Pencil This In: Howard Hawks' Twentieth Century At Portage Theater

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 28, 2012 6:42PM

John Barrymore and Carole Lombard in a promotional still from Twentieth Century.

Widely considered to be one of Howard Hawks' best comedies, Twentieth Century stars a scenery-chewing John Barrymore as Broadway producer Oscar Jaffe, who makes the questionable decision of casting a lingerie model (played by Carole Lombard) in his latest play. Against the reservations of those around him, the play and Lombard's Lily Garland become sensations, leading to a successful professional and personal relationship that Lily later breaks off due to Oscar's controlling ways.

Without Lily, Oscar falls into a professional decline and eventually winds up aboard the 20th Century Limited train to escape his creditors. Lily also happens to be on the train with her new boyfriend, and Oscar sees this as an opportunity to salvage his career and repair his relationship with her.

Hawks had to convince Barrymore to take the role of Oscar by billing the character as "the largest ham on Earth." Barrymore takes Hawks' suggestion literally, dominating scene after scene, and his chemistry with Lombard is off the charts. The film's success catapulted Lombard to mainstream stardom as one of her era's greatest comediennes. the Northwest Chicago Film Society will screen Twentieth Century tomorrow night in a pristine 35 mm print at the Portage Theater (4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., 7:30 p.m., $5). The film will be preceded by the 1955 short So You Want a Model Railroad?

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