Editing My Man Godfrey (section)

===Casting===
It was the first major film from Universal after that studio had been taken over by new management, including head of production [[Charles R. Rogers|Charles Rogers]]. However the studio did not have any major stars under contract apart from [[Buck Jones]], [[Boris Karloff]] and [[Edward Everett Horton]], and needed to borrow some from other studios.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|title=Star Scarcity Still Is Acute Studio Problem: Only Fifty Real Winners in Harness and That Is Not Enough|date=August 24, 1936|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=X9}}</ref>

The studio's original choice to play Irene, the part eventually played by [[Carole Lombard]], was [[Constance Bennett]], and [[Miriam Hopkins]] also was considered, but the director [[Gregory La Cava]] would only agree to Bennett if [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] borrowed William Powell from [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]. Powell, for his part, only would take the role if Carole Lombard played Irene. Powell and Lombard had divorced three years earlier, but remained good friends.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="time_100_best_movies" /><ref name="gem_theguardian">Hutchinson, Pamela: [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/apr/24/my-man-godfrey-comedy-1936-film "My streaming gem: why you should watch My Man Godfrey,"] April 24, 2020, ''[[The Guardian]]'' retrieved May 27, 2024</ref>

Powell's casting was announced in January 1936.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Staff|title=New Films Announced: "Magnificent Obession" Heads Hit Parade|date=January 3, 1936|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=A13}}</ref> Universal borrowed Lombard from Paramount. As part of the deal, Universal loaned Paramount's [[Margaret Sullavan]] for the film ''I Love a Soldier,'' and Lombard's clothes designer, Travis Banton, accompanied her.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shaffer|first=George|title=Boy Refuses to Wear Kilts for Film Scene: Believes Costume Is One for Little Girl|date=March 14, 1936|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune|Chicago Daily Tribune]]|page=16}}</ref> [[Alice Brady]] joined the cast in March.<ref>{{Cite news|title='John Barleycorn' by Jack London Will Be Made Into Picture|date=March 28, 1936|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=7}}</ref>