Twenty-one

It's the world's favorite card game, the legal drinking age in the U.S., and the number on the jersey of Sammy Sosa, MLB slugger for the Texas Rangers. From music to literature, this humble number features in many works of pop culture. But what about 21 in the world of television and film? Where has this famous number shown up on the big screen throughout history?

21 in Movies and Film

Did you know that 21 was the name of four different feature films? The first, in 1918, was a silent film that starred actors Bryant Washburn and Gertrude Selby. The second film of the same name was produced in 1923, and starred actor Richard Barthelmess. Barthelmess played a boy of 20 desperate to marry his love, Lynnie Willis. Unfortunately, Lynnie was of a lesser social status, and the main character's father refused to allow the marriage. When Jimmy (Barthelmess) reached the age of twenty-one, he was able to marry despite his father's wishes.
In more recent days of film, Twenty-One was the title of a movie starring actress Patsy Kensit. She played an adventurous young woman struggling to form a healthy romantic relationship. The most recent and well-known film called Twenty-One is based on the book Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich. It tells the story of a group of MIT students who used Blackjack card counting to take Vegas for millions.
As you can see, 21 has quite a name in the world of film and fame. Let's take a look at the number twenty-one on television.

21 in T.V.

Back in the 1950's, Twenty-One was the name of an American hit game show. The show was famous for its popular contestants, but became even more well-known once it was discovered to be rigged. The game show didn't last long, but in 2000, a new version was produced which was hosted by famous talk-show host, Maury Povich.
And what about 21 in dramatic television? Perhaps you remember young Johnny Depp in 21 Jump Street. Back in the late 80's and early 90's, Depp starred as a cop who was able to use his youthful appearance to go on undercover missions in high schools and colleges. Each episode of the show focused on a common problem of the era, like drinking, AIDS, child abuse, racism, and drug use. Many other now famous stars made an appearance on the show, like Jason Priestly, Brad Pitt, and Shannon Doherty.



Twenty-one is more than just a number. It's the name of a game, the atomic number of scandium, and the minimum number differently sized squares needed to square a square. But twenty-one has also been a repeated reference point on the big screen and in home theaters.