Jump to content

My Man Godfrey: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
updated citations and formatting
Line 33: Line 33:
}}
}}
{{Media IMDb refimprove|date=October 2018}}
{{Media IMDb refimprove|date=October 2018}}
'''''My Man Godfrey''''' is a 1936 American [[Screwball comedy film|screwball comedy]] film directed by [[Gregory La Cava]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-screwball-comedies|title=10 great screwball comedy films|website=British Film Institute|access-date=2016-05-07}}</ref> 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|Eric Hatch]]. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her family's butler, and then falls in love with him. The film stars [[William Powell]] and [[Carole Lombard]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Cava|first=Gregory La|title=My Man Godfrey|date=1936-09-17|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028010/?ref_=nv_sr_1|accessdate=2016-05-07}}{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref> Powell and Lombard had been briefly married years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001479/bio|title=Carole Lombard|website=IMDb|access-date=2016-05-07}}{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref>
'''''My Man Godfrey''''' is a 1936 American [[Screwball comedy film|screwball comedy]] film directed by [[Gregory La Cava]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-screwball-comedies|title=10 great screwball comedy films|website=British Film Institute|access-date=2016-05-07}}</ref> 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, and then falls in love with him. The film stars [[William Powell]] and [[Carole Lombard]]. Powell and Lombard had been briefly married years earlier.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/5200-MY-MANGODFREY|title=My Man Godfrey (1936)|last=|first=|date=|website=AFI Catalog|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>


The film was [[My Man Godfrey (1957 film)|remade in 1957]] 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]].
The film was [[My Man Godfrey (1957 film)|remade in 1957]] 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]].
Line 77: Line 77:


==Production==
==Production==
⚫
The film was based on a 1935 article by Eric S. Hatch.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title=MY MAN GODFREY.: By Eric Hatch. 243 pp. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. $2.|date=27 Oct 1935|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=BR24}}</ref> Charles Rogers, head of Universal, called it "a sure-fire laugh getting novel". That studio purchased the film rights and assigned Hatch to write the script for Morrie Ryskind. Rogers hired Gregory La Cava to direct, "the best comedy director in Hollywood."<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title=Rogers Tells Secrets of Successful Film: Theory Illustrated by Method Used in New Production|date=1 Sep 1936|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=11}}</ref>
The film was based on a 1935 article by Eric Hatch.<ref>MY MAN GODFREY.: By Eric Hatch. 243 pp. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. $2.
⚫
New York Times 27 Oct 1935: BR24. </ref> Charles Rogers, head of Universal, called it "a sure-fire laugh getting novel". That studio purchased the film rights and assigned Hatch to write the script for Morrie Ryskind. Rogers hired Gregory La Cava to direct, "the best comedy director in Hollywood."<ref>Rogers Tells Secrets of Successful Film: Theory Illustrated by Method Used in New Production
Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]01 Sep 1936: 11. </ref>
===Casting===
===Casting===
It was the first major film from Universal after that studio had been taken over by new management, including head of production Charles Rogers. However the studio did not have any major stars under contract apart from Buck Jones, Boris Karloff and Edward Everett Horton, and needed to borrow some from other studios.<ref>Star Scarcity Still Is Acute Studio Problem: Only Fifty Real Winners in Harness and That Is Not Enough.
It was the first major film from Universal after that studio had been taken over by new management, including head of production Charles Rogers. However the studio did not have any major stars under contract apart from Buck Jones, Boris Karloff and Edward Everett Horton, and needed to borrow some from other studios.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Associated Press|first=|url=|title=Star Scarcity Still Is Acute Studio Problem: Only Fifty Real Winners in Harness and That Is Not Enough|date=24 Aug 1936|work=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=X9}}</ref>
By the Associated Press. The Washington Post 24 Aug 1936: X9. </ref>


