Rating: 
Summary: A Forgotten Man
Review: This wonderful blend of screwball and social comedy from Gregory La Cava boasts a daffy and delightful performance from Carole Lombard, and nearly 70 years after it's release, remains one of the most hilarious and socially relevant films ever made. It all begins with a scavenger hunt, as La Cava shows the lengths the idle rich will go to, even during the depression, to entertain themselves. Carole Lombard, as the sweet and daffy Irene, is desparately trying to find a "forgotten man" in order to defeat her snooty sister Cornelia (Gail Patrick). William Powell is marvelous as the droll Godfrey, living in the dump by choice and not necessity, who Irene falls instantly in love with when he puts her sister in her place and becomes a "Cornelia beater." Godfrey agrees to come home with Irene as the family's butler and soon realizes the entire family, especially Irene, who is prone to riding horses home and parking them in the library, is more than he bargained for. The mother sees "pixies" when she has a hangover and has a protege who does little but ape impressions, all the while sponging off the put upon head of the family, deftly played by Eugene Pallette. He is the only "sane" one in the bunch, exasperated at his family's antics, which are eating away at both his fortune and his nerves! While Godfrey tries to keep the infatuated Irene at bay because of a romance that left him bitter, and led to his becoming a hobo, he teaches the entire family a lesson about life and the responsibility of those who have towards those who do not. Along the way, director La Cava gives us some of the most endearing and funny moments in Carole Lombard's career, which was cut short by tragedy during WWII. Sparkling dialog, sure direction from La Cava and magnificent performances from the entire cast makes this a film classic everyone must own. It is both hilarious and relevant.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars and beyond - This one is true restoration.
Review: This is a brilliant screwball comedy.
Now enough for the movie review, and let's go to plain hard facts about how much cleaner and better the picture and sound quality improvement is.
1. Get cheap PD copy of this film ...
2. After viewing it (if possible), throw it away.
3. Get the Criterion version (... I think is slightly less at Amazon.com).
You will immediately notice how much clearer the picture is, and how much better the sound is. This movie has always been a keeper, but even the greatest keeper with bad picture, and poor sound is barely tollerable. For those that want to omit steps 1 and 2, watch the outtakes segment or trailer to give yourself an idea of what the cheapie version of this film would have been like (although even they were better). The criterion version is definately the best version to get.
Rating:
Summary: My Man Godfrey
Review: One of the most hilarious comedies of the century! Although filmed in 1936, the movie remains relevent for today. The humor is subtle, in places, and slap stick in others. The pace is quick and one must pay attention or miss something. I have seen it, over and over, but fall over laughing each time I view it! (There's always some little line that was missed in the last viewing.) My teenagers had to watch it several times before they "got it", but loved the movie once they got used to the black and white film. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes old movies and/or humor.
Rating: 
Summary: Probably the best screwball comedy ever!
Review: MY RATING- 8.4 Well I was never too keen of screwball comedies, specially the Katherine Hepburn's ones. Movs of that kind relied too much on her feminist style and I certainly didn't identify with that!
This one made me change my mind, it's one of the oldest (1936) and it's some of the best. It's all about a "forgotten man" of the Depression (wonderful William Powell, he was nominated for the oscar) who is caught by rich crazy girl Irene (Carol Lombard, also nominated) to be butler of her family. The rest of the cast is simply brilliant: Alice Brady (nominated), an often forgotten lady of the 30's, who is absolutely funny in the scenes with Mischa Auer (nominated), as Carlo, her "protégé". I was laughing a lot in his gorila scene! Also with the great Eugene Palette as the father and snobish Gail Patrick as the inteligent sister, Cornelia.
This is another gem by director Gregory La Cava, who marks his soft and inteligent flow of action here.
Rating:
Summary: Don't forget this movie about a 'Forgotten Man!'
Review: In my opinion there are very few movies which translate out of their own time periods -- comedies especially seem to become dated quickly. It is to this movies credit that it is still amusing to 21st century audiences. Screen greats Carole Lombard and William Powell make this movie glitter, but it is the ensemble of characters which make this movie really endearing. Mischa Auer as the hungry protege Carlo and Jean Dixon as Molly the sassy maid especially steal every scene they are in. Although released in the middle of the Great Depression, this movie does manage to make a serious point about the hypocrisy of economic/class bigotry. We are all just a few bits of luck from being rich or poor, famous or forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: Comedic Depression
Review: This film is a great example of the screwball comedy genre so popular during the Great Depression. Like 'Sullivan's Travels', 'My Man Godfrey' uses humor to highlight the inequalities so obvious in 1930s America, and how those who could afford to could ignore the plight of those truly in need. William Powell is excellent as 'Godfrey', a "forgotten man" first encountered in a scavenger hunt thought up by shallow rich people who need one of 'his kind' to win the contest. Carol Lombard is the younger daughter of a business tycoon who not only wins the contest, but also engages Godfrey as the new butler. Once he arrives, Godfrey organizes the household and injects a measure of reality and humility to his flighty employers. Lombard is both shrill and funny as the immature, Garboesque daughter who is good a posing and pouting, but doesn't know how to form a grownup relationship. The film ends where it began, in the city dump, transformed by Godfrey into the newest trendy spot for the shallow rich. The end is abrupt and really stretches credibility, but remains true to the time period and the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Screwball
Review: This movie is quintessential screwball comedy. Full of twisted plots, confusing romances, and a whole range of madness and insanity, this movie has few equals if you just want to sit back and enjoy a good, clean laugh.
Rating:
Summary: Still Socially Relevant
Review: Godfrey (William Powell) is a tramp who becomes a butler when he is discovered by rich socialites during a scavenger hunt. His unusually cultured presence lends an air of mystery to his station as he quietly leads a family of dough-squanderers and delicate psyches to question what is important to them. Carole Lombard plays the most scatterbrained of the two daughters, but Gail Patrick, who plays manipulative to the hilt, gets my vote as the better actress. Though this movie is remembered as a screwball comedy--and has its share of comic moments--what strikes me is the way it speaks of the social environment of a depression-era economy, when bank presidents are living at the city dump. The DVD version of this movie is excellent and highlights how wonderfully expressive black & white film can be. Watching it on our monitor was like being in a theater and seeing a first-run movie.
Rating:
Summary: The 5 stars are for the film
Review: I am still watching my nearly shredded VHS version of what is quite possible the best comedy of all-time. I have been in love with 'My Man Godfrey' and Mr. William Powell ever since seeing this film for the first time when I was a kid. I must defer to those who have seen the Criterion version of it versus the other DVD release. My recommendation if you have never seen it is to SEE IT no matter the format, but listen very carefully, because the sound is quite bad in some parts. However, it is well worth straining to hear and rewinding, because the gems uttered in this film are priceless. Oh my goodness!! I just realized that director, writers and cast managed to create a masterpiece of comedy without a single F-word and no bathroom humor. Imagine that!!
Now, maybe if I am a good girl, Santa will bring me the DVD for Christmas...
Rating: 
Summary: Buy cheap buy twice!
Review: The movie rocks. The DVD does not. The sound is bad and in some parts of the movie the heads are cut off! Its like one of those movies you down load that have been taped in a cinema!
Honestly this movie is so good it deserves a better viewing than the one this cheap DVD offers.
I have learned my lesson!!!!
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