At the Jaffe Theatre

Like most opening scenes, Twentieth Century establishes its tone fairly quickly with its dialogue--the best lines coming from the supporting cast. But while it drags a bit in pace, takes longer than what I'd like to introduce its leads, when you finally get to see John Barrymore in his grandiosity, it's truly worth the wait. Even still, it could've moved along faster and have established its plot earlier on.

This is perhaps the first screwball comedy that I've watched this year that did not establish its conflict in the opening sequence, at least I didn't think so. In the opening sequence you do see the circumstances and proper introductions to the characters and what may come of it, but an actual outright, this is what the film is going to be about, no. You look at the sequence that follows, an extension that blends into the debut performance of Carole Lombard's Lily Garland, and even then you don't really get the conflict. It isn't until the following scene that you get a notion of Lily's life as Jaffe's muse and actress, and that she has grown tired of it and wants out.

What conflict is introduced in the opening scene? Jaffe is an eccentric artist who's discovered an ingenue in Mildred Plotka, whom he has now renamed Lily Garland. Unfortunately, Lily cannot act, but nevertheless Jaffe gets the performance he wants out of her. Barrymore is great as Jaffe. Usually one thinks of Lombard as the great screwball queen, but she's really overshadowed by Barrymore here. To be fair, Lombard isn't given much in this opening, except an eager girl wanting to be an actress. It's Barrymore though who brings on the laughs here. He's first introduced in his office on the floor with a giant feather quill, which he is using to write. When he comes down to the stage to interact with the crew and players, you get a sense of the real diva he is.

While Roscoe Karns says some great lines, it's Barrymore who has the best ones. When he turns to Walter Connolly and vanishes him from his sight, he tells him, "I'm closing the iron door on you." And as he rushes Connolly off stage he shouts back not to send his fat wife after him. Before beginning the rehearsal, he tells each and everyone on stage that no matter what happens, no matter he says from here on out, "I love each and every one of you." When he starts a scene with the ringing of the doorbell, he tingalingalings like a patient but particular old man. He's truly one to watch here. So while there aren't any pratfalls or slapstick, the dialogue definitely sets the tone here and you know that this is going to be a funny film. This dialogue, if anything, allows the movie to not completely drag along.

Unfortunately, because there is so much focus on Jaffe's character, and understandably so, the pacing suffers, and so the opening sequence comes and go, and we still don't know how exactly the film will go forward. You get a sense that it's going to be about Jaffe and Lily, but not much else, just that he's particular and he's training his newfound discovery. Eventually you do get to the conflict later on in the film, but the premise is still a bit too vague in the beginning.

If there's one standout thing about the opening sequence in Twentieth Century it's John Barrymore. He's given the best lines and he's the most entertaining to watch. There's great dialogue that sets the tone and helps speed up the storyline, although too much focus on Barrymore's Jaffe keeps the opening sequence lagging a bit without really establishing the true premise of the film. While Carole Lombard is introduced here, she's not given much until later on in the film. Overall though, based on Barrymore's performance, it makes you want to keep watching to see what exactly Jaffe is going to get himself mixed up in.