Butler! FOR THE COCK-EYEDEST FAMILY in the WHOLE WORLD!...and the butler-blonde battle was on!
Overview
Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one is more forgotten than Godfrey Park, who resides in a dump by the East River. Irene hires Godfrey as a servant for her riotously unhinged family, to the chagrin of her spoiled sister, Cornelia, who tries her best to get Godfrey fired. As Irene falls for her new butler, Godfrey turns the tables and teaches the frivolous Bullocks a lesson or two.
Ratings
Curator score: 9.2/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Metacritic: 82
TMDB: 7.6/10
Director
Gregory La Cava
Production
Universal Pictures
Cast
William Powell, Carole Lombard, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Eugene Pallette, Jean Dixon, Alan Mowbray, Mischa Auer, Pat Flaherty, Robert Light, Bess Flowers, Bert Moorhouse, Franklin Pangborn, Grady Sutton, Jane Wyman, Ernie Adams, Jimmy Aye, James Carlisle, Jack Chefe, Phyllis Crane
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Pure Flix, FlixFling, IndieFlix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A sparkling screwball comedy with real bite: it mixes class satire, romantic chemistry, and escalating absurdity into one of the great Depression-era comedies. The wit is fast, the performances are elegant and mischievous, and the social critique lands without dulling the fun.
Best for
fans of classic screwball comedy
viewers who like sharp class satire
romance-comedy audiences
people who enjoy high-energy dialogue and farce
fans of pre-Code and Golden Age Hollywood
Skip if
you dislike old Hollywood pacing and style
you want modern comedy rhythms
you prefer broad slapstick over verbal sparring
you need a plot driven by realism rather than social caricature
Overview
My Man Godfrey is the kind of studio-era comedy that feels both featherlight and pointed. It turns a scavenger hunt premise into a gleeful takedown of inherited wealth, with the Bullock family’s chaos serving as both joke machine and social critique. The movie keeps finding new ways to make privilege look ridiculous without ever losing its sense of play.
Worth noting
William Powell is all cool precision, while Carole Lombard gives Irene a manic, irresistible comic volatility. Their chemistry gives the film its pulse, but the ensemble is what makes it sing: every room feels one nervous breakdown away from collapse. The jokes are quick, the reversals are satisfying, and the movie understands exactly how much nonsense rich people can generate when left to their own devices.
Bottom line
What lingers most is how effortlessly the film balances romance and satire. It’s funny first, but not empty; the Depression backdrop gives the comedy a sharper edge, and the final movement lands with surprising warmth. This is one of those classics that earns its reputation by being both impeccably constructed and genuinely delightful.
Top Letterboxd reviews
russman (3.5★) · 997 likes
Favorite existential quote: "What is food?"
sarah (4★) · 827 likes
"Oh mother, Godfrey loves me! He put me in the shower!"
Irene Bullock, queen of theatrics, drama, and maneuvers! Saying things like "life is but an empty bubble", my girl has MASTERED the art of melodrama!
eely (4.5★) · 632 likes
“I never can think of the right thing to say ‘til everybody’s gone home.”
I would also dress myself in my most extravagant black dress and permanently situate myself in dramatic pose number 8 if william powell wouldn’t allow me into his bedroom.
also, the blooper reel on the criterion edition is one minute of pure delight in which carole lombard and william powell swear at each other with stars in their eyes and I’m even more in love with them now than I was before, if that’s even possible.
Sara Clements (4★) · 499 likes
I truly enjoy some fun discourse about how nuts rich people are and no film has ever done it better.
teagan (3★) · 404 likes
when irene screams “i don’t want an ice bag!! i want to DIE!!!!!” it’s like bitch me too the fuck