Customer Reviews

My Man Godfrey [Region 2]

5 star:		(128)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

At last, a good clean copy of this wonderful screwball romantic comedy! Much superior to the Hollywood Classics DVD which was washed-out and missing a key scene.

Well, this is just one of the best of the half-dozen or so top screwball comedies of the 30's. A dream cast plays it light and loose, with the real world of Depression-era America as a backdrop to a love story and a light lesson in responsibility, both to one's friends & family, to one's society, and to one's better nature.

And what a cast. William Powell is the epitome of debonair (what a quaint term: NO ONE is debonair anymore, alas)with one of the best comedic touches and timing in the business. Opposite Powell is Carole Lombard, young, adorable, beautiful and screwy and a perfect foil for Powell's smooth decorum. The supporting cast is first rate: Eugene Pallete the long-suffering businessman/husband; Gail Patrick, the beautiful but bitchy Cornelia; Mischa Auer's deadbeat Carlo; Alice Brady's clueless mother; Jean Dixon's wisecracking maid & Alan Mowbry as the rich & useless but decent Tommy Gray.

Enjoy comedy played by pros to a fare-thee-well. It's all attitude and delivery and body english and it is great! They can't make them like this anymore. Style and class.

The extras are quite good with a nice commentary track by Bob Gilpin and some hysterical outtakes (yes, they cussed back then too!). The print is pretty much clean and a vast improvement over previous editions.

For those of you lucky enough to know, or who propose to get to know, this flick, you've come to the right place. Amazon sells two DVD versions of My Man Godfrey. I've seen both, as well as the VHS, and this one, the least expensive, from a company called Platinum, is by far the best quality. The other DVD, by Madacy Entertainment, is a fiasco based on a terrible print that happens to also be missing a crucial scene. Why Amazon continues to sell it, I don't know.

"My Man Godfrey" is one of the best of the 1930's Screwball comedies, hence the high rating. It would have gotten five stars, but the DVD is taken from an incomplete dupe. The results are, to say the least, virtually unwatchable. Hope is on the horizon; Universal has struck new 35mm prints from the original negative, and it's playing right here in Philly. Hopefully, after the cinema reissue, Universal Studios wil finally do right by this movie and release a pristine DVD(and VHS for those who still only have that).

The "First Time In Color" cover of MY MAN GODFREY from the Legend company is the very BEST-----better than the Criterion version, believe it or not---in part, because on Legend you choose to watch color or black and white. In fact, the Legend version is just tremendous and even the color version is miles ahead of the old colorization processes of the 1980s. But you do not see this information ANYWHERE except at the very end because Amazon has loaded up all these ancient and out of date reviews of OTHER PRODUCTS---not the one listed and shown in the picture. It is terrible confusing. Luckily, I did order a copy of the Legend version with color and B&W and was thrilled, but you might never figure it out based on the utterly confusing mess of reviews of all sorts of different versions mushed together in the same place here.__________
I had seen this film at least twice over the years and thought it pretty good but came across this 2005 remastered version from LEGEND films. I was astonished. It is wonderfully crisp and fresh in it appearance and tripled my appreciation of it. Also, I am not one of those hidebound purists who think computer colorization is an absolute horror. Done well---and this one is done VERY well indeed--it can add a new freshness and insight to its watching. (Granted, it is not the same work of art of its original creators, but one can choose freely between the two versions, as it should be.) I found that by tweaking the color manually and altering the brightness and contrast slightly, with a hint greater saturation, one can get a superb if just slightly antiquey color. Not exactly full Technicolor (it never was--originally filmed in black and white) but a surprisingly great color experience. _________ And since this is not a dark, grim film noir, where chiarosuro of shadow and rays of light brilliantly communicates so much in mood and portent, but is a frothy comedy with light interiors, the color is perfect for lively fare like this. I can't believe people who whine about colorization. I am as big a film fan as they come, and know all about artistic integrity, but this is part of a living, usable past. (No, I don't add diet Coke to my pinot noir.) In any event, color or not, the film is a treasure and should be seen by everyone. (Perhaps first in black and white for historical accuracy, and then in color for the simple pleasure of it in this case.)

