Twentieth Century (film)
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| Twentieth Century | |
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| Directed by | Howard Hawks |
| Produced by | Howard Hawks |
| Written by | Unproduced Play: Charles Bruce Millholland Play & Screenplay: Charles MacArthur Ben Hecht Uncredited: Gene Fowler Preston Sturges |
| Starring | John Barrymore Carole Lombard |
| Music by | Howard Jackson Louis Silvers Harry M. Woods |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Editing by | Gene Havlick |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 3 May 1934 (NYC premiere) 11 May (US) |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Twentieth Century is a 1934 American screwball comedy film, set on the 20th Century Limited, a luxury train travelling from Chicago to New York City. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur adapted their Broadway play of the same name[1] – itself based on the unproduced play Napoleon of Broadway by Charles Bruce Millholland[2] – with uncredited assistance from Gene Fowler and Preston Sturges. The film was directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Barrymore and Carole Lombard, and features Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns and Edgar Kennedy.
Along with Frank Capra's It Happened One Night, also released in 1934, Twentieth Century is considered to be a prototype for the screwball comedy.[3]
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[edit] Plot
Among the passengers on the luxurious Twentieth Century Limited travelling from Chicago to New York City's Grand Central Terminal, is the flamboyant and egomaniacal Broadway impresario Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore). Oscar is a bigger ham than most actors, who has built a successful career through drive and talent, but after a string of dismal flops he's bankrupt and desperately in need of a hit. On the train, which he's taking to duck his creditors, he chances to meet Lily Garland (Carole Lombard), a former shopgirl named "Mildred Plotka" who Oscar had discovered as a chorus girl and molded into a star – as well as his lover – but who escaped from his jealously obsessive control of her life and career by answering the call of Hollywood. Oscar is determined to woo his former star back to the stage, and perhaps into his bed, but the temperamental Lily wants nothing to do with him, either professionally or romantically.[4][5][6]
[edit] Cast
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Cast notes:
- Etienne Girardot was the only actor from the original Broadway cast of Twentieth Century to appear in the film.
[edit] Production
The genesis of Twentieth Century was Napoleon of Broadway, a play by Charles Bruce Millholland about his experiences in working for the legendary and eccentric Broadway producer David Belasco.[7] His play was not produced, but it became the basis for the Hecht-MacArthur comedy, which played for 152 performances on Broadway beginning on 29 December 1932,[1] and which they later adapted for the big screen.
Director Howard Hawks was not the first choice to helm the film: Roy Del Ruth and Lewis Milestone had been set to direct before Hawks got the job. Columbia tried to get William Frawley from the Broadway cast, but instead borrowed Roscoe Karns from Paramount instead.[8]
Carole Lombard was not the first choice for "Lily Garland". Columbia boss Harry Cohn negotiated with Eugenie Leontovich, who played the part on Broadway, and then considered Gloria Swanson and Miriam Hopkins. Other reports say that Cohn also approached Ina Claire, Tallulah Bankhead, Ruth Chatterton, Constance Bennett, Ann Harding, Kay Francis and Joan Crawford for the part. However, Hawks believed that in Lombard lay a brilliant actress that had yet to be unleashed on film. He convinced Columbia to borrow her from Paramount Studios. Columbia reluctantly agreed and Lombard was brought in.
During her initial reading with John Barrymore he looked to Hawks with an expression that showed he did not believe in Hawks' initiative. The rest of the production went dryly, with Lombard staggering through one scene after another and playing the same stoic characters that she had been taught to portray. Hawks took her aside and asked her what she was being paid for the film. Lombard told him and Hawks asked her what she would do if a man said "something" about her, coming up with an example from the back of his mind. Lombard said, "I would kick him in the balls." Hawks said, "Well, Barrymore said that, so why don't you kick him?" Of course Barrymore had said nothing of the sort, but the plan worked and after Lombard yelped a few profanities, she continued through the shoot with an unforgettable vigor. For the rest of her career, before beginning a film, Lombard would always sell a telegram to Hawks saying, "I'm going to kick him!"
The film made lifelong friends out of Lombard and Barrymore. When Barrymore's career was fumbling, Lombard raised hell to get him to work on her film True Confession (1937).
Preston Sturges was hired to write the screenplay around late November 1933, but was removed from the project a week later because he hadn't made sufficient progress. Columbia then tried to get Herman Mankiewicz to write it, with Felix Young to produce.[8]
Twentieth Century – a title which Columbia considered changing because they feared that many Westerners would not be familiar with the name of the train[8] – was in production from 22 February to 24 March 1934.[9]
During the filming, there were some problem with the censors at the Hays Office, who were concerned about the religious angle in the comedy of the film, and requested that it be toned down. Joseph I. Breen, who ran the Office, worried that "there will be serious difficulty in inducing an anti-Semitic public to accept a [motion picture] play produced by an industry believed to be Jewish in which the Passion Play is used for comedy purposes." The Office ultimately asked that one line be removed, which it was. They also requested that it be made less clear where Oscar jabs Lily with a pin.[8]
The film was premiered in New York on 3 May 1934 and went into general release on 11 May.[10] Its success propelled Carole Lombard into the front ranks of film commediennes.[3]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Twentieth Century at the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ Twentieth Century at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ a b Bozzola, Lucia Allmovie review
- ^ IMDB Plot summary
- ^ Allmovie Overview
- ^ TCM Full synopsis
- ^ TCM Trivia
- ^ a b c d TCM Notes
- ^ IMDB Business data
- ^ IMDB Release dates
[edit] External links
- Twentieth Century at the Internet Movie Database
- Twentieth Century at the TCM Movie Database
- Twentieth Century at Allmovie
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