The studio's original choice to play Irene, the part eventually played by Carole Lombard, was [[Constance Bennett]], and [[Miriam Hopkins]] also was considered, but the director Gregory La Cava only would agree to Bennett if [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] borrowed William Powell from [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]. Powell, for his part, only would take the role if Carole Lombard played Irene. Powell and Lombard had divorced three years earlier.<ref name=tcmnotes>TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=5794&category=Notes Notes]</ref>
The studio's original choice to play Irene, the part eventually played by Carole Lombard, was [[Constance Bennett]], and [[Miriam Hopkins]] also was considered, but the director Gregory La Cava only would agree to Bennett if [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] borrowed William Powell from [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]. Powell, for his part, only would take the role if Carole Lombard played Irene. Powell and Lombard had divorced three years earlier.<ref name=":0" />


⚫
Powell's casting was announced in January 1936.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title=New Films Announced: "Magnificent Obession" Heads Hit Parade|date=3 Jan 1936|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=A13}}</ref> Universal borrowed Lombard from Paramount. As part of the deal, Universal loaned Paramount Margaret Sullivan for the film ''I Love a Soldier'' and Lombard's clothes designer, Travis Banton, accompanied her.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shaffer|first=George|url=|title=Boy Refuses to Wear Kilts for Film Scene: Believes Costume Is One for Little Girl|date=14 Mar 1936|work=[[Chicago Tribune|Chicago Daily Tribune]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=16}}</ref>
Powell's casting was announced in January 1936.<ref>New Films Announced: "Magnificent Obession" Heads Hit Parade
⚫
Los Angeles Times (3 Jan 1936: A13. </ref> Universal borrowed Lombard from Paramount. As part of the deal, Universal loaned Paramount Margaret Sullivan for the film ''I Love a Soldier'' and Lombard's clothes designer, Travis Banton, accompanied her.<ref>Boy Refuses to Wear Kilts for Film Scene: Believes Costume Is One for Little Girl.
Shaffer, George. Chicago Daily Tribune 14 Mar 1936: 16. </ref>


Alice Brady joined the cast in March.<ref>"John Barleycorn" by Jack London Will Be Made Into Picture Los Angeles Times 28 Mar 1936: 7. </ref>
Alice Brady joined the cast in March.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title='John Barleycorn' by Jack London Will Be Made Into Picture|date=28 Mar 1936|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=7}}</ref>
===Shooting===
===Shooting===
''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.<ref>TCM [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=5794&category=Overview Overview], IMDB [http://imdb.com/title/tt0028010/business Business Data]{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref>
''My Man Godfrey'' was in production from April 15 to May 27, 1936, and then had retakes in early June of the year.<ref name=":0" /> Its budget was $575,375, and Powell was paid $87,500 and Lombard $45,645.<ref name="dick" /> The film was one of the first under the new regime of Charles Rogers at Universal, although it had been developed under his predecessor Carl Laemmle Jnr.<ref name="dick"/>


⚫
La Cava, a former animator and freelancer for most of his film career, held studio executives in contempt, and was known to be a bit eccentric. When he and Powell hit a snag over a disagreement about how Godfrey should be portrayed, they settled things over a bottle of Scotch. The next morning, La Cava showed up for shooting with a headache, but Powell didn't appear. Instead, the actor sent a telegram stating: "WE MAY HAVE FOUND GODFREY LAST NIGHT BUT WE LOST POWELL. SEE YOU TOMORROW."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/5794/My-Man-Godfrey/articles.html|title=My Man Godfrey (1936) - Articles - TCM.com|last=McGillicuddy|first=Genevieve|date=|website=Turner Classic Movies|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>
Powell was paid $87,500 and Lombard $45,645. The film was one of the first under the new regime of Charles Rogers at Universal, although it had been developed under his predecessor Carl Laemmle Jnr.<ref name="dick"/>


⚫
Due to insurance considerations a stand-in stuntman (Chick Collins) was used when Godfrey carried Irene over his shoulder up the stairs to her bedroom.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/5794/My-Man-Godfrey/trivia.html|title=My Man Godfrey (1936) - Trivia - TCM.com|website=Turner Classic Movies|language=en|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref>
⚫
La Cava, a former animator and freelancer for most of his film career, held studio executives in contempt, and was known to be a bit eccentric. When he and Powell hit a snag over a disagreement about how Godfrey should be portrayed, they settled things over a bottle of Scotch. The next morning, La Cava showed up for shooting with a headache, but Powell didn't appear. Instead, the actor sent a telegram stating: "WE MAY HAVE FOUND GODFREY LAST NIGHT BUT WE LOST POWELL. SEE YOU TOMORROW."<ref name=tcmarticle>Genevieve McGillicuddy [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=5794&category=Articles "My Man Godfrey" (TCM article)]</ref>


⚫
When tensions hit a high point on the set, Lombard had a habit of inserting four letter words into her dialogue, often to the great amusement of the cast. This made shooting somewhat difficult, but clips of her cursing in her dialogue and messing up her lines can still be seen in blooper reels.
Eric S. Hatch wrote the screenplay, assisted by Morrie Ryskind.