Considering how truly awful this movie has looked in the past, Criterion's edition of "My Man Godfrey" must be commended for its ressurection of an almost dead cinematic masterpiece. William Powell stars as Godfrey - a bum and forgotten man transformed at the insistance of a madcap heiress (Carole Lombard) into the perfect penguine - her smart-witted butler!
Previously issued, bootlegged VHS tapes, as well as late night viewings of this movie on television have been painful to watch. Criterion's restoration efforts are a subtle step in the right direction. However, I would be interested in learning how much more can be done with the original film elements.
For the record, "My Man Godfrey" still exhibits a soft picture with low contrast levels and an excessive amount of film grain. Blacks and shadow levels are very weak and there are certain scenes where the gray scale is reduced to either pure black or white visual representation, with an understandable loss of fine detail and over all image clarity. Still, the many rips, chips, tears and water damage, that one was used to seeing before, have all been tempered or all-together eliminated from this print. Many scenes on this transfer exhibit image quality that is quite satisfactory. The audio on this disc is mono but nicely restored. There are several glaring examples of pops and crackles that can be heard, as well as a persistant strident characteristic throughout. But believe me when I say that "My Man Godfrey" - save its premiere, has never looked or sounded better for the home video market.
EXTRAS: Criterion can't convince me of their hefty price tag for a petty audio commentary and inclusion of the Lux Radio Broadcast of this movie included herein. If the price of this disc dropped to around the twenty dollar level I'd be recommending it wholly for your consumption. As it stands, only a die hard fan of this legendary screwball comedy would invest in this disc - there's still much restoration work that needs to be done and the extras, quite frankly, are not worth the price!

During Hollywood's golden era, Carole Lombard was probably the most strikingly beautiful actress of her generation and arguably the most talented comedienne. She managed to be both hilariously free-wheeling and uninhibitedly down-to-earth, even as she plays the flightiest of madcap heiresses. One can only speculate what brilliant career lay ahead of her had she not died tragically early in a 1942 plane crash. Fortunately, we have this 1936 screwball classic, likely her most famous film, as a reminder of her beauty, charisma and sheer likeability. Her character Irene Bullock feels like a first cousin to Katharine Hepburn's Susan Vance in "Bringing Up Baby", a scatterbrained, motor-mouthed, persistent-beyond-reason socialite living with her equally eccentric family on Park Avenue. If not for Lombard, this character would try anyone's patience with her impetuous behavior and the childish competitiveness she displays with her sister.

What makes this movie different though is its social consciousness about the thoughtless rich and the put-upon downtrodden, the contrast of which made this particularly apt during the Great Depression. But the grand statements one would expect from a Capra never seem leaden in this comedy as directed by the underrated Gregory LaCava. Instead, they are fully integrated into a story that starts with a society "scavenger hunt" for a "forgotten man". In the city dump, the Bullock daughters find one in the form of Godfrey, portrayed with typically dapper élan by William Powell. Godfrey is an erudite hobo with whom Irene becomes quickly enamored, and in short order, she convinces him to become the family butler. As it turns out, of course, he turns out to be the scion of a wealthy Boston family who decided to shuck it all once he was betrayed by love. He becomes the catalyst for improving the lives and characters of the Bullocks, all the while ensuring he takes care of his hobo friends on the riverfront. Only Powell could play a character that moves so fluidly between bum and butler, though he does falter slightly in his drunken scenes which seem really to come out of nowhere to move the plot along. Powell and Lombard were previously married and divorced prior to this film, and there is a subtle familiarity in their burgeoning relationship that makes their rapport sparkle (ironically, off-screen, he was in love with Jean Harlow at the time, she just beginning with Gable).

The supporting cast is impeccable in characteristic roles for the actors - Eugene Palette in typical comic, fog-horned bluster as the frustrated patriarch (though actually more restrained here than his other similar roles of the period); Alice Brady in full daffy flightiness as the arts-loving mother with her own live-in protégé in Mischa Auer, who plays Carlo as the high-maintenance leech he is (his chimpanzee impersonation scene is priceless thanks to his manic agility); Jean Dixon as the smart-mouthed maid Molly who develops her own crush on Godfrey (though the script gives her short shrift in this development); and best of all, Gail Patrick, who epitomizes the upper-crust bitch-princess as the talon-bearing sister Cornelia (of course, she and Lombard do not look remotely like sisters). It all wraps up nicely though rather fancifully, for instance, Cornelia does an about-face only a Hollywood producer would find credible. And one could argue that the portrayal of Godfrey's hobo brethren is on the sanctimonious side. But it doesn't matter, as the movie glides over the heavier implications of wealth, class distinctions and social injustice with a velvet glove. A true and deserved classic.

