My Man Godfrey

United States

1936

93 Min

Black and White

1.33:1

English

Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
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DIR Gregory La Cava

SCR Morrie Ryskind, Eric Hatch

CAST William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Eugene Pallette, Alan Mowbray, Jean Dixon, Mischa Auer

ED Ted Russell, Kent Schoengarth

Synopsis

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. —The Criterion Collection

Director

Gregory La Cava

A former cartoonist, Gregory La Cava entered films during WWI as an animator for Walter Lantz on such animated films as “The Katzenjammer Kids” series. Hired by the Hearst Corp. as the editor-in-chief for its International Comic Films division, La Cava switched to live-action films in the 1920s and began directing two-reel shorts. Graduating to features, La Cava gained a reputation as a surefooted comedy director, responsible for such classics as My Man Godfrey (1936) and She Married Her Boss (1935). La Cava was equally proficient in other genres as well, turning out the dramatic Stage Door (1937) and the bizarre political fantasy Gabriel Over the White House (1933). He is also supposed to have directed some scenes in several of the films of his close friend W.C. Fields when Fields couldn’t get along with the directors assigned to him, although there is no official record of this ever happening. —IMDb

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Ingrid Bergman

15Apr12

Watched this again last night and loved every minute of it!!

ruthafritap

19Mar12

Just watched this for the second time. I laughed even more than the first time. Such a favorite.

Melanie

2Mar12

My Man Godfrey is a place where melodrama and overacting works! The medley of characters are a fascinating (and exaggerated) ridicule of the upper-class. Of course the overall premise is a stretch, yet the entertainment and fun of the direction and scenario forgives the set-up of the story. A dynamic and masterful comedy that has sustained over 75 years.