My Man Godfrey

This article is about the 1936 film. For the remake, see My Man Godfrey (1957 film).

My Man Godfrey
Theatrical release poster by Karoly Grosz[1]
Directed byGregory La Cava
Screenplay byMorrie Ryskind
Eric Hatch
Contributing writers:
Zoë Akins
Robert Presnell Sr.
Based on1101 Park Avenue
1935 novel
by Eric Hatch
Produced byCharles R. Rogers
StarringWilliam Powell
Carole Lombard
CinematographyTed Tetzlaff
Edited byTed J. Kent
Russell F. Schoengarth
Music byCharles Previn
Rudy Schrager
(both uncredited)
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • September 6, 1936 (1936-09-06)
Running time
94–95 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$575,375[3]
Box office$684,200[4]
My Man Godfrey (1936) by Gregory La Cava

My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava and starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, who had been briefly married years before appearing together in the film.[2][5] The screenplay for My Man Godfrey was written by Morrie Ryskind and Eric S. Hatch, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on Hatch's 1935 novel, 1101 Park Avenue. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her family's butler, and then falls in love with him.

The film was critically acclaimed, and was nominated for six Oscars in the 9th Academy Awards including best actor for leads Powell and Lombard, supporting actors Auer and Brady, director and screenplay. It has a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In 1999, the original version of My Man Godfrey was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The film was remade in 1957 with June Allyson and David Niven in the starring roles.

  1. ^ Nourmand, Tony; Marsh, Graham, eds. (2003). Film Posters of the 30s: The Essential Movies of the Decade. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 8. ISBN 1-85410-938-3.
  2. ^ a b "My Man Godfrey (1936)". AFI Catalog. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  3. ^ Dick, Bernard K. (2015). City of Dreams: The Making and Remaking of Universal Pictures. University Press of Kentucky. p. 106. ISBN 9780813158891.
  4. ^ Sedgwick, John and Pokorny, Michael (February 2005) "The Film Business in the United States and Britain during the 1930s" in The Economic History Review New Series, v.58, n.1, pp.79-112
  5. ^ Wrigley, Charles (October 22, 2018). "10 Great Screwball Comedy Films". British Film Institute. Retrieved May 7, 2016.