My Man Godfrey (1936)

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

Director:

Gregory La Cava

Writers:

Morrie Ryskind (screen play), Eric Hatch (screen play),

Stars:

William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

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
Robert Light	...	Faithful George

Storyline

In the depths of the Depression, a party game brings dizzy socialite Irene Bullock to the city dump where she meets Godfrey, a derelict, and ends by hiring him as family butler. He finds the Bullocks to be the epitome of idle rich, and nutty as the proverbial fruitcake. Soon, the dramatizing Irene is in love with her 'protege'...who feels strongly that a romance between servant and employer is out of place, regardless of that servant's mysterious past...

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Plot Keywords:

butler | socialite | dump | city dump | forgotten man | 

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Genres:

Romance | Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

17 September 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Al servicio de las damas

Box Office

Budget:

$656,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 90 min (2005 DVD release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Noiseless Recording Electric)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When William Powell and director Gregory La Cava had a disagreement over how Godfrey should be played, they talked it out over a bottle of Scotch in Powell's dressing room. The next day, LaCava returned to the movie set with a major headache, but Powell was not there. The director received a telegram from his star: "WE MAY HAVE FOUND GODFREY LAST NIGHT BUT WE LOST POWELL. SEE YOU TOMORROW."

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Goofs

In the living room scene just after the PARK AVENUE CHATTER column that appears, Cornelia's magazine changes. At first, Cornelia picks up a magazine having a dark stripe along the top and bottom of the front cover, then the magazine has a lighter front cover and a woman (resembling her) in an ad on the back cover. As Cornelia moves over to the couch, the magazine changes back to the original one; further, it reveals a star shape on the front cover and a non-portrait on the back cover.

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Quotes

Cornelia Bullock: So Little Red Riding Hood didn't have enough feminine charm to trap a wolf her own age, so she falls in love with a butler and lives happily ever after on an ash pile. If you know what I mean.
Irene: I know what you mean, if you know what *I* mean.
Carlo: [entering the room] May I come in?
Cornelia Bullock: You're in, aren't you?
Carlo: Very interesting book. The Greeks of the Middle Ages.
Cornelia Bullock: Oh, Irene would like that. You love the middle ages, don't you, dear?

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits features a darkened city skyline and the names of the cast and crew appear as the camera pans across lighted billboards and neon signs.

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Connections

Referenced in Meatballs III: Summer Job (1986)

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Soundtracks

"Der Deitcher's Dog (Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone)"
(1864) (uncredited)
Traditional
Based on the German folk song "Zu Lauterbach Hab' I Mein Strumpf Velor'n"

User Reviews

Classic Screwball Comedy

My Man Godfrey is a classic ensemble film with Carole Lombard and William Powell at the helm. The comedic timing is nearly perfect and the script is a winner. Character actors Eugene Palette and Mischa Auer absolutely shine. Lombard defined screwball with her on and off screen antics. Her portrayal of the rich and flighty (yet ultimately wise) Irene Bullock is one of her best performances. Powell's Godfrey matches her step for step, and Powell does one better by showing us depth in his character rather than play straight man to her every madcap move.

The movie is fast-paced and defines the word zany. What is worth noting though is that in many ways it is a commentary of the times by comparing the 'haves' and 'have nots'. I would encourage everyone to watch with more than a comedic eye. Through Godfrey, director Gregory La Cava's film speaks volumes about the conditions of the 1930s. The U.S. was plunged in a depression that forced thousands to the breadlines. The film opens with a treasure hunt and one of the items to find is a forgotten man. The rich set out to the city dump to locate him with no regard for his plight or his dignity. The man they bring back as the prize is Godfrey, who soon is employed by the Bullock family as their butler. Powell and Gail Patrick as Irene's snooty sister, Cornelia, are the antithesis of each other and some of the best social barbs are exchanged between them. Keeping their esteemed place in society is paramount to the Bullock family, and only the father (Pallette) ever seems to worry about money. However, La Cava does not allow the film to wallow in pity for those less fortunate. The film amuses throughout but it is a real art to weave social commentary into a comedy without banging you over the head. La Cava pulls it off beautifully.

La Cava, Lombard, Powell, Auer, and Alice Brady all deservedly earned Academy Award nominations. This movie will make you laugh and it should. It is very, very funny. It should also make you think. I suspect if you do both, Mr. La Cava and his wonderful cast will have done their jobs.