On M List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)



My Man Godfrey (1936)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 4/16

Godfrey
4/16: Talk about classics.

One of them is My Man Godfrey which is the first film ever to garner Academy Award nominations in all four acting categories for William Powell, Carole Lombard, Mischa Auer, and Alice Brady.

The true winner is Alice Brady who plays the ditzy wife. She's perfect. Sadly, Alice Brady will pass away three years later from cancer at the age of 46. William Powell is excellent as Godfrey and oozes class. However, I'm not sold on Carole Lombard's performance. She's merely okay but may have killed the movie with her overbearing presence. It's Gail Patrick who's better, and I was rooting for her character to be with Godfrey at the end.

I can't say it's a funny movie. The pace is also uneven, making it hard for me to enjoy the screwball picture thoroughly. Yet it moves well and I like the story; it's unique. Most impressive is the city lights title sequence at the opening. I've never seen anything like it.

All in all, My Man Godfrey, thanks to William Powell, is what a classic film looks like although it has left me hoping for more.