My Man Godfrey (Criterion)
The definitive screwball comedy, My Man Godfrey follows the madcap antics of a wealthy and eccentric family when they hire a down and out "forgotten man" as their butler. My Man Godfrey features brilliant performances by Carole Lombard and William Powell and was the first film to receive Academy Award® nominations in all four acting categories.
Member Reviews
My Man Godfrey - TheWiz
William Powell, Brady, Patrick, Palette, Mobray, Auer and gang light up the screen in this depression era flick. Powell's humour is at it's driest and his poker face delivery of his lines are second to none. He is the undisputed King of this movie. As a man suffering from depression during the depression era, where millionaires come and go over-night, Powell finds himself back in the game posing as a butler to a screwball family. Here, he finds level ground, teaches some invaluable lessons to spoiled rich people and moves on as a philanthropist proceeding to marry and live happlily ever after. Young and old will love this film. Make it an annual Christmas view!4 Stars - bleuorchid21
My Man Godfrey is the story of Godfrey, a down on his luck fellow who is sought after by a pair of sisters for a scavenger hunt. Turning down the snootier of the two, he accepts the invitation of the younger one and unwittingly becomes the household butler. Unfortunately for Godfrey, he also falls prey to the younger one's love for him.
The movie was very enjoyable. The plot made sense, even though it is highly unlikely to happen, especially in today's world. The cast did a remarkable job in their respective roles. The film had humour thrown throughout, likable and understandable characters, a nice setting, and just an overall working theme and tone.There Are Two Kinds Of People - So Says Godfrey - revsdd
Although the ending seemed (at first) to lose some of the focus of the story, I found this to be a movie that was both enjoyable and thought-provoking. Essentially the movie follows the lives of the members of the Bullock family through the eyes of Godfrey. The Bullocks are a sheltered and wealthy family who are completely self-absorbed and totally oblivious to the desperation of those who have been essentially lost in the Great Depression, to the point at which the "forgotten men" become nothing more than items to be found in a scavenger hunt held for the amusement of the wealthy. Godfrey (played absolutely perfectly by William Powell) is one of the forgotten men who happens to be "found" in the hunt by Irene (Carole Lombard) the flighty youngest Bullock daughter. Irene convinces her family to hire Godfrey as the family's butler and we get pulled into the ridiculous lifestyle the Bullocks lead, as well as becoming increasingly intrigued by this mysterious and well cultured derelict turned butler. As a social critique I thought this was marvellous, effectively making its point about the sordidness of the extremely wealthy living in complete isolation from the suffering around them; making the point as well that the derelicts living at the city dump were much more of a "family" than the Bullocks were.
In the end, I thought the movie lost a bit of its power. The transformation of the Bullocks (especially Cornelia, played by Gail Patrick) happens too suddenly and seems far too complete, and the transformation of the city dump seemed too happy an ending. This leads up to the last scene of the movie, which I referenced at the beginning. My initial reaction was that it was out of place; the marriage of Godfrey and Irene being too "romantic." But perhaps it was appropriate. Isn't Godfrey again being treated as a piece of meat for the amusement of Irene? Did he want to marry her? We don't know. But she insisted. Isn't that the point? Well done.
Member Reviews
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My Man Godfrey - TheWiz
William Powell, Brady, Patrick, Palette, Mobray, Auer and gang light up the screen in this depression era flick. Powell's humour is at it's driest and his poker face delivery of his lines are second to none. He is the undisputed King of this movie. As a man ...4 Stars - bleuorchid21
My Man Godfrey is the story of Godfrey, a down on his luck fellow who is sought after by a pair of sisters for a scavenger hunt. Turning down the snootier of the two, he accepts the invitation of the younger one and unwittingly becomes the household butler. ...There Are Two Kinds Of People - So Says Godfrey - revsdd
Although the ending seemed (at first) to lose some of the focus of the story, I found this to be a movie that was both enjoyable and thought-provoking. Essentially the movie follows the lives of the members of the Bullock family through the eyes of Godfrey. ...