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How others will see it. This often clever comedy generally moves at a brisk pace, and the leads are well cast for their exaggerated characters. Classic film mavens will be appreciative, of course, but those who prefer "modern" movies might also find it all interesting, if not always amusing.
How I felt about it. My Man Godfrey takes great pains to make clear that the bums living at the city dump are swell guys, while those folks fortunate enough to be living in palatial mansions are spoiled and flawed. If William Powell becomes the Perfect Man over the course of the movie, it is only because of his double dose of humility at the dump and as a servant.
In some ways, time has made some of the film's lines more entertaining, in unintended ways than they were in 1936. Eugene Pallette remarks, "Godfrey, you seem to be a pretty good sort. Have you noticed anything queer about me lately?" Later, he states, "But if I do end up in jail, it'll be the first piece I've had in twenty years." Well, maybe he meant "peace."
The affection of Lombard for Powell raises the question, what should Powell do about it? He spends the film repeatedly brushing her off, a cinematic action that keeps the question current. In real life, of course, he'd be all over the wealthy, willing, and foxy young lady. While that would be against his character, it only demonstrates how unnatural the film's characters are.
The house guest, for example, acts like a gorilla upon command, with only an initial trace of self-respect. The endearing make-believe lives of mother and daughter are also filmmaking fiction, as is Patrick's belated character turn.
But it's a comedy, and would it be dull if the characters weren't ridiculous? It's a good movie anyway, after all, and wasn't W.C. Fields ridiculous in his best films?
The problem, then, isn't that the characters are ridiculous. They're charming, they're entertaining, and things move along nicely. But they're not particularly funny, aside from jarring moments such as the "forgotten man" demanding his sawbuck. Definitely unfunny is the houseguest, a rail-thin court jester whose running gag is that he eats too much.
William Powell and Carole Lombard had a real-life romance. In fact, they were married, and divorced, a few years prior to making this film. Lombard went on to marry Clark Gable before her death in a plane crash at a young age. Powell lived to be 91. Ain't trivia fun?