susan, susan, susan

My Man Godfrey

[1936]

Starring:
William Powell
Carole Lombard
Gail Patrick

average rating: ★★★★★
~
performance: ★★★★★
screenplay: ★★★★★
plot/storyline: ★★★★★
cinematography: ★★★★
~
Screwball Comedy Romance

This movie was very entertaining. The plot was twisty-turny funny, the conversations were funny, the performances were good, the characters were funny - everything was funny!

The story generally made fun of the upperclass people, and so the main characters were an utterly insane upperclass family, the Bullocks. So, while indulging themselves as upperclass families do, the two Bullock sisters are on a race to collect things in a scavenger hunt going on at the Grand Hotel, or something. Their goal is to a find a "lost man," so naturally, where better to find a lost man than in the dumps?! They meet a hobo named Godfrey, who pushes the older sister Cornelia into a pile of ashes. And then a few moments later, warms to the younger sister and goes with her to the party to see how the upperclass play.

On a whim, Irene invites this scrubby homeless man to be their butler (asking him bluntly "can you buttle?"). And then Godfrey is introduced to the intense family, starting with the loud, oblivious Mrs. Bullock, to the loud but sane Mr. Bullock, to the cold, spoiled Cornelia and then to the scatterbrained, infatuated Irene. Infatuated with him. Godfrey, however, doesn't believe that they should have a relationship, considering the difference in their class... unless of course, there really is a difference...

It's really all quite the laugh.