Ultimateserge’s Block

My Man Godfrey-1936 June 16, 2010

Rating:*****

Directed By: Gregory La Cava

Starring:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      When a forgotten man assists a wealthy young woman, named Irene,  in winning a scavenger hunt, he could not possibly know what nuisance he is about to force upon himself. The man, Godfrey, is as polite as they come, and his compassion can melt a jealous man’s deceitful heart. As Irene claims, he may be “cute,” but this aside, he is a saint in disguise who has been through enough troubles to find the good in people, because they remind him of his early years.  

My Man Godfrey is the tale of multiple loves over one man for his honesty, cleverness, and beauty. Besides in Irene’s occasion, it is love and respect that is gained through the continuous practice of care for the will, wants, and needs of others as immature and negligent as they may be. After Irene befriends Godfrey, she asks him to become their family’s butler, an opportunity that he relishes. He is warned by Molly, played by Jean Dixon, that he will not last long as the Butler of this house as most cannot tolerate the truly off-beat nature of the family. From the wife of the house, Angelica, who sees pixies to the older daughter, Cornelia, who tries her best to end Godfrey’s service for the family through her many plots. Godfrey asserts that his attempt is not to be a butler, but a good butler. In accordance with his nature, he continually expresses his gratitude to Miss Irene for her help in gaining the job.

The romantic backbone of the story is a major theme, but the film is wildly hilarious as few films seem to achieve nowadays. The film’s comedy is as clever and point-on as any Marx Brother’s work, with no flat or distasteful joke. The comedy of the film is excessive, but that is precisely why it works so brilliantly. Every character is excessively quirky or odd, and this form of comedy could only be performed properly, devoid of awkwardness, in such a condition; for this humor would seem misplaced in reserved or conventional family structures. Effort is continuously focused upon the family member’s rich, spoiled nature that funds their materialistic lifestyle and dispassionate care for each other’s deeply rooted emotions. For example, when Irene feels depressed over her love, she is sent to Europe rather than in a proper method solve her problem.

My Man Godfrey is a very moral picture that presents a case for living a righteous life, and not giving up hope in face of hardships, and aiding those in trouble and becoming acquainted with them to understand their simplicity and grateful nature. The film is not patronizing, nor does it attempt to display these forgotten man as needy men, but people who just fell out of luck-many of whom came from rich backgrounds. The morality may be a little to juvenile, but its innocently uplifting enough to be an acceptable element among all the riotous comedy of the family.  When Godfrey meets Irene at the scavenger hunt, he does display his disgust at the ways men utilize their money; this is not a bitter but confused response of a man who cannot fathom how many people can be so unfortunate while a number of upper-class citizens can enjoy such unnecessary and indulgent practices. The final plan seems overtly extravagant, an unseemly effect of his employment.

In addition to the rushed ending that seems unlikely, after Godfrey’s prior fortitude, and other mentioned implausibility’s, the film still shines brightly among other treasures of the late thirties. As all romantic comedies, My Man Godfrey does pander to the audience, but takes us on an unforgettable comedic journey that makes its predictability and improbable nature seems to be the effect of its unchangeable conformity to its genre’s expectations-and that is not a negative aspect of the film in any way. This film was the first to be nominated in all four acting categories at the Academy Awards, a feat that is deserving of all its notable characters and actors. Though Carole Lombard and William Powell shine through, the most affecting supporting role comes from Gail Patrick in the role of Cornelia. She carefully constructs Cornelia’s deceptive, jealous nature while remaining quietly reserved. The character is much different than the other members of the family, as she is not as eccentric or emotional, and this in itself could be enough reason that Gail Patrick was not nominated for an Oscar. Another theory could be that due to the 1936 Oscars being the first introduction of the supporting categories, it may have been avoided to nominate two actors from the same film in the same category-as Alice Brady was also nominated for her portrayal of Angelica.