⚫
Due to insurance considerations a stand-in stuntman (Chick Collins) was used when Godfrey carried Irene over his shoulder up the stairs to her bedroom.<ref name=imdbtrivia />

⚫
When tensions hit a high point on the set, Lombard had a habit of inserting four letter words into her dialogue, often to the great amusement of the cast. This made shooting somewhat difficult, but clips of her cursing in her dialogue and messing up her lines can still be seen in blooper reels.<ref name=tcmarticle />


==Release and reception==
==Release and reception==
It was the first film released under the aegis of Charles Rogers and was given a big premiere.<ref>'MY MAN GODFREY' PREMIERE AT PANTAGES TONIGHT: Film First to Be Released Under Rogers
It was the first film released under the aegis of Charles Rogers and was given a big premiere.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title='MY MAN GODFREY' PREMIERE AT PANTAGES TONIGHT: Film First to Be Released Under Rogers|date=1 Sep 1936|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=11}}</ref>
Los Angeles Times 1 Sep 1936: 11. </ref>


''My Man Godfrey'' premiered on September 6, 1936, and was released in the United States on the 17th of September.<ref>IMDB [http://imdb.com/title/tt0028010/releaseinfo Release Dates]{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref> It was a runaway hit and earned huge profits for the studio.<ref name=tcmarticle />
''My Man Godfrey'' premiered on September 6, 1936, and was released in the United States on the 17th of September.<ref name=":0" /><ref>IMDB [http://imdb.com/title/tt0028010/releaseinfo Release Dates]{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref> It was a runaway hit and earned huge profits for the studio.<ref name=":1" />


The movie was one of the most acclaimed comedies of 1936.<ref>NATION'S CRITICS PICK 10 BEST FILMS New York Times 7 Jan 1937: 17.</ref>
The movie was one of the most acclaimed comedies of 1936.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title=NATION'S CRITICS PICK 10 BEST FILMS|date=7 Jan 1937|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=|url-status=live|page=17}}</ref>


Writing for ''The Spectator'' in 1936, [[Graham Greene]] gave the film a moderately positive review, characterizing it as "acutely funny [for three-quarters of its way]". Particularly praising the scene of the scavenging party, Greene finds it to be "perhaps the wittiest, as well as noisiest, sequence of the year". Considering the end of the film, however, he notes that "the social conscience is a little confused" and he wishes for a more "dignified exit".<ref>{{cite journal |last= Greene|first= Graham|authorlink= Graham Greene|date= 2 October 1936|title= Maria Bashkirtseff/My Man Godfrey|url= |journal= [[The Spectator]]}} (reprinted in: {{cite book|editor-last= Taylor|editor-first= John Russell|editor-link= John Russell Taylor|date= 1980|title= The Pleasure Dome|url= https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/104|location= |publisher= |pages= [https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/104 104–106]|isbn= 0192812866}})</ref>
Writing for ''The Spectator'' in 1936, [[Graham Greene]] gave the film a moderately positive review, characterizing it as "acutely funny [for three-quarters of its way]". Particularly praising the scene of the scavenging party, Greene finds it to be "perhaps the wittiest, as well as noisiest, sequence of the year". Considering the end of the film, however, he notes that "the social conscience is a little confused" and he wishes for a more "dignified exit".<ref>{{cite journal |last= Greene|first= Graham|authorlink= Graham Greene|date= 2 October 1936|title= Maria Bashkirtseff/My Man Godfrey|url= |journal= [[The Spectator]]}} (reprinted in: {{cite book|editor-last= Taylor|editor-first= John Russell|editor-link= John Russell Taylor|date= 1980|title= The Pleasure Dome|url= https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/104|location= |publisher= |pages= [https://archive.org/details/pleasuredomegrah00gree/page/104 104–106]|isbn= 0192812866}})</ref>
Line 151: Line 141:
|}
|}


