3 Classic Rom-Coms Vol. 3

My Man Godfrey (1936), Ball of Fire (1941), and I Was a Male War Bride (1949)

This volume of Classic Rom-Coms features three films that play on tension and conflict to create comedies that are both physical and witty. In My Man Godfrey and Ball of Fire, it's a case of opposites attract as two social classes clash. All three films are strongly influenced by the slapstick comedy of the Silent Era.

- Olivia

My Man Godfrey (1934) - 1 hr 36 mins

Godfrey (William Powell) is a derelict but a very content one at that. When a wealthy group of socialites looking for “the forgotten man” as part of a charity scavenger hunt asks him to be their "forgotten man," he hesitantly accepts. He thinks that will be the end of that, but he is sorely mistaken. Irene Bullcock (Carole Lombard), a member of the scavenger hunting group, has grown to like Godfrey and decides to help him out by hiring him as her scatterbrained family’s butler. He can handle her  family's quirks and troubles just fine, but when Irene falls in love with him, that may prove too much for the stalwart Godfrey.  

I say this with complete honesty. This film never gets old. Deceptively "simple," My Man Godfrey is really an engaging and charming comedy that also manages to artfully tackle deeper philosophical issues. The obvious differences between the high society types and those living on the streets like Godfrey drive much of the film's comedy, but when the rich are seen as foolish and needy and the poor as independent and reliable, the film is much more striking and affecting. Godfrey is poor and yet, he is refined though not altogether stiff.  Irene is wealthy but also flighty although her feelings for Godfrey are not. This kind of "twist" could have easily come off as trite and predictable but Powell and Lombard's performances make all the difference. My Man Godfrey premiered to a Depression-era America. It had plenty to say and plenty to critique, but these critiques never seemed forced or like interruptions in the film. The serious and the comical blend seamlessly, making My Man Godfrey one of the classic screwball comedies of the ‘30s with a little extra something to say. 

Availability: Youtube, Amazon video, Googleplay, DVD, and now on Blu-ray!

• Purchase DVD: https://www.walmart.com/ip/My-Man-Godfrey/55374149?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227066941460&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=170870276528&wl4=aud-310687321802:pla-278415416057&wl5=9003967&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=55374149&wl13=&veh=sem

• Purchase Blu-ray: https://www.amazon.com/Godfrey-Blu-ray-Carole-Lombard-William/dp/B07DS2WKV5

Ball of Fire (1941) - l hr 52 mins

Professor Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper), a grammarian, has been working steadily with his 6 colleagues on a new encyclopedia. When he reaches the word "slang," he realizes that he doesn't know all of the new jargon. Determined to get the term "slang" correct, he sets out to find those who might be helpful in explaining all of these new words to him. At the top of his list is nightclub entertainer Sugarpuss O’Shae (Barbara Stanwyck). While Sugarpuss stays at the professor’s residence to help Potts with his research, she turns their regimented world upside down with her dynamic charm. Life is quickly revived in the old brownstone! However, little do he and his fellow professors know that Sugarpuss is using their house as a hideout. The police want her to be a witness against her boyfriend, gangster Joe Lilac (Dana Andrews). But as Potts falls in love with Sugarpuss, he may have something to say about Lilac’s plan to marry Sugarpuss so as to keep her from testifying against him!

A classic retelling of “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs,” Ball of Fire was originally titled "A to Z." Regardless, it really brings to life veteran writers Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett’s quick and clever dialogue. The conservative professors are introduced to all of the new phrases and trends, while the gangsters wits are quickly put to the test by the seemingly naive group of bookworms. It all makes for a delightful rom-com filled with sweet and tender moments balanced by Cooper’s shy Professor Potts and Stanwyck’s worldly O'Shae.

Availability: Youtube, Amazon video, Googleplay, and on DVD

• Purchase DVD: https://www.ebay.com/p/Ball-of-Fire-DVD-2012/216138110?iid=251026918707

I Was a Male War Bride (1949) - 1 hr 45 mins

French Army Captain Henry Rochard (Cary Grant) and Lieutenant Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan) are more than displeased when they find that they have to work with each other again on another assignment during their time in now Allied-occupied Germany. The two go through a series of scrapes, and much to each other’s amazement, fall in love. They’re now determined to marry, but their respective military requirements and regulations prove to be a challenge. And with Catherine’s outfit set to go back to the States, Henry may have to go to extremes to stick with his bride!

While the film does take a while to get to the point, Grant and Sheridan, in their only screen pairing together, make watching them humorously stumble through their circumstances a fun experience.

Availability: Youtube, Amazon video (cheapest), Googleplay, and DVD.

• Purchase DVD: https://www.bonanza.com/listings/I-Was-a-Male-War-Bride-1949-Cary-Grant-Ann-Sheridan-Marion-Marshall/625353661?goog_pla=1&gpid=293946777986&keyword=&goog_pla=1&pos=1o5&ad_type=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjwiN_mBRBBEiwA9N-e_lBJse3M7svF8GOweuBH4f2xjw43xA5E5Dw1D1ybdRpaX8sikvgeJxoCCloQAvD_BwE