MY MAN GODFREY (1936) THEN AND NOW | William Powell, Carole Lombard

In 1936, Universal Pictures released the screwball comedy that would make Oscar history. My Man Godfrey is the story of Godfrey Smith, a forgotten man living in a New York shantytown, who is swept up by dizzy heiress Irene Bullock and installed as the butler in her family's chaotic mansion. This then-and-now tribute follows the four stars who made it immortal: William Powell (1892-1984), the elegant leading man as Godfrey himself; Carole Lombard (1908-1942), the queen of screwball as the irrepressible Irene; Gail Patrick (1911-1980), the cool blonde beauty as the scheming Cornelia; and Alice Brady (1892-1939), the stage veteran as their fluttering mother. From the scavenger hunt at the dump to the nightclub called The Dump, this is the full story of the cast of My Man Godfrey, then and now. Rest in peace: William Powell (1892-1984), Carole Lombard (1908-1942), Gail Patrick (1911-1980), Alice Brady (1892-1939). Photo credits: all photos public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Honesty note: the portraits in the later-life slots for Powell (1947), Patrick (1943) and Brady (undated 1920s-30s) are star-years studio portraits; no genuine later-life public-domain portraits were found for those slots, and none is described as later-life. Lombard's 1940 portrait is genuine later-life. Film clips: My Man Godfrey (1936), archive.org item my-man-godfrey-1936_202609 (opensource_movies collection; public domain), each under 5 seconds. CHAPTERS 00:00 A Screwball Gem of the Great Depression 02:02 The Story of My Man Godfrey 04:01 William Powell, the Man Who Became Godfrey 05:39 William Powell, the Later Years 07:21 Carole Lombard, the Queen of Screwball 09:08 Carole Lombard, the Final Flight 10:31 Gail Patrick, Hollywood's Cool Beauty 12:04 Gail Patrick, the Second Act 13:21 Alice Brady, From the Stage to the Screen 14:44 Alice Brady, the Final Bow 16:03 How My Man Godfrey Was Made 17:55 The Oscar Record That Still Stands 19:22 Why Godfrey Endures 20:59 Then and Now, the Cast of My Man Godfrey If you love classic cinema, please like, share and subscribe to Reel To Real Cast for more then-and-now journeys through the golden age of film. Tell us in the comments: which member of the Bullock household would you most want at your dinner table? #MyManGodfrey #MyManGodfrey1936 #WilliamPowell #CaroleLombard #GailPatrick #AliceBrady #ThenAndNow #ScrewballComedy #OldHollywood #ClassicMovies #FilmLegends #1930s #UniversalPictures #ReelToRealCast