''My Man Godfrey'' was the first movie to be [[List of films with all four Academy Award acting nominations|nominated in all four acting categories]], in the first year that supporting categories were introduced. It's also the only film in Oscar history to receive a nomination in all four acting categories and not be nominated for Best Picture, and was the only film to be nominated in these six categories and not receive any award until 2013's ''[[American Hustle]]''.<ref name=imdbtrivia />
''My Man Godfrey'' was the first movie to be [[List of films with all four Academy Award acting nominations|nominated in all four acting categories]], in the first year that supporting categories were introduced. It's also the only film in Oscar history to receive a nomination in all four acting categories and not be nominated for Best Picture, and was the only film to be nominated in these six categories and not receive any award until 2013's ''[[American Hustle]]''.<ref name=":2" /><ref name="imdbtrivia">IMDB [http://imdb.com/title/tt0028010/trivia Trivia]{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref>


In 1999, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]]. In 2000, the film was ranked #44 on the [[American Film Institute]]'s list of the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs|100 funniest comedies]], and ''Premiere'' voted it one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.3/10 with the consensus stating: "A class satire in a class of its own, My Man Godfrey's screwball comedy is as sharp as the social commentary is biting."
In 1999, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States [[Library of Congress]] and selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing {{!}} Film Registry {{!}} National Film Preservation Board {{!}} Programs at the Library of Congress {{!}} Library of Congress|website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref> In 2000, the film was ranked #44 on the [[American Film Institute]]'s list of the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs|100 funniest comedies]], and ''Premiere'' voted it one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.3/10 with the consensus stating: "A class satire in a class of its own, My Man Godfrey's screwball comedy is as sharp as the social commentary is biting."


==Sequels and adaptations==
==Sequels and adaptations==
''My Man Godfrey'' was adapted for radio and broadcast on ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'' on May 9, 1938, with David Niven playing the part of Tommy Gray.<ref name=imdbtrivia>IMDB [http://imdb.com/title/tt0028010/trivia Trivia]{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref> It was adapted again on the October 2, 1946 episode of [[Academy Award Theater]], again starring William Powell. When the film was remade in 1957, [[David Niven]] played Godfrey opposite [[June Allyson]], directed by [[Henry Koster]].<ref>{{IMDb title|id=0050738|title=My Man Godfrey}}{{unreliable source?|date=October 2018}}</ref> A stage musical version of ''My Man Godfrey'', produced by Allan Carr and written by librettists Alan Jay Lerner and Kristi Kane and composer Gerard Kenny, was intended for Broadway in 1985,<ref>{{cite web |first=Enid |last=Nemy |title=`My Man Godfrey` Bound for Broadway |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-03-19/features/8501150815_1_madcap-perfect-timing-alan-jay-lerner |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=March 19, 1985 |accessdate=December 16, 2015}}</ref> but remained uncompleted at the time of Alan Jay Lerner's death in 1986.<ref>{{cite book |title=Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters |url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=smzrAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270#v=onepage&q&f=false |page=270 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |work=[[Google Books]] |date=2014}}</ref>
''My Man Godfrey'' was adapted for radio and broadcast on ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'' on May 9, 1938, with David Niven playing the part of Tommy Gray.<ref name=":2" /> It was adapted again on the October 2, 1946 episode of [[Academy Award Theater]], again starring William Powell. When [[My Man Godfrey (1957 film)|the film was remade in 1957]], [[David Niven]] played Godfrey opposite [[June Allyson]], directed by [[Henry Koster]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/52293-MY-MANGODFREY|title=My Man Godfrey (1957)|last=|first=|date=|website=AFI Catalog|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-23}}</ref> A stage musical version of ''My Man Godfrey'', produced by Allan Carr and written by librettists Alan Jay Lerner and Kristi Kane and composer Gerard Kenny, was intended for Broadway in 1985,<ref>{{cite web |first=Enid |last=Nemy |title=`My Man Godfrey` Bound for Broadway |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-03-19/features/8501150815_1_madcap-perfect-timing-alan-jay-lerner |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=March 19, 1985 |accessdate=December 16, 2015}}</ref> but remained uncompleted at the time of Alan Jay Lerner's death in 1986.<ref>{{cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=smzrAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters|date=|work=|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2014|isbn=9780199949274|editor-last=McHugh|editor-first=Dominic|location=|page=270|pages=|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>


