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My Man Godfrey

25 votes

The eccentric Bullock household again need a new butler. Daughter Irene encounters bedraggled Godfrey Godfrey at the docks and, fancying him and noticing his obviously good manners, gets him the job. He proves a great success, but keeps his past to himself. When an old flame turns up Irene's sister Cordelia starts making waves.

Status: Released

Released Date: 1957-10-11

Runtime: 92 mins

Director: Henry Koster

Spoken language: English

Genres: Comedy

Original title: My Man Godfrey

Production Companies: Universal International Pictures

Production Countries: United States of America

Cast

June Allyson

David Niven

Jessie Royce Landis

Robert Keith

Eva Gabor

Jay Robinson

Martha Hyer

Jeff Donnell

Herbert Anderson

Eric Sinclair

Fred Essler

Dabbs Greer

Jack Mather

Paul Levitt

Reviews

Geronimo1967

I am an huge fan of David Niven, but not even his suave, sophisticated portrayal of "Godfrey" can rescue this from the clutches of June "Dorothy-on-speed" Allyson's frenetically annoying performance as "Irene". He is, ostensibly, a penniless Austrian vagabond she discovers on a pier, takes a bit of a shine to, and impressed by his cultivated style and urbane turn of phrase, takes him back to the US to be the butler in their exclusive family home. Needless to say, he fits in perfectly and has them all eating from his hands. He does not, however, disclose that his past isn't quite what they expect and when he is eventually rumbled - and not in the way you might expect, the story becomes terribly convoluted. Comparisons with the 1936 Lombard/Powell version do not really flatter this production. It is too in-your-face without the subtle humour or romance of its predecessor. Odd to see Jay Robinson in a film without a cape and some centurions and Eva Gabor brings some glamour (if little else) to the proceedings.

2025-06-30

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