Ruggles of Red Gap (1935)

On the surface it would seem that a film about a manservant should be about how he changes the lives of his employers (at least, if we are to go by My Man Godfrey (1936),) but in this case what we have is a high-class, London butler in 1907 Paris sent to live out on the wild West ("I hear they have slavery there,") and so it is that in this case it is he who is a fish out of water with an employer who, other than because of wifely pressure, has little need of him.

In fact, his complaint about America's slavery is a sly comment on what is immediately to happen to him.

He is bet (and lost) by his British employer in a game of poker and must accept that he himself has become chattel which can be bought or sold.

As it turns out, he is treated not only as an equal by his employer, (though not so much by the villain of the piece, a greedy in-law,) but also given an honorary, but false title which will cause much confusion, but also come in handy in giving him some social leverage when required.

The character of Marmaduke Ruggles (Charles Laughton) also comes in handy in pointing out how the equality and freedom they live amongst are soon taken for granted by Americans (who, though aware of the Gettysburg Address, none really knows exactly what its content was, and require a foreigner to point it out to them.)

For all its initial criticism of America and Americans the butler comes to love his new, adopted country, rejects the offer to be reemployed after he's fired, and decides to settle there, start a new business and a bit later on rejects the opportunity to go back to Europe.

Charles Laughton is just wonderful and at times seems to be channeling Stan Laurel, not surprisingly as the film was directed by Leo McCarey.

Also, with Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles (this is one of those films where the character names and cast might cause some confusion,) ZaSu Pitts and Roland Young

A Comedy Classic.