I stumbled upon this title on a list of 'oldies' on my DVD rental club and will admit that I only rented it because my man is called Godfrey! I popped onto Google to find out a little more to find that it has a list of recommendations including six academy award nominations and, being a skeptic, ... Read review
In the midst of the Depression, socialite Irene Bullock happens across derelict Godfrey at ... more
a city dump. She hires him to be the family servant to the Bullock's, the epitome of the idle rich, but soon Irene falls in love with Godfrey. Unfortunately for ...
Based on the novel by Eric Hatch, this screwball comedy is a genre favorite. On a ... more
scavenger hunt for a society ball, haughty Cornelia Bullock discovers Godfrey, a dirty, dishevelled bum lurking around the city dump. She's looking for a "forgotten man" and Godfrey fits the bill perfectly. Hoping to win her first prize, she offers him five dollars to come along with her. Proud and dignified, he refuses, casting her aside. Minutes later, when her lovely younger sister Irene makes the same request, an enamored Godfrey accepts. The hunt sets off an unusual chain of events that bring Godfrey into the Bullock household as a permanent fixture. He'll become deeply embroiled in their family saga before anyone learns his true identity.
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Production Year: 1947 - Comedy - Director: Henry Koster - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: James Gleason, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Haden, Regis Toomey, Cary Grant, David Niven, Loretta Young
Production Year: 1956 - Comedy - Director: Joshua Logan - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Don Murray, Betty Field, Hope Lange, Eileen Heckart, Arthur O'Connell, Casey Adams, Hans Conried, Robert Bray
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Advantages: Witty, fast paced, classic Disadvantages: A little cliched
...a list of 'oldies' on my DVD rental club and will admit that I only rented it because my man is called Godfrey! I popped onto Google to find out a little more to find that it has a list of recommendations including six academy award nominations and, being a skeptic, I think that it would have won a few if it wasn't subjected to the bias of the Academy against comedies!
The action opens delving straight into the unfamiliar world of ... ...to throw away while a band of 'Forgotten Men' live on the city dumps. The spoiled daughter of a millionaire, Cornelia Bullock, is trying to convince one of the forgotten men to return into the city with her as one of the 'objects' on a scavanger hunt. She fails to convince the eloquent down-and-out Godfrey (William Powell) to return with her. Purely to spite Cornelia for her arrogance, Godfrey returns to the scavanger hunt but as an object scavanged ... more
I stumbled upon this title on a list of 'oldies' on my DVD rental club and will admit that I only rented it because my man is called Godfrey! I popped onto Google to find out a little more to find that it has a list of recommendations including six academy award nominations and, being a skeptic, I think that it would have won a few if it wasn't subjected to the bias of the Academy against comedies!
The action opens delving straight into the unfamiliar world of 1930s New York where the rich and undeserving have money to throw away while a band of 'Forgotten Men' live on the city dumps. The spoiled daughter of a millionaire, Cornelia Bullock, is trying to convince one of the forgotten men to return into the city with her as one of the 'objects' on a scavanger hunt. She fails to convince the eloquent down-and-out Godfrey (William Powell) to return with her. Purely to spite Cornelia for her arrogance, Godfrey returns to the scavanger hunt but as an object scavanged by Cornelia's sister and rival, Irene (Carole Lombard).
Enamoured by Godfrey's eloquence and wit, Irene insists that Godfrey joins the employ of her father as their new butler - a position rarely held in Bullock madhouse for more than a few hours. Mush to the dismay (but not the surprise) of her father, Irene falls for Godfrey.
The sheer ignorance of the wealthy families and the extent to which they regard others as objects is played upon throughout. When Irenes father talks about firing Godfrey her mother pleads:
"You mustn't come between Irene and Godfrey. He's the first thing she's shown any affection for since her pomeranian died last summer."
Not only did I smile throughout and giggle regularly, I also ended up feeling that I had enjoyed myself at the expense of no one. While the claim that much of the story is cliched, it is done with such style that its predictability simply adds to its charm.
I enjoy the odd dirty joke and raunchy sex scene as much as the next filmgoer but if you don't believe that sex, violence, 'American Pie-esque' jokes or gritty realism is a prerequisite for a good movie then you must see this. A true classic which really shows the young 'uns how it's done!
Advantages: Great script, great acting Disadvantages: Little relevance today
At the start of the film Godfrey (William Powell) is a tramp who lives in the city dump, while surrounded by the high rise splendour of New York. He is discovered by Irene Bullock (Carole Lombard), a completely scatter-brained rich girl who is out on a 'scavenger hunt'. One of the items that she has to find is a 'forgotten man'. She persuades him to go back to the ball with her so that she can win the game. Godfrey eventually agrees and Irene decides ... ...being a forgotten man, and hires him as the family butler. The Bullock family is a great example of a disfunctional family and Godfrey immediately sets to work to sort them out. Like many screwball comedies, the message of the film is that the rich are silly and wasteful, and need to be brought into the real world.
While the plot has little relevance for today's audiences the script is witty, William Powell is a sophisticated voice of reason in ...
Jinksy 14.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of My Man Godfrey (DVD)
Set during the depression, socialite Irene Bullock comes across down-and-out Godfrey and hires him as the family's servant. When Irene realises that she has fallen in love with him, their relationship is hindered by Godfrey's belief that love between an employer and a servant is forbidden...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
ELSTREE HILL ENTERTAINMENT; PICKWICK, WHE EUROPE LIMITED; TOTAL HOME ENTERTAINMENT (THE), SIMPLY MEDIA; ARVATO SERVICES
Based on the novel by Eric Hatch, this screwball comedy is a genre favorite. On a scavenger hunt for a society ball, haughty Cornelia Bullock discovers Godfrey, a dirty, dishevelled bum lurking around the city dump. She's looking for a "forgotten man" and Godfrey fits the bill perfectly. Hoping to win her first prize, she offers him five dollars to come along with her. Proud and dignified, he refuses, casting her aside. Minutes later, when her lovely younger sister Irene makes the same request, an enamored Godfrey accepts. The hunt sets off an unusual chain of events that bring Godfrey into the Bullock household as a permanent fixture. He'll become deeply embroiled in their family saga before anyone learns his true identity. Re-made in 1957.
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