My Man Godfrey

Gregory La Cava's wonderful 1936 screwball comedy stars William Powell as Godfrey Parke, an ex-nouveau riche who is scooped up by madcap heiress Irene Bullock (Carole Lombard) as part of a scavenger hunt game (the players need to find a "forgotten man"). As a butler to the Bullocks, Godfrey sees life from the other end of the social microscope, so to speak, and after imparting some gentle wisdom to his new employers, ends up…well, I'm not going to reveal the ending. Nominated for numerous Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Actor (Powell) and Actress (Lombard), My Man Godfrey includes a real-life irony: onscreen lovebirds Powell and Lombard had been divorced for three years when they made this comedy classic. While the transfer and remastering are not quite up to regular Criterion standards (the picture is somewhat grainy and the audio is downright tinny in some places), this disc has a few notable extras, including an audio commentary by historian Bob Gilpin, the complete Lux Radio Theatre radio adaptation with Powell and Lombard, and a hilarious outtake reel in which the principals follow up flubbed lines with colorful language. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Mar. 13, 2012—Universal, 94 min., not rated, $14.98—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1936's My Man Godfrey boasts an excellent transfer and Dolby Digital mono sound. DVD extras include two segments on Universal's century-long history—“The Carl Laemmle Era” (9 min.) and “The Lew Wasserman Era” (9 min.). Bottom line: if you don't already own the superior Criterion edition, this budget-priced release of La Cava's classic is highly recommended.]