My Man Godfrey

A silvery romp. The flaw is that it never delivers on the satire it starts with, dissolving into Cinderella fantasy along the way. But the leads are so impeccable that the seam never shows and the greatly underrated La Cava directs with precision. Of all the great comediennes, Lombard's innocently unflappable center was unique. She's like an eternal playmate--a quality only Harlow shared. It's a pity the two never played sisters.

Anyway, MY MAN GODFREY is comedy with a social conscience, although the message's subtlety has to be unearthed from all the humor. The flaky, endearing Irene Bullock (Lombard) and the dark, calculating Cornelia (Patrick) are two Park Av...