Description

My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American comedy-drama film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on 1101 Park Avenue, a short novel by Eric S. Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her family’s butler, only to fall in love with him, much to his dismay. The film stars William Powell and Carole Lombard.

The film was My Man Godfrey (1957 film) with June Allyson and David Niven in the starring roles. 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.

Cast

• William Powell as Godfrey
• Carole Lombard as Irene Bullock
• Alice Brady as Angelica Bullock
• Gail Patrick as Cornelia Bullock
• Eugene Pallette as Alexander Bullock
• Jean Dixon as Molly
• Alan Mowbray as Tommy Gray
• Mischa Auer as Carlo
• Pat Flaherty (actor) as Mike Flaherty
• Robert Light as Faithful George
• Grady Sutton as Charlie Van Rumple (uncredited)

Cast notes:

• Jane Wyman appears, uncredited, as a party guest
• Franklin Pangborn has a small role, uncredited, as the judge for the scavenger hunt

Production

My Man Godfrey was in production from April 15 to May 27, 1936, and then had retakes in early June of the year. Its estimated budget was $656,000.