Twentieth Century (1934) on Netflix
Broadway impresario Oscar Jaffe plucks an unknown lingerie model, Mildred Plotka, and trains her into the star Lily Garland. His assistants doubt the choice.
- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb7.2/107,946 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes86%
Trailer
Plot summary
In young Lily Garland, Broadway impresario producer Oscar Jaffe sees the next big star, a view not shared by others. However, Jaffe does end up coaxing out of the naive young woman a great Broadway actress. Jaffe mentors her to one Broadway success after another, to a point where Garland is as big a Broadway name as he is, with the same difficult temperament to boot. She ultimately sees their professional and personal relationship as being Svengali-like, to which she rebels and runs off to movie stardom in Hollywood. Without Garland, Jaffe's career declines. By happenstance however, both Jaffe and Garland end up on the same Twentieth Century train back to New York. Jaffe takes this opportunity to try and lure his protégée back under his wing on Broadway, but Garland has other thoughts on her mind, basically anything but Jaffe. However, Jaffe figures a good part and a few acting chops of his own might be able to persuade Garland that she should return to her life with Jaffe. A lunatic let loose on board the Twentieth Century adds a few complications to the proceedings.
Cast
Show all 20 cast
- A.R. Hayselas Bob (uncredited)
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Twentieth Century (1934)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Asked what she would do if a man insulted her, Lombard said she would kick him in the balls, so Hawks told her that Barrymore had said it. Barrymore had said nothing of the sort, but the plan worked, and for the rest of her career Lombard wired Hawks before each film: "I'm going to kick him!"
- Censors at the Hays Office asked that the film's religious comedy be toned down. Joseph Breen, who ran the office, worried that an anti-Semitic public would not accept a play produced by an industry believed to be Jewish in which the Passion Play is used for comedy purposes. One line was cut.
- Preston Sturges was hired to write the screenplay around late November 1933, but was removed from the project a week later because he had not made sufficient progress.
- Before Lombard was cast, Columbia boss Harry Cohn negotiated with Eugenie Leontovich, who had played the part on Broadway, then considered Gloria Swanson and Miriam Hopkins. Other reports say Ina Claire, Tallulah Bankhead, Constance Bennett, Kay Francis and Joan Crawford were also considered by Cohn and Hawks.