== Video availability ==
== Video availability ==
Line 162: Line 152:


==Public domain status==
==Public domain status==
The original film is generally thought to have lapsed into the public domain due to a failure to renew the film's copyright after 28 years.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w0xBAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=My+Man+Godfrey |title=A copyright primer for educational and industrial media producers |publisher=Copyright Information Services |author=Esther Rita Sinofsky |year=1988 |page=29 |quote=But remember the underlying works may still be copyrighted |accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> However the underlying work, the 1935 book ''1101 Park Avenue'' (re-titled ''My Man Godfrey'' with the film's release), had its copyright renewed in 1963 and is thus still in copyright.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collections.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals/bin/detail?fileID=1988354045 |title=My Man Godfry |work=Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database |author= |date= |accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> According to Stanford University Library, and under rulings of [[Stewart v. Abend]], in so-called multilayered works, the rights holder of the original work can claim ownership of the film script (though not the pictures) if the original book is still in copyright.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/public-domain/trouble-spots/#multilayered_works |title=Public Domain Trouble Spots: Multilayered Works |publisher=Stanford University Library |author= |date= |accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> "Films are often based on books .. that may maintain copyright. If the pre-existing work is protected, then rightly or wrongly, it has generally been determined that the derived film is also protected."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.openflix.com/information/US-copyright.php |title=Films in the US Public Domain |work=OpenFlix.com |author= |date= |accessdate=January 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209062405/http://www.openflix.com/information/US-copyright.php |archive-date=February 9, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The original film is generally thought to have lapsed into the public domain due to a failure to renew the film's copyright after 28 years.<ref>{{cite book|author=Sinofsky|first=Esther Rita|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w0xBAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=My+Man+Godfrey|title=A copyright primer for educational and industrial media producers|publisher=Copyright Information Services|year=1988|isbn=|location=|page=29|pages=|quote=But remember the underlying works may still be copyrighted|accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> However the underlying work, the 1935 book ''1101 Park Avenue'' (re-titled ''My Man Godfrey'' with the film's release), had its copyright renewed in 1963 and is thus still in copyright.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collections.stanford.edu/copyrightrenewals/bin/detail?fileID=1988354045 |title=My Man Godfry |work=Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database |author= |date= |accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> According to Stanford University Library, and under rulings of [[Stewart v. Abend]], in so-called multilayered works, the rights holder of the original work can claim ownership of the film script (though not the pictures) if the original book is still in copyright.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/public-domain/trouble-spots/#multilayered_works |title=Public Domain Trouble Spots: Multilayered Works |publisher=Stanford University Library |author= |date= |accessdate=January 20, 2016}}</ref> "Films are often based on books .. that may maintain copyright. If the pre-existing work is protected, then rightly or wrongly, it has generally been determined that the derived film is also protected."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.openflix.com/information/US-copyright.php |title=Films in the US Public Domain |work=OpenFlix.com |author= |date= |accessdate=January 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209062405/http://www.openflix.com/information/US-copyright.php |archive-date=February 9, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


==Notes==
==Notes==

Revision as of 00:24, 24 April 2020

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 byEric S. Hatch
Morrie Ryskind
Zoë Akins
Robert Presnell Sr.
Produced byCharles R. Rogers
Starring
CinematographyTed Tetzlaff
Edited byTed J. Kent
Russell F. Schoengarth
Music byCharles Previn
Rudy Schrager
(both uncredited)
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • September 6, 1936 (1936-09-06)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$575,375[2]
Box office$684,200[3]

My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava.[4] 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, and then falls in love with him. The film stars William Powell and Carole Lombard. Powell and Lombard had been briefly married years earlier.[5]

The film was remade in 1957 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.

