Twentieth Century (Cine-Theatre)

Show & Culture

A Broadway director turns an actress into a star and marries her. After three years of marital failure, she leaves for Hollywood. While his career declines, she succeeds. One day, they meet again on a train… Now considered one of the first 'screwball comedies,' Twentieth Century was a critical success and helped set the trend for the genre. The last two-thirds of the film take place aboard the famous 'Twentieth Century' train: the pace becomes frantic, driven by John Barrymore's verbal and physical antics and Carole Lombard’s first comedic performance. Howard Hawks, a master of staging action in confined spaces, overcomes the static nature of a stage play adaptation and explores his favorite comedic theme: the love game that overturns social microcosm norms while trapping its players within them.