User reviews

Whether we live in the Depression Era or the age of Occupy Wall Street and the Panama Papers, there remains great suspicion of and derision for those conspicuous faces of the upper classes, and few films capture and satirize this better than My Man Godfrey. It begins, as largely it ends, with strong associations- the dump by the waterfront is cluttered and grimy, filled with cynical but tenacious men, while the ballrooms and mansions of the rich are scenes of incredible chaos. Debauched and manic, these petty denizens amuse themselves with idiotic games, notably a scavenger hunt that calls for a "forgotten man," or rather a citizen of the aforementioned dump. This turns out to be our man Godfrey, played by William Powell with masterfully dry humor and proletarian dignity. His counterpart and perfect opposite is Carole Lombard as Irene, who manages her depiction of extreme ditziness and delusion with convincing charm. Godfrey's attempts to pull himself up from the dump lead him into the circus of Irene's family life, and the film is at its best in scenes where he is forced to navigate through their various inanities. It's difficult to choose any particular moment in this company over another, but wouldn't we all like to watch a pretentious Italian artiste imitating a gorilla? It might be nearly impossible for a major Hollywood comedy to be created today that could balance sympathy for the poor with criticism of the rich without coming across as insincere or blandishing, and Godfrey sometimes seems dangerously close to doing the same, but overall the film remains strong in its message, characterizations, and acting, making it one of the most lovable examples of screwball comedy.

A scavenger hunt amongst the rich leads two competitive sisters to the local dump where one has the idea to bring back one of the "lost men". She offers Godfrey $5 to come with her, Godfrey played by the fabulous William Powell doesn't take it very well and shoves her into an ash heap. The younger much sweeter sister, Irene, strikes up a conversation with Godfrey and explains about the scavenger hunt etc and he goes with her in order for her to beat her sister Cornelia for nothing.

After winning, Irene suggests that since he helped her by doing a favor that she would like to help him in some way...he says the only thing he needs is a job. She hires him on the spot to be her family's butler.

This is how Godfrey ends up in the home of the most screwball rich family I have ever seen...with Cornelia taking stabs at him and trying to get him fired and Irene wanting him to be her protégé...and eventual love interest.

"My family came over on the boat...oh, not the mayflower, but the one after that."-mom

"I wouldn't say anything behind your back that I wouldn't say in public."-Mom

As it turns out Godfrey has a mysterious past including being a Yale man, he was a "Park" of the Parks of Boston.

"I'm sorry boys, I want to apologize for my family, they are slightly hysterical!"-Dad

"The village of forgotten men."-Godfrey

"If I end up in jail it will be the first peace I have had in years."-Dad

This is a wonderful film with a superb cast, gorgeous sets, luxurious costumes and a fabulous ending! This is a worthwhile film and really highlights 1930's screwball comedy.

"Stand still Godfrey, it will all be over in a minute."-Irene.

The great depression of the 30s, in a way, created inequality in this country. On the one hand, great fortunes were made and many more were lost. In those days Hollywood's idea for escapism was the screwball comedy, with an emphasis in presenting how the privileged classes lived. This was in sharp contrast with what the majority of regular citizens were experiencing.

With that background, Gregory La Cava, a man who knew how to entertain an audience, took the direction of "My Man Godfrey". In the film we are given, on the one hand, what appears to be a city dump near to Sutton Place, one of the richest areas in Manhattan. We are shown a destitute man, Godfrey, who comes in contact with a couple of rich girls out on a scavenger hunt. Godfrey will change their lives forever.

"My Man Godfrey" gathered a distinguished cast. William Powell and Carole Lombard were at the pinnacle of their popularity. Both actors exuded charisma in any film they graced with their charming presence. They both left a mark of distinction in this comedy. Both are elegant and sophisticated, and they make us care about the characters they are playing.

The best thing about those 30s comedies were the marvelous ensemble casts assembled to support the stars. Thus, one is treated to delicious performances by Gail Patrick, Eugene Palette, Alice Brady, Micha Auer, Jean Dixon and Alan Mowbray.

