My Man Godfrey (1936)

My Man Godfrey
Directed by Gregory La Cava
1936/USA
Universal Pictures
Repeat viewing
#97 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Alexander Bullock: All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.

This wacky comedy still makes me laugh out loud after numerous viewings.

The wealthy Bullock family is full of eccentrics.  The females of the group are participating in a scavenger hunt in which they must bring back a “forgotten man”.  Cornelia Bullock (Gail Patrick) takes the search to a city dump where she offers a tramp named Godfrey (William Powell) $5 to be her prize.  He refuses and pushes her into an ash heap.  Nutty sister Irene (Carole Lombard) chats Godfrey up and he agrees to go with her.  This leads to the smitten Irene inviting Godfrey to be the family’s butler and her protegé.  Mass hilarity ensues.  With Eugene Palette as Alexander Bullock, the father; Alice Brady as Angelica Bullock, the mother; and Mischa Auer as Angelica’s protegé.

I don’t think any of the cast members involved ever did better work.  Powell and Lombard were nominated for Best Actor and Actress Oscars and Brady and Auer were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Actress – the first time a film was nominated for acting awards in all four categories and the only time such a film failed to win an award.

I can imagine that the comedy might be over the top for some but I love it.  Once again, the part where Auer imitates an ape to cheer Lombard up had me howling.  Eugene Palette is also fantastic as the harassed pater familias.  Patrick makes a great villainess.  Powell and Lombard had been married and were now apparently amicably divorced as Powell insisted Lombard was the only actress to play the part of Irene.  The chemistry between the two is certainly there in spades.

Clip – the scavenger hunt