Directed by Howard Hawks • 1934 • United States
Starring John Barrymore, Carole Lombard, Walter Connolly
Carole Lombard established her genius for screwball comedy with this madcap classic, which practically set the template for the genre. Scripted by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur (adapting their own Broadway play) and directed at breakneck pace by Howard Hawks, TWENTIETH CENTURY unfolds in large part aboard the titular train en route from Chicago to New York. Onboard are Lily Garland (Lombard), a shopgirl turned movie star, and down-on-his-luck Broadway producer Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore), Lily’s former lover and impresario, who will stop at nothing to convince her to star in his new show. Reunited by fate aboard the speeding locomotive, the pair match wits in a dazzling display of comic firepower.
Up Next in Columbia Screwball
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The More the Merrier
Directed by George Stevens • 1943 • United States
Starring Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, Charles CoburnJean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn find that three’s a crowd in this delightful screwball romp. Set during the 1940s wartime housing shortage, THE MORE THE MERRIER stars Arthur as Washin...
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The Whole Town’s Talking
Directed by John Ford • 1935 • United States
Starring Edward G. Robinson, Jean ArthurEdward G. Robinson spoofs his own tough-guy image in this lively gangster farce, one of director John Ford’s rare forays into straight comedy. In a delightful double role, Robinson plays mild-mannered office cl...
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Theodora Goes Wild
Directed by Richard Boleslawski • 1936 • United States
Starring Irene Dunne, Melvyn Douglas, Thomas MitchellIrene Dunne established herself as one of screwball’s brightest comedic talents with this exuberant tale of a small-town girl living a double life as the secret author of a scandalous bes...
