Milwood Movie Night

My Man Godfrey (1936) is considered not only one of the best screwball comedies of the 1930s, but one of the best films of all time. Roger Ebert called the cinematography ‘absolutely gorgeous’. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, is preserved in the National Archive, and ranks 44th on the AFI list of funniest comedies.

In the movie, Carol Lombard plays the spoiled rich girl Irene Bullock, who, while club hopping during the Depression, acquires Godfrey Parke (William Powell) to be her 'forgotten man' for a scavenger hunt. In a burst of guilt, Irene hires Godfrey to be the new family butler, much to the chagrin of her family. Love ensues. Irene learns a lesson. Godfrey opens a nightclub. The mayor of New York steps in to perform the wedding. Happy ending.  

William Powell and Carol Lombard had been married in the early 30s. They divorced in 1933 amicably. When Powell, a major star at the time, was offered the role of Godfrey, he insisted that the only person who could play Irene was Carol Lombard. Powell would go on to play Nick Charles opposite Myrna Loy. Carol Lombard would continue acting until her death in 1942. She married Clark Gable in 1939. 

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