Podcast Summary: New Books Network – “Twentieth Century” (February 2, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of 15 Minute Film Fanatics on the New Books Network, hosts Dan and Mike dive into Howard Hawks’ 1934 screwball comedy Twentieth Century. Their lively discussion celebrates the film’s relentless energy, legendary performances—particularly John Barrymore and Carole Lombard—and the movie’s complex look at artistic obsession, ego, and the blurred line between drama and reality. The episode blends reverence for the film’s craft with playful banter, unpacking key moments, themes, and memorable quotations while exploring what makes this classic endure.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Howard Hawks Ethos and Ben Hecht’s Script

• [02:03] Mike launches with high praise for the screenplay:

  “Ben Hecht can write a screenplay...this is a tour de force of a movie. This is just a feat of strength.”
  The hosts note the film’s breakneck pace, dense jokes (“some of which don't even hit you until they've been over for about 20 seconds”), and the feel of being trapped but never claustrophobic—much like the train on which much of the story unfolds.

• [02:41] Connection to His Girl Friday, another Hecht/MacArthur classic, highlighting shared comedic energy.

2. John Barrymore’s Performance

• [02:55–04:09]
  The hosts agree Barrymore is irreplaceable, his performance a “Darth Vader entrance” full of explosive theatrical energy.

  Dan: “He really, really does [inhabit the role]. I mean, even his hair gives the performance lifetime.”
  They compare Barrymore’s sustained intensity to Leonardo DiCaprio’s brief moment in The Departed ([03:16]), marveling at Barrymore’s stamina:
  “How did he not have a heart attack making this movie with no breaks?”

• [04:09] Mike notes Barrymore is “not even a comedian, really...He is truly the great Shakespearean actor. Just absolutely unleashed.” He appreciates how the movie delays Barrymore’s appearance, building anticipation for Oscar Jaffe.

3. The Artist as God and Control Freak

• [05:06–06:57]
  Oscar Jaffe is depicted as the supreme egomaniac—“the director as God”—who seeks absolute control (e.g., his obsession with chalk and blocking). The hosts riff on his comically tyrannical stage directions and how he wants to play every part himself.
• Dan contrasts charismatic egomaniac Jaffe with “valorized narcissism” in contemporary films ([06:58])—Jaffe’s likability stems from his mania being in service of art.

4. Obsession and Obstacles: The Artistic Mindset

• [07:23–08:05]
  Jaffe's insistence on bending reality for art's sake (“All I want you to do so that I can do this is, I want you to go get me a piece of chalk… The artist is in some way unreasonable, but that makes him both likable and unlikable, because an unreasonable person has no boundaries.”)
• The artist transcends reason, refusing to see obstacles (“He is literally beyond reason.”).

5. Hamming as a Mode of Expression

• [10:29–12:39]
  Dan spotlights the film’s “hamming” as deliberate and comedic—a way for characters to communicate and exert presence:

  “You never get to see, for almost 10 seconds, like, the real Oscar Jaffe because he’s just a giant ham…”
  Favorite lines include:

  • “You Hoboken Cinderella, stay where you are, Judas Iscariot, you foul Corsican.”
  • “The sorrows of life are the joys of art.”
  • “I must close the iron curtain on you.” [12:04]

• Mike observes that this manic theatricality infects other characters—not just Jaffe.

6. Carole Lombard’s Transformation & Interplay

• [12:53–13:34]
  Lily Garland (Lombard) learns and emulates Jaffe’s “no obstacles, no boundaries” approach—what begins as his personal trait is revealed as a transferable “mode of being.” Their dynamic becomes a contest of equal theatrical force.

7. Favorite Scenes and Comic Set Pieces

• [13:47–14:45]
  Mike’s highlight: Jaffe fakes an arm injury (sling) to avoid confrontation, showing rare self-protectiveness within his boundaryless persona.
  Dan loves the escalating, physical comedy of Lily and Oscar’s sparring.

• Oscar’s unrelenting requests for creative resources—“to him, the Dervishes are the same as chalk” ([14:45])—underscore his tunnel vision for the sake of art.