This is a classic film that will live forever.

'My man Godfrey' wastes no time in catching our eye, treating us to inventive opening credits that come across as a precursor to modern Pixar wizardry - and then a grotesque, riotous spectacle of classism in which the title character gratifyingly drops the proverbial mike. With each scene to follow the screenplay presents a distinctly farcical scenario reminding of the electrifying satire of P. G. Wodehouse, filled with outstanding sharp wit and repartee, physical comedy, situational humor, and exaggerated characters and performances. There are a couple points where the resounding laughs briefly lets up so we can take a breather. Yet where this is true, the narrative instead advances with wonderful heart and sincerity - and all the while, it's built through and through with incredible intelligence and cleverness. This is a film that imparts life lessons just as much as it entertains, and the result is an absolute must-see.

Everyone in the cast is an absolute joy as they bring the picture to vibrant life. Mischa Auer, Eugene Pallette, Jean Dixon, Gail Patrick, and Alice Brady, among still others, embrace the utter absurdity of the fantastic and wildly energetic characters, dialogue, and scene writing. Moreover, with William Powell and especially Carole Lombard starring, it rather goes without saying that they handily take the spotlight, and manage it with aplomb. Lombard in particular leans wholly into the fraught, frivolous fancifulness of Irene, giving a bombastic display that lights up the imagination and cements her as one of the truly great comedic actresses of cinema. She above all - but certainly every actor among the assemblage - demonstrates vivid nuance, range, personality, and physicality in realizing the buffoonery, and I can't overstate what a blast it is to watch them all at play.

The focus in the writing, adapting Eric Hatch's novel, was most certainly on highlighting the abject silliness of the Bullock clan, and to that end it is a marvelous success. Yet there's also some gleefully pointed commentary and wisdom to enjoy along the way, rounding out the picture's jocular jest with very satisfying earnestness. Consider as well strong direction from Gregory La Cava, fetching work from the costumers and hair and makeup departments, and fine set design and decoration, and when all is said and done it very simply feels erroneous to call 'My man Godfrey' anything other than perfect.

To sing the praises of the film at greater length would begin to require discussion of specific jokes and plot points. All I can say is that I already had high expectations based on the cast alone, and still I walked away having been impressed. I can only give my highest, most enthusiastic recommendation of this to all viewers - it's superbly entertaining from start to finish, executed with excellence and flying colors in all aspects. More than 80 years later, 'My man Godfrey' remains an exemplar of fabulously slick, robust comedy, unquestionably besting the vast majority of other would-be romps in all the years since. Wherever you have the opportunity to watch this, you don't want to pass it up!

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

If I was the sort of person who scrutinised every frame of my viewings looking for flaws, then I still wouldn't have 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 person's 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, for here the rich are firmly in the target sights of the makers, and it's they who come across as bumbling buffoons. Godfrey the hobo is the one with tact and grace, and it is he who is the one they all should take their markers from. Yet as important as the social message is, and it is, it's the brilliant comedy that shines bright and comes to the fore. This is an electric script benefiting from great work from all involved who put the words onto film.

William Powell is Godfrey, it's a perfect performance as he is never flustered as he delivers the funny lines with caustic impact. Carole Lombard is just precious as the dopey love sick Irene, making her interplay with Powell as comedy gold. My favourite of the bunch, though, is Eugene Palette as Alexander, the father of this bizarro family, every mannerism and every line out of his mouth had me in utter 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, job done, 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

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.

Why it did not receive a Best Picture nomination is a mystery to me. This is an excellent screwball comedy with a sane & socially conscious message. Although the whole cast is flawless, I would give a slight edge to Alice Brady. She did not win the Oscar in 36, but did win in 37 for "In Old Chicago". She had one of the best lines in the movie when speaking to one of her daughters 'It took me all these years to realize insanity runs on your father's side'. Eugene Pallete is excellent as the father & should also have been nominated. This is the only movie I can remember watching with Carole Lombard & she illuminates the screen in every scence. A must! 10/10

A well-balanced cast is one of the strong suits of this comedy that delivers a Depression era tale with a morality message.

