Turner Classic Movies' host Ben Mankiewicz hates William Powell and Carole Lombard. They're too elegant. Too charming. Too talented.
If that's the criteria for hatred, then I hate them, too - especially in My Man Godfrey, Mankiewicz's top pick for the month on December 8th.
By 1936, Powell was already a full-fledged star, having charmed fans and critics alike two years before with his portrayal of smooth detective Nick Charles in The Thin Man, a role that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
He had also been divorced twice, and it seemed he was well on his way to marriage number three with Hollywood's platinum blonde bombshell, Jean Harlow until her untimely death in 1937 prevented the union.
But that didn't keep Powell from staying chummy with wife number two, Carole Lombard.
Lombard spoke of her two-year marriage (1931-1933) to the actor in an interview, saying "We made better friends than we did as marrieds, and now, free of marriage, we can enjoy the friendship fully, without ties or obligations" (Miller 179).
Powell felt the same way. He even lobbied to have Lombard cast as ditzy socialite Irene Bullock in My Man Godfrey opposite his starring role as the dignified hobo.
The result is an example of screwball comedy at its best, with Powell and Lombard heading a cast of brilliant character actors - Eugene Pallette, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Jean Dixon and Mischa Auer - who make up the nutty Bullock clan.
My Man Godfrey (Directed by Gregory La Cava)
We first meet Godfrey, who's a derelict living among the ash heaps of the city dump. Irene and Cornelia (Patrick) are Park Avenue party girls desperately seeking the winning object for a scavenger hunt - a "forgotten man." Cornelia waves a few bills under Godfrey's nose, but he isn't willing to cash in on a five dollar payday for being the butt of an upper crust joke, until he notices Irene. She doesn't look at him with the same disgust in her eyes. He'll help Irene win her game if only to beat Cornelia.
Irene's desire to help Godfrey is even bigger than his desire to help her, so she offers him a job as the new family butler. Little does he know, butlers are a dying breed in the Bullock household. Little do the Bullocks know, Godfrey is more than a "forgotten man."
Meet the Bullocks
Alexander Bullock (Pallette) is the patriarch of the family who attempts to deal with his daughters' constant shenanigans. While one is breaking windows along Park Avenue after a night of drinking, the other is riding a horse up the stairs and abandoning it in the library. Pallette croaks out a hilarious running commentary on his family life with his signature frog-like voice. He works well with Powell, whom he also starred with in The Kennel Murder Case.
Angelica Bullock (Brady) is a bit like both of her daughters. She has an air of Cornelia's snobbery without the malicious streak and Irene's rapid-fire speech and penchant for giggling. She doesn't ride horses or break windows while she's drunk, but she does see pixies. Brady's high-pitched mania only makes us more sympathetic toward her poor husband.
Irene Bullock is used to getting her own way. She pouts, she cries, she fakes fainting spells; she's your basic child...except she's a woman. Lombard can take a character that would be downright annoying in real life and make her charming on-screen. The only thing funnier than watching Irene's transparent attempts to capture Godfrey's attention is watching Godfrey try to ignore her.
Godfrey summed up Cornelia nicely: "You belong to that unfortunate category that I would call the Park Avenue brat, a spoiled child who has grown up in ease and luxury, who's always had her own way, whose misdirected energies are so childish that they hardly deserve the comment even of a butler on his off Thursday."
She knows he's right, and she can't wait to send him back to the ash piles. Godfrey knows her type so well, because he was spurned by a lover just like her. Perhaps that's why you can't overlook the undercurrent of sexual tension between Patrick and Powell during these exchanges.
Mischa Auer also stars as Mrs. Bullock's protege, Carlo, who's always in the throes of one depression or another, while Jean Dixon is Molly, the maid who's full of wisdom and one-liners.
Awards
Both Powell and Lombard were nominated for Academy Awards for their lead roles, while Auer and Brady earned nominations in the supporting categories. Director Gregory La Cava and writers Morrie Ryskind and Eric Hatch were also nominated.
Sources
- My Man Godfrey. 1936. Dir. Gregory La Cava. Perf. Alice Brady, Carole Lombard, William Powell. Universal Pictures. Running Time: 94 min.
- Miller, Frank. Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2006. Print.
- Turner Classic Movies
Amanda Flinner - Amanda is a freelance writer who earned her Bachelor's degree in Writing from Geneva College in 2006. Although a variety of interests ...
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