Plot

During the Great Depression, Godfrey "Smith" Parke is living with other men down on their luck at a New York City dump in a Hooverville on the East River near the 59th Street Bridge. One night, spoiled socialite Cornelia Bullock offers him $5 to be her "forgotten man" for a scavenger hunt. Annoyed, he advances on her, causing her to retreat and fall on a pile of ashes. She leaves in a fury, much to the glee of her younger sister Irene. After talking with her, Godfrey finds her to be kind and a bit scatter-brained. He offers to go with Irene to help her beat Cornelia.

In the ballroom of the Waldorf-Ritz Hotel, Irene's long-suffering businessman father Alexander Bullock waits resignedly as his ditsy wife Angelica and her mooching protégé Carlo play the game. Godfrey arrives and is authenticated as a "forgotten man". He then addresses the crowd, expressing his contempt for their antics. Irene is apologetic and offers him a job as the family butler, which he gratefully accepts.

Godfrey is shown what to do by the Bullocks' wise-cracking maid Molly. She warns him that he is merely the latest in a long line of butlers. Godfrey proves to be surprisingly competent. Cornelia holds a grudge against Godfrey, and Irene considers him her protégé.

Tommy Gray, a lifelong friend of Godfrey, recognizes him working at a tea party thrown by Irene. Godfrey quickly ad-libs that he was Tommy's valet at Harvard. Tommy plays along, embellishing Godfrey's story with a nonexistent wife and five children. Dismayed, Irene impulsively announces her engagement to the surprised Charlie Van Rumple, but she soon breaks down in tears and flees after being congratulated by Godfrey.

Over lunch the next day, Tommy is curious to know what one of the elite "Parkes of Boston" is doing as a servant. Godfrey explains that a broken love affair left him considering suicide, but the undaunted attitude of the men living at the dump rekindled his spirits. Cornelia has her boyfriend "Faithful George" call Tommy to the telephone, then she approaches Godfrey and attempts to negotiate a peace — but only on her terms. Godfrey declines.

Having failed to make Godfrey's life miserable, Cornelia plants her pearl necklace under his mattress, then calls the police. When the police do not find the pearls in Godfrey's suite, Mr. Bullock realizes his daughter has orchestrated the whole thing. He informs Cornelia she had better find her uninsured pearls.

The Bullocks send their daughters to Europe to get Irene away from her now-broken engagement. When they return, Cornelia implies that she intends to seduce Godfrey. Worried, Irene stages a fainting spell and falls into Godfrey's arms. He carries her to her room, but realizes she is faking when he sees her reflection sit up briefly. In revenge, he puts her in a cold shower, which merely confirms her hopes: "Oh Godfrey, now I know you love me ... You do or you wouldn't have lost your temper." Godfrey resigns as the Bullocks' butler.

Mr. Bullock has more pressing concerns. He throws Carlo out, then announces to his family and Godfrey that his business is failing and he might face criminal charges. Godfrey interrupts with good news: He had sold short, using money raised by pawning Cornelia's necklace, and used some of his profits to buy the stock that Bullock had sold. He gives the stock to the stunned Mr. Bullock, saving the family, then returns the necklace to a humbled Cornelia. Godfrey then leaves.

With his remaining profits and Tommy as a business partner, Godfrey builds The Dump, a fashionable nightclub, creating jobs for 50 people. A determined Irene finds him and bulldozes him into marriage, saying "Stand still, Godfrey. It'll all be over in a minute."

Cast

Eugene Pallette, Mischa Auer and Alice Brady in My Man Godfrey
File:Clip from My Man Godfrey.ogg
Clip from My Man Godfrey (1936), which earned Lombard and Powell Academy Award nominations

Production

The film was based on a 1935 article by Eric S. Hatch.[6] Charles Rogers, head of Universal, called it "a sure-fire laugh getting novel". That studio purchased the film rights and assigned Hatch to write the script for Morrie Ryskind. Rogers hired Gregory La Cava to direct, "the best comedy director in Hollywood."[7]

