My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy 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 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.

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
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 as Mike Flaherty
Robert Light as Faithful George
Franklin Pangborn as Scavenger Hunt Judge (uncredited)
Grady Sutton as Charlie Van Rumple (uncredited)
Jane Wyman as Socialite (uncredited)