Carole Lombard plays the part of Irene Bullock, a childish chatterbox who becomes infatuated with a hobo she plucks from the ash heaps down along the river. William Powell (her ex-husband) is Godfrey, the well-spoken derelict who Irene hires as man servant on a whim. Godfrey is a "forgotten man"---one of the victims of the economic upheaval during the Depression. To the Bullock family and their rich Fifth Avenue associates, Godfrey and his ilk are accredited as much significance as pets or playthings.

This sets up an interesting contrast which, due to the manipulation of the writers, is exaggerated for effect. In the film, the forgotten men are the nobility and the idle rich are amoral plutocrats or fops.

But the centerpiece of the film is the relationship between Irene and Godfrey. Lombard received her only Oscar nomination for this performance, but I found her character too flighty. Still, it's a strong performance and serves as counterpoint to Powell's brilliant performance as a man who is quite intentional and principled, despite his unfortunate social status.

Like all good screwball comedies, it ends with an improbable---but pleasing---result.

I've seen this comedy many times and never get tired of it. Saw it again today on TCM TV, and still get a kick out of it. The spoiled brats of wealthy family man, played by Eugene Pallette, have hired Mr Godfrey as their butler. Carole Lombard and Gail Patrick are the jealous sisters who contrive to win his affections. There is much clutter and romping and confusion, but it all comes out at the end. Mischa Auer plays his usually outrageously funny character. I remember what a hit it was in 1936, and heartily recommend it today!

Am a huge fan of classic film and screwball comedy is one of my favourite comedy film styles. Seeing as it is more often than not very funny and clever (unlike the very crude humour seen nowadays) and has been done so well in many 30s and 40s films (such as 'It Happened One Night', 'Arsenic and Old Lace' and 'His Girl Friday'). Gregory LaCava's filmography was not a big one but it was worth watching, with his best being absolute classics ('Stage Door' being in this category).

Had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that 'My Man Godfrey' would be a great film with its pedigree of talent (as it also has a wonderful cast on paper), and was thankfully proven right. Actually thought it was excellent, with its best aspects (the performances and writing) masterclass level. 'My Man Godfrey' got a lot of awards attention and no wonder. It is one of LaCava's best films by quite some way and when it comes to screwball comedy, for me it is definitely up there.

My only issue really is the more farcical character behaviours do strain credulity, especially with the rather unrepentent character played by Carole Lombard.

Other than that, the film is excellent. William Powell brings his usual debonair suavity and sharp, sophisticated wit that made him so much loved, as well as deeply felt depth. Lombard's character may be unlikeable, but Lombard was always a joy in screwball comedy and she here shows genuine exuberance and hilarity, as well as charm. Gail Patrick portrays a character that is easy to hate effortlessly, and a wonderfully featherbrained Alice Brady and posturing Mischa Auer delight too. It is shame that Jean Dixon is so overlooked when talking about 'My Man Godfrey', because she really does sparkle in the wisecracking.

The script also plays a massive part in the film's appeal. It is razor sharp in wit, is wonderfully sophisticated and achieves a perfect balance of hilarious comedy, rapid fire is a good way to describe the delivery, and poignant pathos, a screwball comedy with a heart if you will. The story always compels, it didn't feel cluttered, over-stuffed or confusing, all of them having the impact they should.

LaCava keeps all the elements going at a lively pace without being out of control, while letting the serious elements breathe without losing momentum. Beautifully filmed and designed 'My Man Godfrey' is too, not "grand" but amateurish it never is.

Concluding, truly excellent. 9/10.

