IMDb >
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Watch It
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
at Internet Archive

BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsMy Man Godfrey (1936) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 17 | slideshow) | Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
17 September 1936 (USA) morePlot:
A scatterbrained socialite hires a vagrant as a family butler...but there's more to Godfrey than meets the eye. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
CTU Exclusive: Check Out Channing Tatum in the August 2009 Issue of Vanity Fair (From Channing Tatum Unwrapped. 2 July 2009, 7:43 PM, PDT)
Invitation Only Reading Of My Man Godfrey Presented 3/6
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 4 March 2009, 11:16 AM, PST)
User Comments:
We've really lost something nowadays moreCast
(Complete credited 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
94 min | USA:90 min (2005 DVD release)Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound 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:UnratedFun Stuff
Trivia:
A stand-in (Chick Collins) was used when William Powell carries Carole Lombard over his shoulder up the stairs to her bedroom. moreGoofs:
Continuity: Godfrey is placing roses in a vase while ignoring Irene. In one shot, he has already placed five stems in the vase. The camera cuts away to the rest of the cast but when Godfrey is seen again, there is only one rose in the vase. moreQuotes:
Blake: Take a look at the dizzy old gal with the goat.Alexander Bullock: I've had to look at her for 20 years - that's MRS. Bullock!
Blake: I'm terribly sorry!
Alexander Bullock: How do you think I feel?
more
FAQ
How did Godfrey know Cornelia hid the necklace under the mattress?Can I watch this film online?
What is the answer to Molly's crossword puzzle?
more
more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for My Man Godfrey (1936) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Gone with the Wind | Sullivan's Travels | The Nanny Diaries | Big Fish | The Palm Beach Story |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Romance section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |













I don't want to be one of those "they don't make 'em like they used to" people, but I just can't help it when it comes to comedy. We've lost that talent completely, it seems. I can't think of any really great comedies of the past ten years. The golden age for film comedy was the mid 1930s to the mid 1940s (at least for the talkies; silent comedies were a totally different art form). This is also the period of the screwball comedy. My Man Godfrey was one of the first screwball comedies. Films such as Bringing Up Baby and The Lady Eve perfected the form, but My Man Godfrey is nearly as perfect. It isn't quite as funny as Bringing Up Baby nor is it as emotionally resonant as The Lady Eve, but it is funny, it has depression era social commentary (its main theme is identical to Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels, beating it by 6 years), and the script is marvelous. The finale is as good as any other comic finale, including the last scene of Some Like it Hot.
The actors are also in top form. William Powell is the straight man, and he plays it very well. All the rest are as nutty as ever. Carole Lombard probably gives her greatest performance here (I suppose I shouldn't say that since I've only seen her in one other film; I can only guess at this since it is one of the funniest performances of film history). Gail Patrick is perfectly devious as Lombard's conniving sister. Eugene Pallette is great as their father. Alice Brady, though, steals the show as their mother, a total fruit cake whose protoge, Carlo (Mischa Auer) does nothing but eat the household's food and pound the same couple of notes on their piano. And look for cameos by MGM regulars Franklin Pangborn and Grady Sutton. 10/10