Grade: B-
Synopsis: A derelict (William Powell), living in the city dump, becomes a butler for a rich eccentric family.
My Man Godfrey is an entertaining comedy thanks in large part to the considerable charm of William Powell.
Opening with a refreshingly clever credit sequence, the film grabs you right from the first scene with Powell’s endearing performance. He carries the film and is simply a joy to watch.
Less charming however, is Powell’s romantic lead Carole Lombard, who displays none of the charisma she did in In Name Only (1939). Here she’s an annoying brat prone to tantrums. Further, she and Powell have little visible chemistry, despite (or perhaps because of) having been married briefly a few years earlier. This is exasperated by the curious lighting, which makes Lombard seem to wear a five o’clock shadow throughout most of the film.
Lombard as a romantic lead aside, the rest of the sparkles. Alice Brady is great fun as Lombard’s character’s scatterbrained matriarch, as is Eugene Pallette as the long-suffering father, while Gail Patrick is deliciously evil as Lombard’s character’s wicked sister. Their interactions go a long way toward carrying the film when Powell is off screen.
Bottom Line: It’s a testament to the star power of William Powell that this romantic comedy still works despite the lack of believable romance.
