“I Never Thought I Should Sink So Low as to Become an Actor”: John Barrymore in Twentieth Century

In Twentieth Century (1934), John Barrymore as Oscar Jaffe gives a performance so stupendous in its theatricality and wit that it ranks as one of the most brilliant – and most profound – in the history of cinema. This chapter argues that in its utterly ironic yet utterly honest way, Barrymore’s performance (to phrase Oscar himself) sums up everything this great actor knew about talent, about the theater, and about genius.