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 Flaherty
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:

national film registry | butler | socialite | city dump | forgotten man | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

6 September 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Al servicio de las damas

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$656,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 90 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Noiseless Recording Electric)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Bullock mansion is located at 1101 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York. 1101 Park Avenue is at East 89 Street, just behind the famed Museum Mile section of Fifth Avenue, just a few blocks north and east of the Metropolitan Museum of Art at East 82 Street and Fifth Avenue.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

[at the city dump]
Irene: Could you tell me why you live in a place like this when there's so many other nice places?
Godfrey: You really want to know?
Irene: Oh, I'm very curious.
Godfrey: It's because my real estate agent felt that the altitude would be very good for my asthma.

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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

Featured in Film Preview: Episode #1.4 (1966)

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Soundtracks

Ochi Chyornye (Dark Eyes)
(1843) (uncredited)
Alternately spelled "Ochi (or Otchi) Tchornya (or Chornya, Choirni, Tchorniya)
Lyrics by Yevhen Hrebinka
Played on piano and sung often by Mischa Auer

User Reviews

Delightfully Naive and Funny

In New York post-Great Depression, the spoiled socialites Irene Bullock (Carole Lombard) and her sister Cornelia Bullock (Gail Patrick) are disputing a scavenger hunt where the winner is the one who brings a "forgotten man" first. They go to the city dump and Cornelia offers five dollars to the derelict Godfrey Smith (William Powell) to go with her and her companion to the Wardolf Hotel. The man pushes her in the garbage and Cornelia leaves the landfill with her companion. However, Irene talks to Godfrey that she wanted to beat Cornelia to it and he accepts to go with her to win the prize. Irene offers the position of butler to Godfrey and tells her parents Alexander (Eugene Palette) and Angelica Bullock (Alice Brady) that she has hired Godfrey to work for their dysfunctional family in their mansion. Irene has an infatuation on Godfrey and protects him while Cornelia hates him and wants to harm him. During a party in the Bullock's house, the Harvard graduated investor Tommy Gray (Alan Mowbray) recognizes Godfrey and salutes him. But the butler asks him to keep the secret of his past and schedules an encounter in the restaurant to explain what is happening.

"My Man Godfrey" is a delightfully naive and funny romantic comedy with magnificent performances of William Powell and Carole Lombard, who is wonderful in the role of a spoiled and reckless woman. The dialogs have great moments and one of the best quotes is when Godfrey Parker tells to Tommy Gray that "the only difference between a derelict and a man is a job". "My Man Godfrey" had six nominations to the Oscar in 1937 (Best Actor in a Leading Role: William Powell; Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Mischa Auer; Best Actress in a Leading Role: Carole Lombard; Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Alice Brady; Best Director: Gregory La Cava; and Best Writing, Screenplay: Eric Hatch and Morrie Ryskind). My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Irene, a Teimosa" ("Irene, the Stubborn")