I think that people make too much out of the supposed resemblance to "My Man Godfrey", in claiming that it is merely a "copy". "Godfrey" was not original itself. The basic idea was used many times before in books and plays, not to mention other movies. It is virtually impossible to come up with an idea that someone has not used before, nor is that really important. It is what you DO with a basic idea, how well you use it, that is more important.NOthing wrong with a "fresh variant" of an old idea. All of the actors are superbly cast, and succeed very well in making the best of their roles. As a COMEDY, I think that this is actually better than "Godfrey", which is often praised mainly because of its "social comment" aspects, how it looks at victims of the depression. But as pure comedy, I think that "Merrily" works better, non stop laughs. Clarence Kolb was an inspired choice, and is great in every scene, and Brian Aherne plays deftly off of Constance Bennet. And of course Bonita Granville and Billie Burke and Alan Mowbry and Patsy Kelly each contribute their own choice bits. All in all, a really funny movie, and after all, isn't that what you want from a comedy?

Scatterbrained society matron (Billie Burke) hires a man named Rawlins (Brian Aherne) to work as her family's chauffeur. She thinks he's a hobo and she has a habit of bringing home hobos and trying to rehabilitate them. Enjoyable knock-off of My Man Godfrey also stars Constance Bennett, who was originally supposed to star in that film before the part was given to Carole Lombard. Alan Mowbray appeared in both movies. Obnoxiously loud Patsy Kelly makes it hard to take her scenes but the rest of the cast is good enough you can overlook her. Brian Aherne, Billie Burke, and Ann Dvorak are all good. Bonita Granville is cute as a button and probably my favorite part of the movie. Peppy title song sounds like the theme from a '60s sitcom. Not as good as Godfrey but lots of fun anyway.

This was a feature film of the screwball comedy variety produced by Hal Roach studios. As others have said, the plot bears a striking resemblance to "My Man Godfrey", but with enough changes in the plot to make it worth watching. Dizzy but well-meaning socialite Emily Kilbourne (Billie Burke) has a mission in life in trying to reform Depression era "forgotten men". However, all of them so far have managed to violate her trust by running off with some of the family's valuable possessions in the middle of the night. Shabbily dressed Wade Rawlins (Brian Aherne), whose car has just rolled backwards of a cliff, shows up at the Kilbourne estate just wanting to use the phone but ends up Mrs. Kilbourne's latest project. Before he can protest or explain his situation, she makes him a sandwich and makes him the chauffeur. However, this guy is not your typical tramp as he is quite articulate and well mannered. Emily's oldest daughter Jerry (Constance Bennett) first dislikes Rawlins as she feels he is just using her mother like the others, but later she finds herself falling for him as he earns her trust and her friendship. Unlike "My Man Godfrey" there is no evil member of the Kilbourne family trying to set up or blackmail Rawlins in order to get rid of him and Rawlins seems to have no inner demons as did Godfrey. Instead Rawlins has the upper hand in every situation and seems to be enjoying the show that is the dysfunctional Kilbourne family. Plus the audience is as clueless as the Kilbournes as to who Rawlins' true identity is up to the last five minutes or so. However, it does seem strange that no member of the family ever wonders what this guy's story really is enough to look into it or even question him about it.Since this is a Hal Roach production, there is plenty of slapstick and sight gags, including a running gag of the dinner chimes that keep falling apart every time the butler rings them and the family trying to use ladles as eating utensils after Rawlins' predecessor has run off with the family silverware.If you have 90 minutes to kill and want to watch a movie that's lots of fun and has little conflict and no bad guys, I'd recommend this one.

I can't believe all of these rave comments on what is essentially a screwball comedy that lacks the magic of other such items made during the '30s. This one is decidedly less successful than OUR MAN GODFREY or HARD TO GET (Dick Powell/Olivia de Havilland) or even FOUR'S A CROWD.Once again, it takes potshots at the rich--specifically BILLIE BURKE who is head of a loony household. She's a wealthy woman who hires hobos or ex-cons to run her estate, never listening long enough to anyone who might have described their situation--but then, there would be no story.Such is the case with BRIAN AHERNE who shows up at her doorstep to report a car accident but is soon swept into the household and hired as a chauffeur. CONSTANCE BENNETT is Burke's lovely daughter so we know where this plot device is going.BONITA GRANVILLE has another one of her bratty roles to play as she torments butler ALAN MOBRAY. She specialized in these roles but becomes irritating pretty fast.The silliness of the whole story goes into overdrive, milking every situation for whatever laughs can be derived from such exaggerated screwball material. By the time it's over, you're either having a ball at the expense of this loony family or judging the film to be excessively over baked nonsense that hardly stands up to close inspection.You know which side I'm on.Summing up: Predictable screwball mess, it wastes the talents of a fine cast.