You can tell MY MAN GODFREY is going to be awesome from the first few moments of the film. The art direction in the opening credits alone eclipses many other romantic comedies I’ve seen. Most of them are content to shoot the action like a sitcom, but this is 1936 when movies looked good.We meet Godfrey (William Powell) early on in the junk yard he lives in, another triumph of art direction that looks like something normally reserved for the likes of a super hero movie. A couple of rich socialite sisters are participating in a scavenger hunt which requires them to acquire a “forgotten man” and Godfrey becomes their man.
The older sister (Gail Patrick) is stuck up and entitled and earns a push into a pile of ashes from Godfrey. The younger sister (Carole Lombard) is a little flighty but also funny and quirky and inspires Godfrey to go along with her, partially to spite Patrick, partially to fulfill his own curiosity about the whole situation, but also to see what Lombard is all about.
This leads to Lombard eventually offering Powell a job as her family’s butler. He cleans himself up overnight and it isn’t long before he’s knee deep trying to help out the dysfunctional family, including an out of touch matriarch (Alice Brady), a patriarch who is in debt (Eugene Pallette, a personal favorite of mine from THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD) and a melodramatic mooch (Mischa Auer).
On top of all of this, Lombard develops a crush on Powell, and although she is pretty and vivacious, Powell does his best to avoid her advances out of a sense of propriety. Thanks to Powell’s quiet dignity amid the chaos, this otherwise strange reaction to her advances is totally believable. Later on, we also learn that Powell has a secret that brings this movie’s themes right in line with those of SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS.
GODFREY operates on a somewhat flimsy plot but everything else is totally solid – the performances, the sets, and the costumes are all top notch, the likes of which you rarely see in a comedy today. For some reason it seems like these days comedies aren’t considered worthy of good filmmaking, and that’s a shame. In some ways it’s not so much a miracle that the current film THE ARTIST has done so well in this day and age being silent and black and white, as much as it is a miracle that it is a comedy with some style and class.
Sadie says:
Several months ago, Paul and I went to the Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR to watch The Thin Man with our friends Kaite and Paterson. We discussed how awesome William Powell is in the famous Nick & Nora Charles series and how he would probably be a fantastic dinner guest should we decide to bring him back from his final resting place in Palm Springs, CA. What's not to like about William Powell? He's great with the zingers, making cocktails, and would definitely have tales to tell.My Man Godfrey beautifully showcases Powell's ease in delivering dialogue, a skill that I believe served him well throughout his career. He's just so natural in times of seriousness and screwball comedy. What makes him look even better in My Man Godfrey, is the casting of such fine character actors who seamlessly illustrate family dysfunction at its best. I agree with Paul that the plot is a bit flimsy, but the cast carries the script the whole way.
In addition, it should be noted that William Powell and Carole Lombard were married and divorced prior to the making of this film. They remained good friends and if you look closely, you might still see some pretty fantastic chemistry between the two. See hilarious shower scene http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-Plmf4nnbthbbYm/my_man_godfrey_1936_cold_shower/
Several months ago, Paul and I went to the Hollywood Theater in Portland, OR to watch The Thin Man with our friends Kaite and Paterson. We discussed how awesome William Powell is in the famous Nick & Nora Charles series and how he would probably be a fantastic dinner guest should we decide to bring him back from his final resting place in Palm Springs, CA. What's not to like about William Powell? He's great with the zingers, making cocktails, and would definitely have tales to tell.
ReplyDeleteMy Man Godfrey beautifully showcases Powell's ease in delivering dialogue, a skill that I believe served him well throughout his career. He's just so natural in times of seriousness and screwball comedy. What makes him look even better in My Man Godfrey, is the casting of such fine character actors who seamlessly illustrate family dysfunction at its best. I agree with Paul that the plot is a bit flimsy, but the cast carries the script the whole way.
In addition, it should be noted that William Powell and Carole Lombard were married and divorced prior to the making of this film. They remained good friends and if you look closely, you might still see some pretty fantastic chemistry between the two. See hilarious shower scene http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-Plmf4nnbthbbYm/my_man_godfrey_1936_cold_shower/