Carol Lombard character was just a complete childlike, spoiled imbecile. I hope this was not intended as a romantic movie. I actually expected Godfrey (William Powell was good!) to end up w/ the gutsy sister Cornelia. They had much more chemistry and it would have been much more interesting. It would also have added to the social critique that was unevenly spread through the film. The ending was lame - both the interaction with the family, Cornelia's uncharacteristic & sudden reversal/reaction AND the horrifying final conclusion between Godfrey & Carol Lombard's character..... Where did that come from? Would it really happen? Is she totally insane? Did I blink & miss the instance in which he actually indicated the slightest interest? He seemed more interested in the maid, I thought.

Stick to the Thin Man movies that William Powell did. Much better & with more realistic women.

Yes, Virginia, William Powell CAN be someone other than the Thin Man, and he can kiss someone Myrna Loy. In this case, he is kissing Carole Lombard, who does a very nice job as Powell's romantic interest. This is a fun movie from beginning to end, and the best role that Powell ever had (from an artistic viewpoint). Lombard was multitalented and could play any role. She very good as the rich playgirl who befriends the bum by the river, Godfrey. Great stuff.

This film pushes all the right buttons. I had some of the most genuine fun while watching "My Man Godfrey" for the first time. No wonder this has manifested itself as one of the best screwball classics of all time. I escaped from my comfortable living room with this movie I can't imagine the escape it must have brought depression era movie goers. "My Man Godfrey" was released in 1936 and was directed by Gregory La Cava. The film follows the tale of Godfrey Smith, a homeless man living on a riverbank who finds himself with a job as a butler for a wealthy family, but he soon finds out sanity is hard to come by in this family. Godfrey is played by William Powell, who gifts the movie world with this incredibly charming performance. Powell is witty, relatable, and funny throughout. Godfreys love interest, Irene Bullock, is played by Carole Lombard. Lombard delivers a fast talking, over dramatic yet likeable character in Irene. "My Man Godfrey" has an array of enjoyable characters that make up the family Godfrey Butlers for. The dynamic of the family is one of the most entertaining aspects of the film. complete with arguing, crying, and certain characters on the brink of insanity. I loved how this film was able to blend over the top comedy and intelligent dialogue. Everyone should get around to seeing this movie at least once, it was simple but so appealing, a truly enjoyable experience. 10/10

When a down in the dumps upper cruster (Powell) licking his wounds over a dead romance in a shanty town address, gets pulled into a blue blood scavenger hunt on pretext of charity, he will drain a pint of their precious pride at a gala that seems more bazaar than fundraiser (goats monkey), but then accepts a job to "butle" for his sponsor's (Lombard's) zany family of fellow swells (See; Merrily We Live) (38).

A delightful tale on strong acts from familiar faces of the 30s with a pretty fantastic ending, but that's what they liked back then and we could use more of today. If Thin Man leaves you craving calories, you'll satisfy on seeing a mostly sober William (the perpetually soused Nick Charles and his dutiful dame, Nora, never struck a chord with this critic), hearing Jean Dixon's wit & wisdom that would turn world class wisenheimer Thelma Ritter green with envy, and then guzzle the haughty glow of Gail Patrick who'd go on to produce the iconic Perry Mason. And Carole, the ex-Mrs Powell (31-33), she should not've been happy playing darling but ditzy Irene, a role like too many this terribly talented actress was made to suffer, stuck in the silly (tar pits of pre-war cinema), though, oddly bringing the blonde an Oscar nom, one of its six (3.5/4).

"My Man Godfrey" is truly one of the greatest films of the 20th century. Between comedy and romance, a great moral and wise words are nestled. The film's theme can best be stated by Godfrey's own words: "The only difference between a man and a derelict is a job.." The movie really hits home the fact that men are men, job or not. William Powell does a magnificent job at portraying Godfrey, the butler who humanizes derelicts everywhere. The cast is just as fantastic as the story. Carole Lombard does an amazing job at portraying Irene Bullock, the histrionic and comedic daughter of Alexander and Angelica Bullock, played by Eugene Palette and Alice Brady, both of whom do an amazing job as well. Gail Patrick also does great work as Cornelia Bullock,the uptight and bratty sister of Irene. Jean Dixon and Mischa Auer absolutely steal the show as the Bullocks' hysterical maid and protégé (respectively). The film is definitely a 10...rent it today!