I am generally not a fan of colorization, though I have to admit the digital technology seems to be improving as the new discount-priced DVD provides a surprisingly nice transfer with soft, pastel colors except for some of the more elaborate evening gowns at the beginning. The package includes the original black-and-white version for purists and a colorized trailer as well. This is a good alternative to the Criterion Collection DVD priced at nearly four times the price (granted with additional features).

The Criterion Collection DVD of this, one of the greatest comedies of all time (and one of my ten favorite movies), is a long-awaited and vast improvement over the previously available DVD version of the film. The sound is far clearer, and the picture is crisp and sharp. It is nice to be able to enjoy the movie without having to forgive hisses, pops, and picture skips.

DVD extras in the Criterion edition are fairly extensive -- a radio version of the show, a short but good-natured blooper reel, the theatrical trailer (which was not restored to the pristine picture and sound of the movie), and an unintentionally amusing commentary in which a film scholar laboriously explains every joke as though his mission was to drive a stake through the heart of the movie. The movie is more than good enough to survive its mind-cudgeling analysis, but the commentary is eminently skippable.

No matter, though. The extras are not the reason to buy the Criterion edition of My Man Godfrey anyway -- it is the stellar quality of the movie itself, finally presented the way it ought to be seen.

"My Man Godfrey", the popular 1936 screwball comedy that was adapted to a film from Eric Hatch's novel "1101 Park Avenue" and directed by animator/filmmaker Gregory La Cava, would become a bonafide classic as the film would rake in six Academy Award nominations and would feature former married couple and very popular onscreen talents William Powell ("The Thin Man" films, "The Great Ziegfeld, "Manhattan Melodrama") and Carole Lombard ("Now and Forever", "Nothing Sacred", "Swing High, "Swing Low").

The film was deemed "culturally significant" back in 1999 and was selected by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

"My Man Godfrey" has been available many times on DVD with the most significant release from The Criterion Collection back in 2001 which included a new digital transfer, audio commentary, rare outttakes (which can be found on YouTube) and the complete 1938 broadcast of the Lux Radio Theater adaptation. But in 2005, Legend Films had their own release of "My Man Godfrey" and this time using their latest technology of colorization and presenting both the original black and white feature plus their colorized version on one DVD disc. The difference between the two is that the Criterion Collection version cost around $[...], the Legend Films version can be found under $[...].

Having watched the film in black and white and enjoying the film, I was curious to see how colorization had improved since the analog Ted Turner colorized films of the early '90s. According to Legend Films, before beginning their colorization, they thoroughly research the era when the film was made to ensure that every color and hue is historically accurate. Then, each frame is individually colorized.

For me, this would be an interesting experience to see if colorization of a black and white film is still worth watching. The experience was for me, not that great back in the early 90's but with technology advancements, I would hope things to look much better today.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

"My Man Godfrey" has been presented in various formats and having seen the film via public domain and from what I've read from other reviews of other DVD's, The Criterion Collection and the Legends film versions are the best out there right now.

With that being said, The Criterion Collection went through digital restoration and remastering when they released the film. As for this Legend Films version, we get the original theatrical trailer in black and white and the colorized version. And the film on this Legend Films DVD has been remastered and restored as well.

Both versions of the film are presented in full frame (aspect ratio 1:33:1) definitely has its share of scratches, dust and warping but it's not bad compared to the public domain videos I have seen of the film. The black and white version offered on this DVD has nice deep blacks, clear grays and its share of grain.

The colorized version is actually well done and I can definitely see major improvement versus the colorized films I watched back in the '90s. But there are instances where people and objects in the background tend to have this gray tinge at times (which is very few) but one thing I noticed is how fire looks very real with its orange colors, how certain clothing and objects nicely shimmers through various lighting. The films has plenty of crowd scenes and those scenes with characters wearing different colors worked quite well. Noticed the coloration of the hair and the animals that were done quite well. But most strikingly the blue eyes of William Powell and Carole Lombard which looks great. So, overall The colorization of "My Man Godfrey" is very well done.

As for audio, the film is presented in monaural. For those with a current home theater receiver and a good speaker setup may find setting audio settings with stereo on all channels for a more immersive soundtrack.