Casting

It was the first major film from Universal after that studio had been taken over by new management, including head of production Charles Rogers. However the studio did not have any major stars under contract apart from Buck Jones, Boris Karloff and Edward Everett Horton, and needed to borrow some from other studios.[8]

The studio's original choice to play Irene, the part eventually played by Carole Lombard, was Constance Bennett, and Miriam Hopkins also was considered, but the director Gregory La Cava only would agree to Bennett if Universal borrowed William Powell from MGM. Powell, for his part, only would take the role if Carole Lombard played Irene. Powell and Lombard had divorced three years earlier.[5]

Powell's casting was announced in January 1936.[9] Universal borrowed Lombard from Paramount. As part of the deal, Universal loaned Paramount Margaret Sullivan for the film I Love a Soldier and Lombard's clothes designer, Travis Banton, accompanied her.[10]

Alice Brady joined the cast in March.[11]

Shooting

My Man Godfrey was in production from April 15 to May 27, 1936, and then had retakes in early June of the year.[5] Its budget was $575,375, and Powell was paid $87,500 and Lombard $45,645.[2] The film was one of the first under the new regime of Charles Rogers at Universal, although it had been developed under his predecessor Carl Laemmle Jnr.[2]

La Cava, a former animator and freelancer for most of his film career, held studio executives in contempt, and was known to be a bit eccentric. When he and Powell hit a snag over a disagreement about how Godfrey should be portrayed, they settled things over a bottle of Scotch. The next morning, La Cava showed up for shooting with a headache, but Powell didn't appear. Instead, the actor sent a telegram stating: "WE MAY HAVE FOUND GODFREY LAST NIGHT BUT WE LOST POWELL. SEE YOU TOMORROW."[12]

Due to insurance considerations a stand-in stuntman (Chick Collins) was used when Godfrey carried Irene over his shoulder up the stairs to her bedroom.[5][13]

When tensions hit a high point on the set, Lombard had a habit of inserting four letter words into her dialogue, often to the great amusement of the cast. This made shooting somewhat difficult, but clips of her cursing in her dialogue and messing up her lines can still be seen in blooper reels.

Release and reception

It was the first film released under the aegis of Charles Rogers and was given a big premiere.[14]

My Man Godfrey premiered on September 6, 1936, and was released in the United States on the 17th of September.[5][15] It was a runaway hit and earned huge profits for the studio.[12]

The movie was one of the most acclaimed comedies of 1936.[16]

Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a moderately positive review, characterizing it as "acutely funny [for three-quarters of its way]". Particularly praising the scene of the scavenging party, Greene finds it to be "perhaps the wittiest, as well as noisiest, sequence of the year". Considering the end of the film, however, he notes that "the social conscience is a little confused" and he wishes for a more "dignified exit".[17]

Awards and honors

Year Award ceremony Category Nominee Result
1937 Academy Awards[18] Best Director Gregory La Cava Nominated
Best Actor William Powell Nominated
Best Actress Carole Lombard Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Mischa Auer Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Alice Brady Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Eric Hatch, Morrie Ryskind Nominated

My Man Godfrey was the first movie to be nominated in all four acting categories, in the first year that supporting categories were introduced. It's also the only film in Oscar history to receive a nomination in all four acting categories and not be nominated for Best Picture, and was the only film to be nominated in these six categories and not receive any award until 2013's American Hustle.[13][19]

In 1999, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.[20] In 2000, the film was ranked #44 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest comedies, and Premiere voted it one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 100% with an average rating of 8.3/10 with the consensus stating: "A class satire in a class of its own, My Man Godfrey's screwball comedy is as sharp as the social commentary is biting."

Sequels and adaptations

My Man Godfrey was adapted for radio and broadcast on Lux Radio Theater on May 9, 1938, with David Niven playing the part of Tommy Gray.[13] It was adapted again on the October 2, 1946 episode of Academy Award Theater, again starring William Powell. When the film was remade in 1957, David Niven played Godfrey opposite June Allyson, directed by Henry Koster.[21] A stage musical version of My Man Godfrey, produced by Allan Carr and written by librettists Alan Jay Lerner and Kristi Kane and composer Gerard Kenny, was intended for Broadway in 1985,[22] but remained uncompleted at the time of Alan Jay Lerner's death in 1986.[23]

Video availability

In 2002, a restored print was made available on DVD by The Criterion Collection. In 2005, 20th Century Fox Home Video released a colorized version.

