Tonight's Movie: My Man Godfrey (1936) at the Egyptian Theatre

I have a long, wonderful history with MY MAN GODFREY (1936), going back to my parents taking me to see it as a child at the Los Angeles County Art Museum's late, lamented Leo S. Bing Theater.

Movies were not especially accessible in those pre-cable, pre-VHS days, but I relived the story over and over thanks to a Lux Radio Theater record album. I still own it; a photo which is a match for my own LP is below.

I also developed a special affinity for Carole Lombard, thanks in part to discovering childhood photos of her during a history internship in Redlands, California. I wrote about that experience here.

Of course, years later I would own the film on DVD, introducing the movie to my own children in that format. And a little over a decade ago I was able to enjoy it theatrically once more at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to see MY MAN GODFREY again last evening at the American Cinematheque's Nitrate Film Festival 2026. The movies are screened at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, one of just five theaters in the country licensed to screen these flammable prints.

The print screened, from Filmarchiv Austria, had German subtitles, but after a few minutes I was able to ignore them fairly well, except for a handful of brief moments when the captions took up most of the screen!

It was entirely worth that inconvenience in order to see the nitrate print. The silvery dress worn by Irene (Lombard) in the opening party sequence absolutely shimmered in nitrate.

I've shared here previously that I saw nitrate prints regularly in my childhood, as they were still being shown in Los Angeles area "revival" theaters in the '70s. Some of my most vivid memories are of the sparkling screen, which I only later realized was due to the nitrate prints. Seeing that shimmering gown brought back those childhood memories.

As for the film itself, what can I say? It's pure magic, with one funny situation after another, including hilarious rapid-fire dialogue...and a few touching moments as well.

Irene Bullock (Lombard) has a "meet cute" with Godfrey (William Powell) at the...city dump. After bringing him to a high society scavenger hunt as a "forgotten man," Irene then decides Godfrey is her "protege" and hires him as a butler.

In the span of 94 minutes the (nearly) unflappable Godfrey helps the entire family, including the long-suffering father (Eugene Pallette), flighty mother (Alice Brady), and snobby sister Cornelia (Gail Patrick). And he also falls for giddy Irene!

My husband, incidentally, continues to believe that a reformed Cornelia would be a better match for Godfrey, as she's clearly intelligent; I adore Lombard as Irene but it's an interesting idea!

MY MAN GODFREY is a film perhaps best less analyzed and left for each viewer's personal discovery; even with plentiful revisits, the film yields new insights and humor.

Suffice it to say it's simply movie perfection, including the supporting cast featuring Alan Mowbray, Franklin Pangborn, Mischa Auer, and Grady Sutton. Special kudos go to Jean Dixon as Molly, the maid.

As a side note, Eugene Pallette is both funny and moving; it seemed appropriate to note that his star is on Hollywood Boulevard just steps away from the theater.

How remarkable that Pallette, and the entire cast, could, in a sense, come alive again for those minutes we watched the movie. It's a very special medium.

MY MAN GODFREY was directed by Gregory LaCava and filmed in black and white by Ted Tetzlaff.

MY MAN GODFREY is available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. The disc even includes the Lux Radio Theater production I spent so much time enjoying on LP!

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