Subtitles are featured in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"My Man Godfrey" comes with a colorized theatrical trailer (:54).

JUDGMENT CALL:

"My Man Godfrey" is one of the best screwball comedies of American cinema.

The film is witty, charming and just fun and delightful. Carole Lombard shows off her comedic talent and it's quite interesting to see her character of Irene interacting with her older sister Cornelia (Gail Patrick). Around Godfrey, Irene is naive and just head over heels for him, while with Cornelia she changes to this pushy younger sister who is quick to anger and when around her father, she's like the young daughter wanting her father to comfort her. It's her actions that make this film quite intriguing and makes you wonder if she's a bit off.

But like Irene, her mother is a much more naive person who is not hip to the jargon used by her daughters. Alice Brady does a fine job of playing the mother Angelica Bullock and nearly retains that comedic flare that she did in the Astaire/Rogers film "The Gay Divorcee". Eugene Pallette plays the perfect, no-nonsense father and last but not least, William Powell as the suave and cool, Godfrey.

"My Man Godfrey" benefits from star talent, a hilarious and witty screenplay but also beautiful production quality on the sets and also costume design. I do feel that "My Man Godfrey" ends abruptly in the most screwball type of way. So, I suppose the ending is quite appropriate.

Overall, "My Man Godfrey" is one of those films that classic movie fans should have in their collection. Granted, the Criterion Collection version has the most features but is the most expensive of the bunch at $[...]. For those who don't need the scholar commentary or radio show, then this DVD version of "My Man Godfrey" is definitely worth it as you get two versions of the film and you can find the DVD at under $[...] .

If you enjoy "My Man Godfrey",this Legend Films release is definitely a DVD worth picking up!

If you're reading this review, you know that this is one of the greatest screwball comedies ever to come out of Hollywood, so we'll concentrate on the bargain price of the Legend Films release of this wonderful movie.

Since the beginning of DVDs, the only copy worth owning of My Man Godfrey was the very pricey Criterion copy. Not all movie-loving folks can feel comfortable divying up 35 bucks and more for their favorite films. So like myself, they were disappointed time-and-again by spending hard-earned cash on washed out, horrible public domain DVD prints, all the while wanting to own a nice, clean, audible copy of My Man Godfrey.

Over the past few years, Legend Films has been releasing classic black-and-white films in colorized versions (this will always gall movie purists; I too have always sworn off colorized black-and-white films).

On the flip side of the coin, Legend Films deserves a huge thumbs-up! for releasing BOTH the original Black-and-White version, as well as the Colorized print, of these classic movies. And Legend Films is not just Colorizing films, they are restoring them, as well. What this means for movie hungry fans like you and I, is that we are given a beautiful, almost pristine Black-and White print of some of our favorite movies at very reasonable prices, often much less than even the Hollywood studio companies are releasing on DVD. I've seen the Criterion version of My Man Godfrey, and yes, it is beautiful - I even own several Criterion films that I felt I couldn't live without - and I have to say that I see no real difference in the quality of the Black-and-White print included on the Legend Films version, versus the Criterion print. What is the difference, then, between a 35 dollar DVD from Criterion, and a $9.99 DVD from Legend Films?

What it comes down to, are the extras, as well as the time and effort that Criterion put into their own restoration of this important example of 1930's screwball comedy. And they did it first, releasing it at a time when no one else was taking the time and effort to restore and provide this wonderful film to the general public. So it comes down to choice; if you can afford the extra change, and you like all the wonderful extras (which I did!) on the Criterion release of My Man Godfrey, then that should be your choice. But if you are on a budget that doesn't allow you to spend that kind of change, you can't do any better at this time than the Legend Films BW/Colorized release.

And, if you're wondering, yes, I did take a peak at the colorized version. I watched about five minutes, then went back to the black-and-white version (which I'd already watched one time through). Not because it wasn't well done, but because that just isn't my taste. Anymore than watching a colorized version of Citizen Kane, or The Maltese Falcon, would be. If you want to watch the colorized version, do so. And thank Legend Films that you have both options.My Man Godfrey (Colorized / Black and White)

Yes, this is one of the best screwball comedies ever made and it is a shame that Madacy has released such a bad version on DVD. The Madacy version has an important scene missing and a bad video transfer. I look forward to the Criterion edition, reportedly in the works for 2001.