My Man Godfrey

I am an huge fan of David Niven, but not even his suave, sophisticated portrayal of "Godfrey" can rescue this from the clutches of June "Dorothy-on-speed" Allyson's frenetically annoying performance as "Irene". He is, ostensibly, a penniless Austrian vagabond she discovers on a pier, takes a bit of a shine to, and impressed by his cultivated style and urbane turn of phrase, takes him back to the US to be the butler in their exclusive family home. Needless to say, he fits in perfectly and has them all eating from his hands. He does not, however, disclose that his past isn't quite what they expect and when he is eventually rumbled - and not in the way you might expect, the story becomes terribly convoluted. Comparisons with the 1936 Lombard/Powell version do not really flatter this production. It is too in-your-face without the subtle humour or romance of its predecessor. Odd to see Jay Robinson in a film without a cape and some centurions and Eva Gabor brings some glamour (if little else) to the proceedings.

The original is brilliant. But the re-make is sad at best. No matter how much I may love David Niven, he's a poor substitute for Powell. Don't bother with this trash. Rent the Powell/Lombard film (1936). It's one of the funniest films you'll ever see, with hallmark performances by everyone in the cast.

I've never understood the urge to remake *great* movies. They usually fail (e.g., We're No Angels) but very occasionally they succeed (e.g., His Girl Friday). This one is frothy enough to float away into forgotten-movie heaven.

The original with William Powell and Carole Lombard was on the dark side, to be sure, but this was necessary to the 'message' and the times. Nor was the message entirely political and social--at heart it is about a man who discovers that his world of privilege is empty without accepting his responsibility to others and to his community. A sharp contrast in tone, but ultimately a complement to this theme, is in Nobody's Fool. The Paul Newman character is not privileged, but his commitment to others is just as deep and at the heart of the movie.

The Niven/Allyson remake of My Man Godfrey is, in my opinion, inoffensive and fun, but also shallow and meaningless.

...then watch this one first. Because IMHO the original 1936 version is just better. And then your opinion will not be colored by the comparison between the two. It's kind of like Son of Frankenstein versus Young Frankenstein. If you must watch both, watch Son of Frankenstein first, otherwise a serious movie will become unintentionally hilarious. But I digress.

This one has the same structure as the original - A scavenger hunt turns up the titular Godfrey (David Niven), who is given a job with the Bullock family as the butler. He's a bit mysterious and very urbane, but Irene Bullock (June Allyson), one of the daughters of the family, comes to love him. In the original, Godfrey's big secret was that he was from a rich family living among the city's forgotten men due to a love affair that ended badly. In this one, Godfrey is in the country illegally. Naturally they couldn't keep the original Great Depression centered plot - It would be ridiculous.

This film was well acted, well directed, and attractively shot. But other than being in color, I just could not see the point of this being remade. It's something that I watched once, found to be OK, but probably would not seek out again.

In this remake of the original screwball classic, David Niven is "My Man Godfrey," taking William Powell's role. While the extravagantly rich are having a scavenger hunt for animal, mineral and vegetable, sisters June Allyson and Martha Hyer come upon a bum nears the docks. Actually, June does first and in doing so, wins the contest. Long story. But she and her sister argue terribly, both being spoiled by their obscenely rich and doting parents, their mother rather ditsy and their father the most sane one of the bunch, but who recently has begun to have financial worries from bad investments. Is their money being spent faster than it is coming in? Could it be possible? Then, when June takes a liking to Godfrey and their latest manservant quits, she hires him and therefore he is initiated into the family and their antics. Jeff Donnell, an actress who has a man's name, is the cook who also falls under the spell of Godfrey and helps him to get accustomed to the family. This is yet another of Hollywood's remakes of previous films. After all, if it worked once, it may again with a cast of the 1950s. While this is not a laugh-out-loud classic, this film has charm in spades, with David Niven shining in a very modest role, which suits his gentleman disposition. This film also has more heart and deeply felt scenes than its predecessor, as June and David have more feelings for each as the film progresses, culminating in a very fulfilling ending. June is just as zany and fun here, as she is in her usual comedies, and Martha Hyer is a very beautiful actress who gives good support, as does Jesse Royce Landis as their mother. If you see this on TCM, please watch this very warm and charming outing with David Niven as "My Man Godfrey" teaching a lesson to an eccentric family and learning about himself in the process.