With a new production on the way, a Broadway producer shares a train journey with his ex-protégé, trying to persuade her to join him for his latest show as well as win her heart along the way.
by William Thomas |
Published on
Release Date:
11 May 1934
Running Time:
91 minutes
Certificate:
U
Original Title:
Twentieth Century
On a cross-country train, pretentious and near-insane Broadway producer Barrymore (Drew's grandad) pursues his ex-protégé Lombard, whom he transformed from innocent nobody into a hugely glamorous movie star, hoping to win her heart but, more importantly, get her into a contract for his next stage spectacular.
No screen couple have ever exchanged bile and venom with more relish than Barrymore and Lombard; he delivers his greatest film performance, while she looks like an angel and demonstrates a strident mouthiness that makes the average alternative comedian seem like Beatrix Potter. Three hours of jokes crammed into an hour-and-a-half of film.
With a razor sharp script, two charismatic leads pitched perfectly against each other, Twentieth Century is an screwball classic with jokes that still manage to entertain today.
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