Of course the deck is slightly stacked in this story of a bum unexpectedly entering a "stinking rich" family. It is fairly rapidly revealed that the bum was not really one, that he comes from mostly the same old money background as the family itself, and that this accounts for his immediate ability to find his way around with the Bullocks, he has got at his disposal all the required codes and keys enabling him to wrap them all around his finger. Beyond its well-meaning fairy tale conclusion - the poor being given a job and getting richer or at least a less precarious life, while the spoiled rich will not have to endure poverty, though they might have rather deserved it through their brainlessness - the film is not deep down a socially-conscious comedy, such as some of Capra's most well-known pictures or Sullivan's Travels from Preston Sturges. It is rather the epitome of the screwball genre. Which means that, though it does incorporate a fair amount of nuttiness occasionally verging on the absurd, it also relies first and mainly on a rigorous system of cogs and wheels well-controlled by the screenwriters and the director. The disguise motive has provided some of the best comedies on stage, such as Shakespeare's Twelfth Night or the very subtle comedies from XVIIIth century French playwright Marivaux, so it is not surprising that it soon became a feature of some of the best comedies on screen as well. Here there is a double level of travesty : the butler is a former bum, but actually the bum was himself a former millionaire, so it actually works on three levels. And as often in such stories the comical effect is based on an inversion of normal relations, Godfrey the servant becoming in some way the master of the clueless Bullock family. There are much darker variations on a similar theme, such as The Servant by Joseph Losey or earlier on Miss Julie by Ibsen. Nothing remotely as dark as that here. Godfrey is a broadly benevolent and selfless influence, though his relations with Irene prove that he has no real idea on how to manage the various unexpected effects of his irruption in the dysfunctional Bullock household. He will not find the solution himself - Irene eventually will, which is a brilliant last twist of the story, the wise master has found his own master in the seemingly brainless young woman. Great conclusion. Does one really have to add that William Powell and Carole Lombard are shining bright and the rest of the cast is outstanding? Probably not.

It's not unusual to find madcap rich people in '30s films, more specifically, madcap heiresses. They abound. Meet the Bullocks in "My Man Godfrey," about as mad a family as you'll ever meet, complete with a madcap daughter who will someday become an heiress, played by Carole Lombard. William Powell is Godfrey, one of the Depression's forgotten men, whom Lombard decides to remember after he agrees to be the prize find in a scavenger hunt. She hires him as the family butler.

As Irene, Lombard wanders around with her hair in her face looking as though she's having trouble seeing, while her sister, the beautifully put together, bitchy Cornelia (Gail Patrick) tries to frame Godfrey for stealing her necklace in between cocktail parties, and her mother (Alice Brady) talks baby talk to her dog, and her protégée Carlos practices his art by nearly eating the family into poverty. The head of the house, Eugene Palette, understandably has trouble coping. Godfrey sails effortlessly through it all.

This is a wonderful film that manages to show the sadness and rough times brought on by the depression as well as plenty of comedy. Lombard is one actress whose voice, for some reason, never mixed well with the old-fashioned studio sound system, so sometimes her crying and high-pitched protests are grating, though she is certainly very likable in the role of a kind-hearted, sensitive woman. Gail Patrick gives a multilayered performance as the glamorous Cornelia, making the most of a supporting part. Alice Brady and Eugene Palette are wonderful as the parents. Jean Dixon, as the dry-humored maid, nearly steals the movie with her deadpan comments.

William Powell is sheer perfection. Nothing new there. He is in the beginning a dignified, serious bum who is down on his luck, and then turns into a smooth, efficient butler who carries with him a touch of sadness and irony. Like all of Powell's performances, it looks effortless, but it's brilliant.

Certainly a well-remembered and loved film, with good reason.

For his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor William Powell was loaned to Universal for My Man Godfrey. At the time this film was made there was a lot of buzz about Powell working with Carole Lombard who only a few years earlier he had been married to. They needn't have worried. The split was an amicable one and Powell and Lombard got along great on the set and created along with Director Gregory LaCava one of the classic screwball comedies of the Thirties.

