It's such a shame John Barrymore wasn't recognized by the Academy in 1934 with his performance in Twentieth Century. He was such a riot as Oscar Jaffe. It wasn’t necessary for him to speak at all. His body movements spoke for themselves. The way he staggers as if he's been hit in the stomach just as his eyes bug out. It’s hilarious.
"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
He's also hilarious in Midnight.
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John Barrymore is forever The Man, just because of this performance
Do it.....I dare you.
Agreed. Barrymore was amazing as Oscar Jaffe. Unfortunately the Academy has rarely seen fit to honor great comedic films with awards or even nominations over the years and the fact that It Happened One Night was nominated for (and ended up winning) so many the same year probably precluded Twentieth Century from receiving any. Regardless of the lack of Oscar nominations time has rightly shown Twentieth Century to be a great movie; along with It Happened One Night it's one of the first and best of the great screwball comedies of the 30s.
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I have to agree with most of the comments. This is Barrymore at his best. I've never been a Lombard fan as I just find her loudness and jumpiness annoying. This movie didn't change my mind about her. But, Barrymore is a gem.
shareJohn Barrymore had a Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein kind of vibe to me in this film.
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