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this was a very difficult decision to make. my man godfrey is my all-time favorite movie. and every actor in it is hysterical. i chose all four of the principal actors in this film because they were all nominated for an oscar in 1937 for this film -- the first film to be nominated in all 4 acting categories.
william powell as godfrey, the forgotten man who eventually becomes butler to the wealthy bullock family, is dry and witty, a sharp contrast to the other characters slapstick approach. he reluctantly falls in love with irene (carole lombard) after being enamored with her ditzy naivety. unheard of at the time, the idea alone of a butler marrying his employer's daughter makes for great comedy. powell, a greatly under-appreciated actor of the time, pulls it off superbly.
*nominated for 1936 best actor oscar;
lost to paul muni in the story of louis pasteur
carole lombard as irene bullock, a dim-witted socialite is partaking in a scavenger hunt at her country club, wherein she requires a forgotten man (a hobo). she brings him in, offers him a job, and then spends the rest of the picture trying to get him to fall in love with her. her juvenile behavior and painfully obvious flirtation is hilarious. an original queen of physical comedy, her shower scene is iconic.
*nominated for 1936 best actress oscar;
lost to luise rainer in the great ziegfeld
mischa auer as carlo, protegee to angelica bullock (alice brady) is an artiste who spends a lot of time eating and playing the piano, but it is his repartee with brady, and his run-ins with the anti-artiste patriarch (eugene palette) that make his character as necessary as any member of the family.
*nominated for 1936 best supporting actor oscar;
lost to walter brennan in come and get it
alice brady as angelica bullock is the hilarious matriarch of a purely dysfunctional park-avenue family. often hungover and constantly nit-picking at her daughters, brady is comedic gold and easily steals many scenes with her dizzy statements and infectious laugh. brady is the only one of the three who eventually won an oscar. it was the following year: best supporting actress for in old chicago. brady wasn't present at the awards show and when her name was called, a man came on stage, accepted the award on her behalf, and was never seen from again. no word on whether or not brady received another award personally, she died only a few years later.
*nominated for 1936 best supporting actress oscar;
lost to gale sondergaard in anthony adverse
william powell's greatest moment: see below (0:01 - 1:22)
carole lombard's greatest moment: see below (6:20 - 9:00)
alice brady's greatest moment: see below (1:58 - 3:32)
mischa auer's greatest moment: see below (2:30 - 4:00)
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