The 1936 version of MY MAN GODFREY achieves its modest goals. It mixes comedy with social commentary in easily digestible portions, and it maintains a light, airy atmosphere that keeps things floating along.
Here's the setup: Godfrey Smith (William Powell) barely survives as a ragpicker at the city dump, but he has his dignity. When a group of socialites descend upon the dump looking for a "forgotten man" to use as a contest token, he stands on his dignity and refuses. In the proocess, he cathes the eye of the bitchiest socialite's sweet sister (Myrna Loy), who hires him to serve as the butler in her comically dysfunctional household.
MY MAN GODFREY uses the reliable tropes of bowing to simple wisdom and mocking the rich, and it succeeds largely to the pairing of Powell and Loy, who clearly enjoy such powerful onscreen chemistry that it's great fun to watch them play off of one another. While the film suffers from Loy's character seeming to dumb and her mother too shrill, it rocks along quite pleasantly for its entire running time.
I never laughed out loud, but I did smile throughout. MY MAN GODFREY certainly makes for a pleasant night at the movies.
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