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Twentieth Century (1934)

 -  Comedy | Romance  -  11 May 1934 (USA)
7.7
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Ratings: 7.7/10 from 3,375 users  
Reviews: 46 user | 38 critic

A flamboyant Broadway impresario who has fallen on hard times tries to get his former lover, now a Hollywood diva, to return and resurrect his failing career.

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Title: Twentieth Century (1934)

Twentieth Century (1934) on IMDb 7.7/10

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Director: Lloyd Bacon
Stars: Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery, Frank McHugh
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
...
...
...
Ralph Forbes ...
George Smith
...
Max Jacobs aka Max Mandelbaum (as Charles Levison)
Etienne Girardot ...
Mathew J. Clark
Dale Fuller ...
Sadie
Edgar Kennedy ...
Oscar McGonigle
Billie Seward ...
Anita
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Storyline

Broadway director Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore) is a bigger ham than most actors, but through sheer drive and talent he is able to build a successful career. When one of his discoveries, Lily Garland (Carole Lombard), rises to stardom and heeds the call of Hollywood, Oscar begins a career slide. He hits the skids and seems on his way out, until he chances to meet Lily again, on a train ride aboard the Twentieth Century Limited. Oscar pulls out all the stops to re-sign his former star, but it's a battle... because Lily, who is as temperamental as Oscar is, wants to have nothing to do with her former mentor. Written by Dan Navarro <daneldorado@yahoo.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Details

Country:

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Release Date:

11 May 1934 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

20th Century  »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening theme music is exactly the same waltz Columbia used for "It Happened One Night". See more »

Goofs

When the man kneels in front of Jaffe and calls him Maestro, the position of the man's hands change between shots. See more »

Quotes

Oscar Jaffe: You amoeba.
Max Jacobs: It's the truth, whether you know it or not.
Oscar Jaffe: Owen, take this creature who came to me as an office boy as Max Mendlebaum and who is now Max Jacobs for some mysterious reason and throw him into the street.
See more »

Connections

Featured in All the Rage (1999) See more »

Soundtracks

"Happy Days Are Here Again"
(1929)
Music by Milton Ager
Lyrics by Jack Yellen
Sung a cappella by Walter Connolly
See more »

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User Reviews

 
One of the funniest of the 1930's comedies
18 September 1999 | by (Houston Texas) – See all my reviews

I have seen Twentieth Century several times and even quote one of the great Barrymore lines: After me, she's mousing around with that boy?

Barrymore succeeds so well in this film since he is parodying himself. He exaggerates and the voice is used like a singer who scoops the bottom and then rises an octave or two. It is great fun to hear him ham-up the lines. Lombard matches him in her own fashion and together they create a great comedy team. Unfortunately it is a one-time gag: there are just so many times an actor can parody himself without repeating or ruining any serious moments he might try in another film. (--or herself as Tallulah learned when she tried to perform "Streetcar Named Desire").


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