a lot more comically. He hams it up perfectly, which is right for the role here. It wouldn't work in his later films, making him come off as sad and desperate.The basic story is producer Jaffe builds an innocent young girl into a star. As Lily Garland, she rises to the top of Broadway, but gets locked into Jaffe's possessive ways which prevents her from enjoying her stardom. She runs out on her contract after discovering that he's been interfering with her mail and tapping her phone lines. Edgar Kennedy has a good bit as the private investigator who is the victim of her wrath when she discovers what Jaffe has done. She heads to Hollywood, and Jaffe ends up with a series of flops that leaves him broke. Sneaking on the train in Chicago to avoid police hired by creditors, Barrymore and group are stunned when Lily boards the train. Also on board in Matt Clark (Etienne Girardot), a sprout of a man who puts up "repent" signs everywhere he goes and passes off bad checks.Things turn entirely screwball as all parties meet up, intermingle, and explosions occur. I couldn't help but hear Cy Coleman's score in my head in various scenes, particularly "Up against the Wall" and "Repent" (performed on Broadway by Imogene Coca as Leticia Primrose, the re-named Matt Clark). While the book of the musical is weaker than the straight play's script, it was an enjoyable time-filler that is worthy of revival.Roscoe Karns, Charles Lane, and Walter Connelly are outstanding as the people involved in Barrymore's circle; Ralph Forbes, as George Smith, Lily's new beau on the train, doesn't have a chance surrounded by this group. His role was not that strong, actually made better in the musical. The ending is fun too, quite believable in its irony, that on Broadway, sometimes nothing changes but the date.