Based on the 1936 screwball classic starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, the 1957 remake of My Man Godfrey stars David Niven (Bedtime Story) and June Allyson (The Opposite Sex). On a mad scavenger hunt, socialite Irene Bullock (Allyson) stumbles upon grizzled street person Godfrey (Niven) underneath an East River bridge. Claiming him as a scavenger item, Irene wins the contest. Delighted and impressed with him, the daffy heiress makes him the new family butler. As Irene succumbs to his romantic charms, Godfrey slowly wins over the entire family with his extraordinary wit and style—all except Irene’s jealous sister Cordelia (Martha Hyer, Paris Holiday). This cunning, class-act comedy comes handsomely produced by Ross Hunter (There’s Always Tomorrow, The Art of Love) and directed by Henry Koster (The Bishop’s Wife, Flower Drum Song).

For thoughts on My Man Godfrey (1957), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Kino Classics presents My Man Godfrey (1957) with a pretty strong upgrade in the form of a new 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 sourced from a new 2K master which looks nice. The film does not feature an overwhelming amount of damage or dirt, but there is a light sheen of specks throughout and fluctuations in density. The film features some lovely colors within the costumes and elements of the production design that make an impression with formidable saturation.

Skin tones mostly look natural, and the presentation offers up some fairly deep black levels that never veer into crush. The increase in fine detail serves this one well with distinct facets showing up. There does not appear to have been any digital manipulation of the source. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such digital anomalies. Kino Classics has treated this one pretty well

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a decent enough DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track which represents the film admirably throughout. Dialogue comes through clearly without any trace of sibilance, and it remains in pleasing harmony with all competing elements. The environmental elements such as engines and the chatter of party guests come through well. All of the sound effects and the score appear to be faithful to the original sound.

This disc retains a hefty sense of fidelity that is appreciated during the more kinetic moments. The vibrancy and clarity of the soundtrack enhances the narrative consistently. Despite the strength of this score, nothing ever overshadows the dialogue or other important information. This track shows no major instances of age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Critic and Author Simon Abrams provide an entertaining and informative commentary track in which he discusses how this film compares to the original adaptation of the material, the behind-the-scenes details of the production, the careers of the creative figures involved, the release of the film, the score and more.

Trailers: There is a two-minute trailer provided for My Man Godfrey (1957). There are also trailers provided for Bedtime Story, Separate Tables, Death On The Nile, No Highway In The Sky, Flower Drum Song, The Art of Love and What’s So Bad About Feeling Good?

Final Thoughts

My Man Godfrey (1957) holds up much better when it is not being compared to its classic predecessor. This version of the story provides a pleasant enough time buoyed by a charming David Niven and an energetic June Allyson. There are certain oddities within the narrative (why did they not change the fact that Godfrey is Austrian), but overall the film succeeds in entertaining. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a fan of the performers or screwball comedies in general, this is a fine viewing experience. Recommended

My Man Godfrey (1957) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.