8. Finale and Thematic Resonance

• [15:47–17:35]
  The ending is discussed as both thematic (“We're not people, we're lithographs. We don't know anything about love unless it's written and rehearsed. We're only real in between curtains.”) and cyclical screwball (with the final image of Oscar drawing chalk lines again).

  “It’s got its thematic ending and then it’s got its screwball ending. ... If it ended just at the first part, then you would say, that’s a strange, sentimental ending... But it’s got to end with him doing this.”

• [18:02–19:43]
  The hosts connect Lily Garland’s real-life backstory (as Carole Lombard and similar stars) to the film’s themes—real pain and transformation through performance.

  “...life is a tragedy in close up, but as soon as you pan out, it’s a comedy. Because what we actually want is...to ride on the train, but you wouldn’t want to lay down on the tracks.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On Howard Hawks’s style
  [02:03] Mike: “This is kind of like if the Marx Brothers tried to do The Red Shoes or something. ... Absolutely full of jokes. ... That’s the Howard Hawks ethos, is you’re always 20 seconds late to the joke.”

• On John Barrymore’s performance
  [03:16] Dan: “He has that intensity. John Barrymore, for 90 minutes. How did he not have a heart attack making this movie with no breaks?”

• On Oscar Jaffe’s nature
  [06:57] Dan: “He’s an egomaniac, but he’s not a narcissist. He’s still super charming. He’s still very funny. ... Even if he walks off screen for five seconds, you’re like, when’s he coming back?”

• On drama as life
  [15:47] Dan: "'That’s the trouble with you, Oscar, with both of us. We’re not people, we’re lithographs. We don’t know anything about love unless it’s written and rehearsed. We’re only real in between curtains.' Now that's kind of like the thematic ending, right?"

• On comedy and pain’s relationship
  [18:18] Mike: “He [Jaffe] does all the parts and sets her up...then he sticks her with a pin and she keeps the pin. ... The movie is allowing—there actually is an epiphany somewhere. ... Hollywood is messed up, show business is messed up. These people are messed up...”

  [19:37] Mike (quoting): “Life is a tragedy in close up, but as soon as you pan out, it’s a comedy. ... What we actually want is ... to ride on the train, but you wouldn’t want to lay down on the tracks.”

• Signature line
  [12:04, recurring] Oscar Jaffe’s melodramatic refrain: “I must close the iron door on you.”

Important Timestamps & Segment Guide

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | [01:26] | Introduction of the film and its background | | [02:03] | First impressions + Hecht/Hawks energy | | [02:55] | Praise for Barrymore’s performance | | [04:09] | Delayed entrance and theatricality | | [05:06] | Oscar as “director as God” and comedic control | | [06:57] | Ego vs. narcissism discussion | | [07:23] | Artistic obsession and disregard for obstacles | | [10:29] | Hamming as expression and comedic mechanism | | [12:53] | Lombard/Lily’s transformation, mirroring Jaffe | | [13:47] | Favorite scenes; Oscar fakes arm injury | | [15:47] | Thematic and screwball endings | | [18:02] | Carole Lombard’s arc, pain and performance | | [19:43] | Closing thoughts on comedy and tragedy |

Conclusion: Key Takeaways

• Twentieth Century is lauded as a quintessential screwball comedy with a unique blend of relentless energy, rapid-fire wit, and meta-commentary on the making of art.
• John Barrymore’s performance is celebrated as both over-the-top and technically masterful, embodying the tension between tragedy and comedy.
• The film explores the dangers and allure of living theatrically, never truly distinguishing life from performance—a dynamic mirrored in the zany, cyclical ending.
• Real-life stories of Hollywood transformation (like Carole Lombard’s) are woven into the film’s fiction, suggesting that “real pain does make good movies.”
• The enduring charm of Oscar Jaffe is his magnetic madness—lovable because his obsession is always for art, not mere ego.

Signature Sign-off:
[20:11] Dan (as Oscar): “I close the iron door on you.”

For more from Dan and Mike, check out The Grumbler’s Almanac (Mike) or Pages and Frames (Dan) on Substack.