My Man Godfrey (1936)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Gregory La Cava

Writers:

Eric Hatch (novel)
Morrie Ryskind (writer) ...

Release Date:

17 September 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy

Plot:

A scatterbrained socialite hires a vagrant as a family butler...but there's more to Godfrey than meets the eye.

Plot Keywords:

Socialite | Butler | Love | Dump | Eccentric

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

William Powell	...	Godfrey
Carole Lombard	...	Irene Bullock
Alice Brady	...	Angelica Bullock
Gail Patrick	...	Cornelia Bullock
Eugene Pallette	...	Alexander Bullock
Jean Dixon	...	Molly
Alan Mowbray	...	Tommy Gray
Mischa Auer	...	Carlo
Pat Flaherty	...	Mike Flaherty
Robert Light	...	Faithful George

Runtime:

94 min | USA:90 min (2005 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (re-rating) (1996) | Australia:G | South Korea:15 (2003) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This was the first film to ever receive four acting nominations at the Academy Awards, and it did so in the year that the supporting categories were introduced.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the Tea Party While Irene is talking to Charlie Van Rumple, in the background you see Godfrey serving Cornelia with a tray and she takes an item in each hand. A few seconds later the scene shifts to Cornelia, and Godfrey again serves her and she takes the two items again.

Quotes:

[Irene poses dramatically]
Cornelia Bullock: Oh, I remember that pose so well. I learned it in Dramatics School. It's Number 8 isn't it?
Faithful George: Yep, that's Number 8 all right.
Cornelia Bullock: Am I spoiling your act, dear?
Irene: [under her breath to Cornelia] I'll spoil something of yours someday and it won't be your act!

Movie Connections:

References Show Boat (1936)

I see a room full of empty headed nitwits !

If I was the sort of person who scrutinised every frame of my viewings looking for flaws, then I still wouldn't issue here because My Man Godfrey has no cracks in its make up, it is perfect cinema from a golden age that we rarely see in this day and age. During a rich peoples socialite scavenger hunt, air head Irene Bullock wins the contest to see who can find a forgotten man, a hobo, and showcase him at the toffs party. She falls for the charisma of down and out Godfrey Parke and gives him the job of Butler to the family Bullock, this of course bemuses the family, even more so when Godfrey turns out to be far more than they originally thought.

My Man Godfrey is one of those old classic comedies that has satire at its heart, here the rich are firmly in the target sights of the makers, for it's they who come across as bumbling buffoons, whilst Godfrey the hobo is the one with tact and grace, he is the one they all should take their markers from. Yet as important as the social message is here, it's the brilliant comedy that comes to the fore, this is an electric script benefiting from great work from all involved. William Powell is Godfrey, it's a perfect performance as he is never flustered yet delivering funny lines with caustic impact. Carole Lombard is just precious as the dopey love sick Irene, her interplay with Powell is comedy gold. My favourite of the bunch tho is Eugene Palette as Alexander, the father of this bizarro family, every mannerism and every line out of his mouth had me in stitches. I must also mention that of the 6 Oscars the film was nominated for, I'm stunned there wasn't one for Gail Patrick as Cornelia, it's devilishly icy and weasel like, and she impacted hard on me to the point that I wanted to strangle her, a great performance from her.

Truth is, they are all great, from the actors to the director, from the editor to the writer, My Man Godfrey is a truly brilliant film that easily entered my top 100 greatest films list today, 10/10.