Twentieth Century. 1934. USA. Directed by Howard Hawks. Screenplay by Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur, based on their play. With John Barrymore, Carole Lombard, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns. 91 min.
Howard Hawks' prototypical screwball masterpiece follows the volcanic relationship between Broadway impresario Oscar Jaffe (Barrymore) and his protégé-turned-star Lily Garland (Lombard) as they battle across half the continent, aboard the luxurious Twentieth Century Limited train. Barrymore delivers a magnificent performance of sustained theatrical hysteria as the manipulative, megalomaniacal producer desperate to woo back his greatest discovery, while Lombard---previously known primarily for her somewhat chilly beauty---reveals herself as a comedienne of extraordinary physical precision and manic energy. Working from a script by the legendary Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, Hawks establishes the template for screwball comedy with his signature rapid-fire dialogue and overlapping conversations, creating a world where language itself becomes a weapon of seduction, deception, and sheer survival.