My Man Godfrey

Sometimes you need a bit of Hollywood schmaltz to get through these idle mornings, and My Man Godfrey is the perfect potion to cure the blues. Filled to the brim with quick one liners and fast wit makes this romantic comedy one for the ages, perfectly designed to create that warm fuzzy feeling I only thought alcohol could provide. It's in that feeling that modern movies now seem to miss in their search for realism, yet is there really something wrong with changing the odds to create a film that's sweet to the heart and all the way through? My answer is of course not, and if you feel obliged to disagree, watch My Man Godfrey first and see if it can sway you.

A comedy of all forms, the film charts the meeting of two opposites on the social ladder. Godfrey Smith (William Powell) lives down on his luck in the local city dump. One day by happenstance he comes across two young socialites offering him money for the sake of a party game. Though hostile at first, he sees the benefits of such, and goes with the younger, much sweeter of the sisters Irene (Carole Lombard) who becomes quickly infatuated with Godfrey. Following her now smitten state, Irene gets Godfrey a job as their family butler in order to keep him close, but things don't all fall into place just as she would like. 

Though both Powell and Lombard work brilliantly together, it's the entire cast that needs to be applauded. The family in all consists of the sweet Irene, the wicked older sister, the headstrong father, the ditzy Mother, and the, somewhat odd inclusion of a mooching protogé known only as Carlo. Each character feeds off the others like a play, fluid and believable with perfect delivery. Everything just ran like clockwork, letting the screenplay work the magic and absorbing you in a performance that just makes you smile, pure and simple.

It would be a lie to say that the film isn't without it's flaws, but as with love, it can come as unconditional. What I was experiencing with My Man Godfrey was just that. Pure unconditional love, with the story, the screenplay, and most of all, Carole Lombard. Though she isn't a prime example of outright beauty, her bubbly nature and charm make her the perfect leading lady. Every scene with her and Powell was hypnotising, watching their charisma burst through the 3rd wall to infect me like no other film had done. I'm glad nobody entered my room during this 90 minutes, otherwise I would have needed a good story to explain the schoolgirl excitement etched across my face. 

Watching these features of the great Hollywood era are a wonderful sight, and the current film industry could learn a lot from these classics. The harsh world outside our front door isn't the only thing that deserves a camera in its face. There are just as many amazing and beautiful examples out there that are worthy of the silver screen, even if they need a little bit of sugarcoating on the way. Of course it's easy to call them fake and disengage because they aren't 'real', but that's not the point. Keep in mind that our dreams themselves aren't real either, and I don't know about you, but a world without them isn't a world I would like to live in.

Director: Gregory La Cava

Run Time: 94 Minutes
Released: 1936

Nationality: American

IMDB Rating: 8.0

My Rating: 

A

Entry into my Top List: #87

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