Twentieth Century (1934)




Ralph Forbes, Carole Lombard, John Barrymore - Twentieth Century




Oscar Jaffe, a flamboyant Broadway impresario, transforms Mildred Plotka, a department store clerk, into the great actress Lily Garland, winning her both critical acclaim and a devoted following. For three years, Lily is both Jaffe's star performer and his mistress, although their relationship is tumultuous and marked by frequent arguments and reconciliations. When Lily decides to leave Jaffe and pursue a film career in Hollywood, Jaffe's career and financial prospects begin to decline.

Jaffe, accompanied by his manager Oliver Webb and press agent Owen O'Malley, boards a train bound for New York in an attempt to evade his creditors. On the train, Jaffe discovers that Lily and her fiancé George Smith, whom Jaffe dislikes, are also passengers. In an effort to win Lily back and secure her for his next production, Jaffe engages in a tumultuous and comical verbal exchange with Lily, trying to persuade her to sign a contract. The journey is further enlivened by the antics of two actors hoping to be cast in Jaffe's play, and a religious fanatic with delusions of wealth. When the train reaches New York, Jaffe has succeeded in tricking Lily into signing the contract.



Books with substantial mentioning of Twentieth Century

David Thomson
Have you seen?, A personal introduction to 1,000 films
New York, 2008

Danny Peary
Alternate Oscars, One Critic's Defiant Choices for Best Picture, Actor, and Actress - From 1927 to the Present
New York, 1993

Duane Byrge, Robert Milton Miller
The Screwball Comedy Films, A History and Filmography, 1934-1942
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London, 1991

Frederick W. Ott
The Films of Carole Lombard
Secaucus, NJ, 1974