My Man Godfrey
While on a scavenger hunt, Irene Bullock (Carol Lumbard) and her sister Angelica (Alice Bradey) find Godfrey, a bum (William Powell) living in the city dump, and convince him to return to the party with them in order to claim top prize. Angelica invites Godfrey to be the family butler. Hilarity ensues.
Except not really. I mean, I’m normally a huge fan of William Powell, but this one didn’t work for me. The Bullock family is suitably wacky for a 1930s movie, but it’s really over the top. Lots of shouting and near slapstick. But the most objectionable thing is the moralizing. Sorry, there’s nothing noble about being poor, and poverty doesn’t make you a morally superior person. But what’s really confusing, is that after all this, the noble vagabond isn’t quite so broke as we’re led to believe. Does that mean he’s no longer superior?
; would not watch again
