Welcome to the dramatugical website for “My Man Godfrey” at Trinity School.
Hobo Code
During the Great Depression in America, thousands of homeless men wandered the country, sleeping where they could and begging food and work from those more fortunate. Although these men were not organized, they did find ways to communicate important information to each other. One of these ways was ‘hobo code.’
Hobo code was a series of symbols that hobos, or itinerant workers, used to alert fellow travelers to the conditions of a particular location. Hobos were distinct from bums – bums begged, hobos worked. Hobo code could be chalked or scratched on trees, fences, doors, or any available surface, these codes let others know where to find food, medical care, and fresh water. They also warned of dogs, police, and guns and served as an important system of communication and information-sharing within a decentralized community. An example of hobo codes is below. To lean more about the experience of traveling workers during the Great Depression, check out “Riding the Rails” on American Experience.
The song “Big Rock Candy Mountain” was first recorded in 1928 and describes a hobo’s vision of paradise. Listen to a recording of Harry McClintock’s original below.
One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking,
And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
I’m headed for a land that’s far away
Besides the crystal fountains
So come with me, we’ll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
There’s a land that’s fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night.
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
And the birds and the bees
And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs
Where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Rehearsal Photos
The cast of “Godfrey” is working hard in rehearsal as opening night approaches!
1930s Hairstyles – Men
In the early 20th century, men wore their hair short, with adequate amounts of gel, combing away from the face. Take a look at the various brushing patterns, and part variations in the image on the right. 
It was especially necessary during the Great Depression to maintain a clean-cut, gentlemanly look. Neatly trimmed facial hair was also in style. Many leading men in the 1930s films sported pencil moustaches.
Gel is a must! Back then men used pomade, a greasy waxy substance, used to create the glossy look and keep the hair in place. Pomade is still available today – but they no longer make it of bear fat…thank goodness.
Although there were slight variations from the 20s through the 30s and 40s in men’s hair, it will be easier for us if we aim for: combed back off the face, gelled, with a clean part.
Both of the videos below showcase these qualities, and don’t forgot the mustache!
This video focuses on 40s hairstyle, a similar style.
Skip through the first minute of product promotion to get to the useful bits in the below video, focused on styles from The Great Gatsby written in 1925.
Modern Butlers
Eric Hatch Jr. helpfully passed on the following link to The International Butler Academy, a Butling and House Management School that was founded due to the “overwhelming demand” in modern society for butlers. They have a video promotion for their eight-week course which you can watch below, and learn more about what it means to be a modern butler at their website.
What does it mean to join our training program?
As a graduate of The International Butler Academy you are its Ambassador, and serve with pride and professionalism. At our Academy you will learn to keep up with the demands of running a modern, busy and real household, with confidence, grace and style.
Our intensive, 648 curriculum hour, eight-week training program will provide you with all the skills and qualifications you need 
to get you started in this exciting profession. Our professional teaching standards and outstanding, highly experienced instructors, in combination with a superb training location, make The International Butler Academy the crown of all butling, house management, hospitality and service training.
Make no mistake, success is not a guarantee. Success requires motivation, dedication, devotion and the ability to combine energy, passion and commitment. You must be willing to put another person’s wishes before your own, and do so with a genuine wish to be of service.
The salary range of a modern butler
Salary is usually based on a number of factors such as the job location, the duties, responsibilities and hours included in the job description, the amount of experience and formal training of the candidate, and possibly a few other factors as well.
A butler usually earns a salary between $50.000 and $150.000 annually, plus benefits. We realize that the salary indication is very broad but it is what it is. A butler can be a live-in or live-out employee. Room and board can be considered part of the salary package, including a car, mobile telephone, 4 weeks annual leave, once a year airline ticket home, etc. Note that most butlers work an average of 60 hours per week, or more.
Author Eric S. Hatch
Eric S. Hatch was an American author who wrote the short novel 1101 Park Avenue, the basis for both films of My Man Godfrey. Along with writer Morrie Ryskind, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the Godfrey screenplay in 1936. The Oscars then were only in their eighth year.
Eric Hatch was also a member of the original staff of The New Yorker and continued working for the magazine until the nineteen fifties. He was the author of over 25 novels and many articles and stories as well as a historian. Mr Hatch served as the chairman of the Connecticut Historical Commission in 1967 and was the chairman of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Connecticut.
My Man Godfrey was a hit when it was released. Frank S. Nugent, the film critic of The New York Times wrote, “There may be a sober moment or two in the picture; there may be a few lines of the script that do not pack a laugh. Somehow we cannot remember them.”
Mr. Hatch’s son, Eric Hatch Jr., is a professional photographer who was kind enough to share a few images of his father with the company of My Man Godfrey. They are re-posted below with his permission.
Eric Hatch in Hollywood
Eric Hatch in Hollywood
A formal portrait of author Eric Hatch
All images courtesy of Eric Hatch, Jr.
1930s Hairstyles – Women
Women’s hairstyles in the 1930s were influenced by the flapper look of the previous decade – hair worn short and tight to the face.
Below are three videos, listed from most intense and accurate, to easiest and passable. Feel free to use these as a jumping off point to search for what would feel right for your character. You should start playing around with them now – it’s fun!
General rules: sleek styles, hair above the shoulders, slicked back away from your face!
First – finger waves and pin curls. This takes time and patience (and maybe an extra set of hands.)
Second – Pin Curls and bun. Decorative. Relatively easy.
Third – Twists and bun. This is easiest, but least accurate, as we are moving into the 40s with this hairstyle. .
1930s Makeup
Marion Davies checks her makeup on the set of “Cain and Mabel”, 1936
Women have been given advice on how to paint their faces ever since ancient Egypt and make up was a fact of day to day life for the 1930s middle to upper class women.
Want that perfect 1930s look? Check out the two videos below, one from 1936 which teaches women what to do if their lips are “not so cupid’s-bow-ish”, and another contemporary video on re-creating the vintage look.
1936 Makeup Advice
General tips: thin eye brows, dark lips, lots of eyeliner.
2013 Update
Although this is modernized, it’s a good basic look at makeup for women in the 30s. Stick with classic colors (no shimmers or sparkles) and coordinate with your costume. Focus on making your eyes and lips pop.
Images of the Great Depression
Below are photos and drawings that illustrate life during the Great Depression. Sometimes, images can do more to reveal the heart of an era than any number of words can.
My Man Godfrey at Trinity 