In fact My Man Godfrey got a whole host of nominations, for LaCava for Best Director, for Carole Lombard, for Mischa Auer for Best Supporting Actor and Alice Brady for Best Supporting Actress. In the very first year of the Supporting categories, My Man Godfrey had nominees in all the acting categories, but failed to win any awards. Curiously enough, it wasn't nominated for Best Picture.

The Bulloch sisters Carole Lombard and Gail Patrick a pair of ditzy society girls are on a scavenger hunt which takes them to the city dump where they are to find a forgotten man. The expression is taken from Franklin D. Roosevelt who called those who were out of work and without hope forgotten men. The phrase had a lot of currency back in the day.

In fact My Man Godfrey's origins are rooted in the Depression Years. When Powell turns down Patrick's invitation to be her trophy in the scavenger hunt, he accepts Lombard's. It turns out he's no ordinary forgotten man, he is the heir to a large estate held by a prominent Boston WASP family. But that's a fact he conceals from the Bulloch sisters when he's hired as their butler.

His time with the Bulloch family is a learning experience indeed for both of them. The Depression hasn't hit these two girls, but it almost does save for Powell's financial acumen.

As I said the film is firmly ground in those years of the Depression and the New Deal. It's hard to fathom, but when FDR took office on March 4, 1933, twenty five percent of the workforce was unemployed. Today if the number reaches above five percent the doomsayers are calling it a depression. I remember an uncle of mine telling me that when he graduated high school in 1937 a year after My Man Godfrey he could not get work for over 2 years until America went on a war footing before Pearl Harbor. After that he got drafted and didn't have to worry about a job for a few years. He might have been living just like the men in the city dump, but for the fact my grandparents had jobs and kept a roof over everyone's head.

Mischa Auer plays Carlo, a kind of permanent houseguest of Alice Brady as Mrs. Bulloch. In today's world long after the Code has been repealed, Auer might well have been more explicitly gay.

Eugene Palette is Mr. Bulloch who freely admits he lives in a house of scatterbrains. Though he got no nominations his playing of the Bulloch patriarch set a standard for him in playing a host of put upon fathers.

In 1957 My Man Godfrey was remade with David Niven and June Allyson co-starring. Neither of the leads lacked for the charm needed to put over the story, but instead of The Great Depression, David Niven is an illegal alien looking to get a visa. You don't quite feel for him as you do for the jobless and hopeless William Powell.

If My Man Godfrey is ever remade in the modern era, let's hope they keep the economic underpinnings of this classic screwball comedy, even if they don't take it back to the Depression Years.

