MY MAN GODFREY (Gregory La Cava, 1936)

I love when I unearth a gem of a film that I had previously been unaware of and MY MAN GODFREY (Gregory La Cava, Universal, 1936) is just such a film. A great screwball comedy, this film has excellent writing, tremendous performances by all of its actors, great chemistry between it's stars and the direction by La Cava is pretty good as well. On top of all that it provides excellent social commentary at the height of the Great Depression and this is the type of thing that always defines a film as a cut above others.

The film shines above all else due to its acting. William Powell is Godfrey Smith/Park and at the films beginning he is a 'forgotten man' which is somewhat akin to his status in film history. His name is not one that is immediately brought to mind when discussing great stars yet he belongs. He is always smooth and charming, sophisticated and dapper. As the bum Godfrey Smith he looks better in rags than most of us due today in our finest. He imparts a refined touch to his roles and just oozes class. His former wife, Carole Lombard is one of the few who can manage to shine past him.

Lombard plays Irene Bullock, a half-crazy, anxiety filled socialite. She turns in a great performance here, at times funny, others touching and always with your eyes firmly fixed on her. She is always gorgeous and like Powell somewhat forgotten. This is a shame because she is simply spectacular to look at and to watch act. The chemistry between the two is amazing as befits two people who were married. I say 'were' because they had divorced three years earlier but the chemistry still shined for them on camera. Two moments that stood out to me; when Lombard struts around lamenting like Hamlet and her sister quips she is performing dramatic pose #8 and when Powell is drunk and half asleep in his room only to be awakened by the family. Both moments just priceless and pure comedic genius.

The rest of the cast picks up the torch just as Powell and Lombard do. I read afterwards that this was the first film to garner all four acting nominations in a single year (in the first year there were four). This pays tribute to the entire cast, from it's stars to each and every cast member. They had great material to work with as the writing is top notch, funny and poignant as well as incisive. The entire production is wrapped up nicely with a tremendous job turned in by the films director La Cava.

To me what really makes this film standout is its ability to provide social commentary on what the country was going through at the time of its release. Released at the height of the Depression, the film skewers the rich and upper class as out of touch, absurd and devoid of feeling. As Angelica Bullock (Alice Brady) asks "what does he mean with all the bucks (in reference to a man asking for five bucks)" it is patently obvious this is a rich family so out of touch with reality (reality meaning America in the 30's) to be laughable, as well as setting up the comedic undertones for the family. The film also touches on the absurdity of materialism and the vacuous nature of those with more money and possessions then they know what to do with.

MY MAN GODFREY is a great film, at times roaringly funny and at others touching and poignant. It's cast is stellar and it's stars even brighter. I definitely recommend this film to anyone!