Public domain status

The original film is generally thought to have lapsed into the public domain due to a failure to renew the film's copyright after 28 years.[24] However the underlying work, the 1935 book 1101 Park Avenue (re-titled My Man Godfrey with the film's release), had its copyright renewed in 1963 and is thus still in copyright.[25] According to Stanford University Library, and under rulings of Stewart v. Abend, in so-called multilayered works, the rights holder of the original work can claim ownership of the film script (though not the pictures) if the original book is still in copyright.[26] "Films are often based on books .. that may maintain copyright. If the pre-existing work is protected, then rightly or wrongly, it has generally been determined that the derived film is also protected."[27]

Notes

  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 c Dick, Bernard K. (2015). City of Dreams: The Making and Remaking of Universal Pictures. University Press of Kentucky. p. 106.
  3. ^ "The Film Business in the United States and Britain during the 1930s" by John Sedgwick and Michael Pokorny, The Economic History ReviewNew Series, Vol. 58, No. 1 (Feb., 2005), pp.79-112
  4. ^ "10 great screwball comedy films". British Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  5. ^ a b c d e "My Man Godfrey (1936)". AFI Catalog. Retrieved 2020-04-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "MY MAN GODFREY.: By Eric Hatch. 243 pp. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. $2". The New York Times. 27 Oct 1935. p. BR24.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Rogers Tells Secrets of Successful Film: Theory Illustrated by Method Used in New Production". Los Angeles Times. 1 Sep 1936. p. 11.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Associated Press (24 Aug 1936). "Star Scarcity Still Is Acute Studio Problem: Only Fifty Real Winners in Harness and That Is Not Enough". The Washington Post. p. X9.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "New Films Announced: "Magnificent Obession" Heads Hit Parade". Los Angeles Times. 3 Jan 1936. p. A13.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Shaffer, George (14 Mar 1936). "Boy Refuses to Wear Kilts for Film Scene: Believes Costume Is One for Little Girl". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 16.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "'John Barleycorn' by Jack London Will Be Made Into Picture". Los Angeles Times. 28 Mar 1936. p. 7.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ a b McGillicuddy, Genevieve. "My Man Godfrey (1936) - Articles - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2020-04-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ a b c "My Man Godfrey (1936) - Trivia - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  14. ^ "'MY MAN GODFREY' PREMIERE AT PANTAGES TONIGHT: Film First to Be Released Under Rogers". Los Angeles Times. 1 Sep 1936. p. 11.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ IMDB Release Dates[unreliable source?]
  16. ^ "NATION'S CRITICS PICK 10 BEST FILMS". The New York Times. 7 Jan 1937. p. 17.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Greene, Graham (2 October 1936). "Maria Bashkirtseff/My Man Godfrey". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. pp. 104–106. ISBN 0192812866.)
  18. ^ "The 9th Academy Awards (1937) Nominees and Winners."oscars.org. Retrieved: 9 August 2011.
  19. ^ IMDB Trivia[unreliable source?]
  20. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing | Film Registry | National Film Preservation Board | Programs at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  21. ^ "My Man Godfrey (1957)". AFI Catalog. Retrieved 2020-04-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Nemy, Enid (March 19, 1985). "`My Man Godfrey` Bound for Broadway". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  23. ^ McHugh, Dominic, ed. (2014). Alan Jay Lerner: A Lyricist's Letters. Oxford University Press. p. 270. ISBN 9780199949274 – via Google Books.
  24. ^ Sinofsky, Esther Rita (1988). A copyright primer for educational and industrial media producers. Copyright Information Services. p. 29. Retrieved January 20, 2016. But remember the underlying works may still be copyrighted
  25. ^ "My Man Godfry". Stanford University Copyright Renewal Database. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  26. ^ "Public Domain Trouble Spots: Multilayered Works". Stanford University Library. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  27. ^ "Films in the US Public Domain". OpenFlix.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2016.

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to My Man Godfrey.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to My Man Godfrey.
Streaming audio
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=My_Man_Godfrey&oldid=952768900"