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Consummate Performer: Twentieth Century (1934)
Review Copyright Roger Zotti, 2002
John Barrymore is terrific in Howard Hawks's 1934 screwball comedy Twentieth Century. He plays flamboyant Broadway producer-director Oscar Jaffe, a man for whom the whole world is truly a stage - a big stage.
Barrymore's character will do anything, that is, put on any kind of performance, anytime, anywhere, no matter how outrageous, to get what he wants: He imitates a camel, twists his body into all manner of shapes, and rants and lashes out at anyone who displeases him. Keep an eye on him.
The wonderful Carole Lombard co-stars as Mildred Plotka/Lily Garland. Oscar demanded that Mildred change her name because the moniker "Mildred Ploka" isn't nearly as glamorous sounding as "Lily Garland". Changing her name is all part of Oscar's plan to remake her into a star of the New York stage. For three years he has been directing her plays. For three years he has guided her career. For three years he has been her lover.
But after a big disagreement, she takes off for fame and fortune in Hollywood. Her career soars. His plummets.
Time passes. Then on board the Twentieth Century Limited heading for Grand Central Station, Oscar meets again encounters Lily, who's now engaged to a rugged, handsome football player named George Smith. Oscar instantly despises him.
As the train makes it way to New York, an assortment of outrageous, hilarious characters parade across the screen. The wackiest is a religious weirdo who pastes religious stickers on lamps, windows, and people's backs.
There are several funny, head-to-head exchanges between Oscar and Lily before he convinces her - in a death scene straight out of Camille - to return to Broadway to star in his latest production. Of course, when she learns that Oscar has been faking the entire incident, she's beside herself.
At the end we're back where we started: Lily is appearing in the same play that launched her career; and Oscar is overbearing and pompous as ever, while he gives his cast the same speech he gave at the beginning of the film.
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