Poster

Twentieth Century ()

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A flamboyant Broadway impresario who has fallen on hard times tries to get his former lover, now a Hollywood diva, to return and resurrect his failing career.
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Writers:
Stars:
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Photos and Videos

70 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Oscar Jaffe
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Lily Garland formerly Mildred Plotka
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Oliver Webb
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Owen O'Malley
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George Smith
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Max Jacobs (as Charles Levison)
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Matthew J. Clark
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Sadie
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Oscar McGonigle
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Anita
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Sign Painter (uncredited)
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Beard #1 (uncredited)
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Train Secretary (uncredited)
Anita Brown ...
Black Stage Showgirl (uncredited)
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Sheriff (uncredited)
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Train Conductor (uncredited)
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Cameraman (uncredited)
Nick Copeland ...
Treasurer (uncredited)
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Flannigan (uncredited)
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Colonel Merriweather in Play (uncredited)
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Stage Actor (uncredited)
Sherry Hall ...
Reporter (uncredited)
A.R. Haysel ...
Bob (uncredited)
Kid Herman ...
Black Train Waiter (uncredited)
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Dr. Johnson (uncredited)
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Train Detective (uncredited)
Lee Kohlmar ...
Beard #2 (uncredited)
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Mulligan (uncredited)
Mary Jo Mathews ...
Emmy Lou in Play (uncredited)
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Marquee Man (uncredited)
King Mojave ...
McGonigle's Assistant (uncredited)
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Stagehand (uncredited)
Charles O'Malley ...
Reporter (uncredited)
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Page Boy (uncredited)
Gigi Parrish ...
Myrtle Schultz (uncredited)
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Brother in Play (uncredited)
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Uncle Remus in Play (uncredited)
Ky Robinson ...
Train Detective (uncredited)
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Poster Artist (uncredited)
Earl Smith ...
Light-Skinned Black Waiter (uncredited)
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Lockwood (uncredited)
Irene Thompson ...
Stage Actress (uncredited)
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George Washington Jones (uncredited)
Lillian West ...
Charwoman (uncredited)
Buddy Williams ...
Black Stage Actor (uncredited)

Directed by

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Howard Hawks

Written by

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Charles Bruce Millholland ... (play "Napoleon of Broadway")
 
Ben Hecht ... (screenplay) and
Charles MacArthur ... (screenplay)
 
Preston Sturges ... () (uncredited)
 
Gene Fowler ... (screenplay) (uncredited)
 
Ben Hecht ... (play) (uncredited)
 
Charles MacArthur ... (play) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Harry Cohn ... executive producer (uncredited)
Howard Hawks ... producer

Cinematography by

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Joseph H. August ... (as Joseph August)

Editing by

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Gene Havlick

Casting By

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Harold Dodds
Dan Kelly

Costume Design by

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Robert Kalloch ... (uncredited) (gowns)

Production Management

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Samuel J. Briskin ... production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Charles C. Coleman ... assistant director (as C.C. Coleman Jr.)

Sound Department

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Edward Bernds ... sound engineer

Camera and Electrical Department

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Jack Anderson ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Bud Fraker ... still photographer (uncredited)
Marcel Grand ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Irving Lippman ... still photographer (uncredited)
Dave Ragin ... camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department

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Howard Jackson ... composer: stock music (uncredited)
Louis Silvers ... composer: stock music (uncredited) / musical director (uncredited)
Harry M. Woods ... composer: stock music (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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George Abbott ... producer: stage play
Philip Dunning ... producer: stage play
Virginia Gaylord ... stand-in (uncredited)
Fred Humes ... stand-in (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Broadway director Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore) is a bigger ham than most actors, but through sheer drive and talent he is able to build a successful career. When one of his discoveries, Lily Garland (Carole Lombard), rises to stardom and heeds the call of Hollywood, Oscar begins a career slide. He hits the skids and seems on his way out, until he chances to meet Lily again, on a train ride aboard the Twentieth Century Limited. Oscar pulls out all the stops to re-sign his former star, but it's a battle - because Lily, who is as temperamental as Oscar is, wants nothing to do with her former mentor. Written by Dan Navarro

Plot Keywords
Taglines For everybody who was tickled pink by "It Happened One Night" (Print Ad-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, ((Pittsburgh Penna.)) 6 June 1934) See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • 20th Century (United States)
  • Train de luxe (France)
  • La comedia de la vida (Spain)
  • 二十世纪快车 (China, Mandarin title)
  • Ventesimo secolo (Italy)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 91 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix

Did You Know?

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Trivia John Barrymore once said that the role of Oscar was "a role that comes once in a lifetime" and even deemed this his favorite of all the movies he appeared in. See more »
Goofs (at around 20 mins) O'Malley arrives at Lily's apartment. When she answers the door, he discards his newspaper twice between shots. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Men Who Made the Movies: Howard Hawks (1973). See more »
Soundtracks Happy Days Are Here Again See more »
Quotes Oscar Jaffe: Go on, Owen... tell her I'm dying... and DON'T OVERACT!
See more »
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