Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars FOR THE CRITERION COLLECTION
Review: This farce is one of the all-time best "screwball comedies" In the depths of the Depression, a party game brings dizzy socialite Irene Bullock (Carole Lombard)to the city dump where she meets Godfrey (Powell), a derelict, and ends by hiring him as family butler. Godfrey finds the Bullocks to be the epitome of idle rich, and nutty as the proverbial fruitcake. Soon, the dramatizing Irene is in love with her 'protege'...who feels strongly that a romance between servant and employer is out of place, regardless of that servant's mysterious past...
This movie has such a great cast..besides powell and Lombard there's the great character Actor Eugene Pallette as the Bullock family patriarch who is totally exasperated at the behavior of his daughters.
Alice Brady, playing the older sister is great as well as the sophisticated but snobbish socialite who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and then rationalize that she deserves it just because she was born into high society. She develops a crush on Godfrey as well which makes for interesting conflict in the film.
While zany, it offered some rather biting social commentary about the excesses of the rich during a period in which most Americans were just struggling to survive on a daily basis and Powell ends up really turning the tables on his benefactors.
Definitely spend the money and get the criterion collection which offers rare deleted scenes and commentary.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Depression Screwball Comedy!
Review: My Man Godfrey with Carole Lombard and William Powell is one of my favorite alltime movies. Carole sparkles in this tale of a scatterbrained rich girl "adopting" a prince in disguise as her protegee. They play their scenes together superbly and the rest of the cast is great, too, particularly Alice Brady and Gail Patrick. One of the things I enjoyed most about this DVD version of the movie was the added original radio broadcast. It's great to listen to and it takes the listener back to the 1930s.I never tire of this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: Carole Lombard and William Powell are at their best in this comedy. Great classic 30's sets and costumes, and even a little social commentary related to the Depression thrown in (in a very agreeable way). I can watch this over and over.
Rating: 
Summary: A Nearly Forgotten Classic
Review: Unfortunately, as time has marched on, many a movie has been lost to the ages. "My Man Godfrey" seems to be one of them that is teetering on the brink of obscurity. If it were not for "William Powell Days" on AMC or TCM, classics like this would be lost. It is a shame. This movie is a genuine funny comedy, not relying on potty humor, or slapstick, but instead on wit, timing, perfect delivery on William Powell's part, and the occasional veiled sexual innuendo. Don't judge this timeless classic by it's 1950's remake, because much of the flare and humor of this movie... Well, let's just say it wasn't there. In fact, "My Man Godfrey" was one of several movies which gave William Powell the honor of being one of the top 5 box office draws for 1936, just before he "retired" briefly from Hollywood after the death of his beloved fiancé, Jean Harlowe.
This movie features yet another flawless performance by Hollywood class-act, William Powell, of "Thin Man" fame, who's career spanned from the 1920's to the 1950's, and his then ex-wife, Carole Lombard. William Powell plays the hapless Godfrey Smith, resident of the city dump, who is discovered by Irene Bullock (Lombard) during a scavenger hunt where she needs only to find a "forgotten man" to win the grand prize. Godfrey agrees to help Irene because he not only desires to see a scavenger hunt for himself, but to irritate Irene's sister, Cornelia (Gail Patrick). After Godfrey essentially tells off the people wasting their time and money on such a silly game, Irene becomes enamored of him and hires him on as their new butler and her protégé, like her mother Angelica Bullock (the priceless Alice Brady, who undoubtedly you've seen in other movies of the time) and her protégé Carlos. Godfrey is the lone voice of sanity in a home full of crazy women, the untalented Carlos, a sassy maid named Molly (Jean Dixon) and the perpetually disgruntled father, Alexander Bullock (Eugene Pallette). Throughout the movie, Irene constantly battles to win the affections of Godfrey, while Cornelia is out for revenge after Godfrey insulted her by pushing her into an ash pile, and Mrs. Bullock tries unsuccessfully to mold Carlos into a world famous musician, with poor Mr. Bullock just trying to keep his sanity.
Godfrey: These flowers just came for you, miss. Where shall I put them?
Irene: What difference does it make where one puts flowers when one's heart is breaking?
Godfrey: Yes, miss. Shall I put them on the piano?
This movie is a must buy, or at least a must see, for those who enjoy genuine comedies. The DVD quality of the movies is as good as one would expect with a movie from the 1930's, but the sound quality is above average, I'd say, since there are numerous old movies on DVD that you can't hear a darn thing going on behind the static and quiet dialogue. On the DVD I have, there are no noteworthy special features, but again, all of this is to be expected since the DVD is rarely over $10 (unless it's a special edition).
Rating:
Summary: one of the first "screwball" comedies
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
"My Man Godfrey" remains one of the most famous and most popular "screwball" comedy. In this film, a woman on a scavenger hunt meets a homeless man in the city dump. She recruits him to be the "forgotten man" the scavenger hunt calls for and subsequently hires him as a butler. The newly hired butler, Godfrey Smith brings help for the family and later falls in love with one of the daughters. The film has some risque moments and I am surprised that the censors of the time let them pass.
The film is very dated as well since it was both made and takes place during recovery from the Great Depression. The acting is also very good too.
The Criterion DVD has many bonus features including the theatrical trailer, production stills, a blooper reel, and audio commentary by film historian, Bob Gilpin, who also has taught courses on this very film.
There is also the Lux Radio Theater adaptation of the film is also a special feature.
This DVD is one that fans of 1930's comedies will love!
Rating: 
Summary: MISSING A SCENE!!
Review: I was so disappointed in the DVD! A scene is missing, hence some retarded editing. The look itself is pretty bad--the whites are almost blinding in a couple of scenes. Aside from really bad cropping (missing heads) the worst is the horrible sound. The sound is no better and perhaps worse than the VHS copy. Thankfully I got a good price on this DVD--thanks Amazon for putting it on sale because I would be really irritated had I paid full price for it. Advice to potential buyers: get this cheap if you get it at all because you will be disappointed in the quality.
Rating:
Summary: Screwball Classic
Review: Carole Lombard received her only Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her role as madcap heiress Irene Bullock. Lombard runs into Godfrey (William Powell) at the city dump looking for a forgotten man to help her win a society scavenger hunt. In appreciation for his help in winning the hunt, Lombard convinces Powell to join her family's household as the family butler. Unknown to Lombard, Powell isn't as down on his luck as she assumed. Powell, on the other hand, couldn't have landed with a nuttier bunch. Lombard's older sister Cornelia (the delightfully evil Gail Patrick) is determined to find out Godfrey's secret even if it means ruining his reputation. Godfrey is such a good butler and a decent chap to boot, that Irene can't help herself from falling in love with him. Godfrey still smarting from a past romance gone sour ignores Irene's advances. Instead of turning her away, her feelings for him only increase. Gregory La Cava ably directed this film and set the standard for the screwball comedy genre. The performances of Lombard and Powell are perfect, as are those of the supporting cast, including Alice Brady as the more than slightly daft Bullock family matriarch, Eugene Paulette as the exasperated father (a role he would practically trademark in future comedies), and Jean Dixon as the sharp-tongued maid Molly. A wonderful comedy featuring classic performances by screen legends Lombard and Powell.
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