Twentieth Century

A manic director (John Barrymore) makes a star out of an actress (Carole Lombard) who deserts him for Hollywood, taking success with her.

Twentieth Century is a screwball comedy from director Howard Hawks. The title refers not to a period in time, but rather to the Twentieth Century Express train line that serves as the setting for the film’s final third. As for the film itself, your enjoyment will depend largely on your interpretation of John Barrymore’s performance.

If viewed as an over-the-top self-parody, the film is a sharp comedy propelled along by Hawks’ typically tight editing. But if viewed as a variation, rather than satire, of his performances in Svengali and The Mad Genius, the film takes a decidedly darker tone, with Barrymore’s character as a dangerously unstable man who Lombard would do well to avoid. Unfortunately, try as I might, I couldn’t shake the later view and thus, Twentieth Century never really worked for me as a wacky comedy.

Still, regardless of how you feel about Barrymore’s performance, Carole Lombard is engaging without resorting to the self-centered egoism typical so typical of the genre, and the script by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur is packed with great lines. That, combined with Hawks’ competent direction equates to a very well done, but ultimately (for me) flawed film.