"My Man Godfrey" was well-liked by critics, Academy Award evaluators and moviegoers alike. It was perhaps the original "screwball" influenced satirical comedy'; it gave William Powell and Carole Lombard fine leading roles; and its writers unobtrusively contrasted the irresponsible behavior of the US elite classes with that of the poor, suffering from the Republican-policies-caused economic 'Depression' of 1929-1941. The film opens with a look at a place where the displaced are living, and a scavenger hunt, including two participants, daughters of a corporation owner, looking for "a forgotten man" to bring back to a party. William Powell, the eponymous Godfrey, is found first by Gail Patrick (Cornelia Bullock), but he rejects her on attitude, frightening her into sitting backward onto a heap of ashes at the dump where he and other displaced impoverished types are surviving. Then he agrees to be collected by her giddy but likable sister, Irene, played by Carol Lombard. Once he has told the truth to those assembled at the party, about themselves, Irene engages him as a butler. We see him thereafter interacting with the Bullocks, including father Eugemn Palette as Alexander Bullock and Alice Brady as Angelica, his wife. Others in the household include Mischa Auer as Carlo, Angelica's protégé, Jean Dixon as Molly the long-suffering maid, and Robert Light as Cornelia's boyfriend. In a series of encounters, we find out that flighty-but-nice person Irene has always had everything spoiled by lovely-but- unscrupulous Cornelia; much of the screwball behavior not emanating from rich and out-of-the-mental-mainstream Angelica is committed by the two sisters in their daily rivalries. Irene falls in love with Godfrey; she even gets engaged to someone to get a rise out of him. Then she and her sister are sent to Europe. Cornelia likes Godfrey too; but her affection upon her return takes the form of trying to belittle or to dominate him. Highlights of the film's thoughtful and allegorical hijinks include Godfrey carrying Irene up the stairs to bed, Cornelia calling the police and accusing Godfrey of having stolen her pearl necklace, which she planted under his mattress, a nightclub scene, Alexander trying to explain impatiently to his family that they have to behave, and the climax--which brings all the elements together--the necklace, Godfrey's mysterious past, his friend Tony (Alan Mowbray), his analysis of the two girls' character, and his effect on both the parents. There are classic and very memorable lines I suggest in the film, an undertone of ethical attitude that serves its obviously strong storyline well, and a surface of misbehaviors and "screwball" actions that swirl about Godfrey, who is the centerpiece of almost every scene even when he is not present. The film is unarguably well-made in general, owing to the creative efforts of costumer Travius Banton, cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff (a fine future director), expert director Gregory La Cava (from whom I took a class) and writers Eric Hatch (author of the original novel), Morrie Ryskind and director La Cava. Besides the principals, in the cast one can note Jane Wyman, Jean Rogers, Franklin Pangborn,Gracie Fields, Bess Flowers, Charlie Van Rumple and Edward Gargan. Director La Cava and Charles Rogers produced with music provided by Charles Previn. By my lights, this is an interesting story centered about an ethical and intelligent central character; its only loss of power I suggest happens due to his impoverished status, which prevents him from directly trying to accomplish his categorical-level value goal of helping forgotten men, whose courage in the face of adversity inspired him not to be a quitter either. It is a film that is imperfect, very-much-imitated in its screwball aspects, and hard not to admire or like. Among the cast, Eugene Palette and Gail Patrick have perhaps their most memorable roles, Mischa Auer and Alice Brady are very good, and Lombard and Powell make a delightful pair of seeming opposites. Artistically very good and memorable.

Saw this movie last night and was sorely disappointed. I had just seen and enjoyed "I Love You Again" starring William Powell and Myrna Loy and wanted to see more of Powell's work. Well, he's great, and has a pretty well-written character in "My Man Godfrey," but, as someone else has pointed out here, the women's characters are two-dimensional. What a waste of female talent!

When I think of the screwball comedies that are really good, I think of "Bringing Up Baby," a film where both the male *and* the female leads had snappy dialogue and wonderfully written characters that had a native intelligence, not simply a childish persistence, such as Carole Lombard's Irene had in "My Man Godfrey."

And the dialogue ain't all that great, either. A lot of the laugh lines seemed to be Powell's sarcastic remarks which were too obvious and too many. The actors make the most of it that they can, but the lines just aren't good enough.

The plot also had holes in it, loose ends, and an unconvincing emotional throughline.

As for the social commentary on "the forgotten men," please. Actually it started out quite well with the uncomfortable scene in the city dump, but after that it seemed as if the writer wanted to take care of that issue with lip service. Why bring it up if you're not going to do it justice? Preston Sturgess managed to solidly and economically show us the dark side of human nature, yet still expertly weave in the nutty characters and big laffs.

I'm not one of those viewers who loves modern comedies like Adam Sandler stuff. I've been seeing these old films for decades. So don't consider this the commentary of someone who just doesn't "get it."

I'd advise people who want to see Powell to see him in "The Thin Man" or "I Love You Again" (and I'm sure there are more), and to get the best screwball comedy by checking out some of Katherine Hepburn's and Cary Grant's films, something with George S. Kaufman's name on it, or a Preston Sturgess film. I'm sure there are many more, and would love to see a comprehensive list of *really* good comedies of this genre someplace.