The Bishop's Wife (1947)

I first saw this wonderful movie during my period of watching all Cary Grant movies which began 3 years ago and is almost complete. I had never heard of this film but was totally transfixed within the first minute. There's not one scene that bores me because it's truly such a delightful film.

Cary Grant is so underrated, but here he does some fabulous acting even when he's not speaking. His face is even more expressive in his younger years which works to his advantage and is a sign of good directing as well. David Niven is wonderful, too, for the character he plays (a jerk, but a redeemable one). The real jewel is Loretta Young. She's so contagiously sweet but not in an obnoxious way. Every character actor is wonderful and the casting for this movie is just perfect.

I don't like to review the plot, always afraid I'll accidentally throw out a spoiler, but it's so much better to me than "It's a Wonderful Life." I know it's a popular favorite, but I find it quite stressful. The Bishop's Wife, on the other hand, is enchanting. I really don't like admitting I have a crush on a character, but Cary Grant's Dudley just makes me swoon.

If you're not a hopeless romantic and/or a male, it's still a great film, especially for the holidays. I've already watched it 5 times in the past week and that doesn't include viewings from the past 2 years. It's like a great song that you have to buy and then goes on your "forever" play list. The Bishops's Wife is one I keep watching over and over and it's in my top 10 on my "forever" movie list of 10's. I don't give out 10's lightly, but this one sealed the deal on my first viewing. I'm so grateful for it's existence and encourage everyone to be transported and enchanted by it.

Fmovies: This is an incredibly wonderful movie which ranks right up there with Casablanca in my eyes and has been sorely under-appreciated by the usually astute IMDb voters. This is Cary Grant's best performance. He is impeccable as an angel who falls in love with an earthling but continues to perform his duties anyway. He gets it all right. Cary Grant is an angel. He was originally cast as the Bishop but demanded to be given the role of the angel instead. This movie is a joy to watch as it shows the power of transformation and the power of the human spirit. I particularly appreciated how Cary demonstrates the humanity of people at all levels of society from the top to the bottom. This is truly a movie for the ages.

Movies that stand the test of time have a few things in common. First, a compelling story line. Second, a strong cast. Finally, the drawing factor. The Bishop's wife has all three.

Dudley, Played by Cary Grant, is an Angel sent to David Niven, the Bishop who wants to build a grand Cathedral. The angel (Cary) Is sent as an answer to his prayer. But the answer may be surprising. The cast includes Loretta Young as the Bishop's wife (Julia) and Monty Wooley as the professor. Loretta Young was a wonderful choice as a caring wife and mother. I can't say enough about Cary Grant. He is as good as it gets.

Karolyn Grimes was very charming in this picture. She Played Loretta Young and David Niven's little girl. She appeared in a number of important scenes and was simply tremendous. I had her on my radio show last year and she was very warm. She talked about how Cary Grant would read to her on the set and how kind he was. Not only to her, but to everyone around him. She said he really loved children. Karolyn also spoke warmly of Loretta Young. Their Relationship lasted long past this movie. She said Loretta sent her uplifting bible verses up until the day she passed away.

"The Bishop's Wife" was released February 16th 1948. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won for, Best Sound. My daughter and I were taken on a private tour of (The Lot) Formerly United Artists Studio, by a friend of ours. This was where "The Bishop's Wife" was filmed. We were taken to the executive building and shown the trophy room. "The Bishop's Wife's" Oscar for best sound was there on display.

When the filming began, Cary Grant was cast as the Bishop and David Niven as the angel. After Henry Koster took over as director, he felt the casting was wrong. The scenes that were shot to that point were tossed and they started again from the beginning. Mr. Koster was on the mark with the change, This was one of Cary Grant's most widely praised roles.

One final note. Karolyn Grimes, Who played the little girl, is best known for her role in another Classic. She Played Zu-Zu in It's a Wonderful Life. You Remember her legendary line..."Every time a bell rings an angel gets it's wings".

The Bishop's Wife fmovies. Reverend Henry Brougham (David Niven) is working very hard to get his cathedral built--in fact, he's so busy speaking to wealthy clients and attending business meetings that he forgets that the one thing he needs most in this world is his wife Julia (Loretta Young) and their daughter Debbie. As Julia feels increasingly hurt at Henry's neglect, who should swoop in but the mysterious, charming Dudley (Cary Grant), telling Henry he's an angel who's there to answer Henry's prayer. Henry can't quite believe this even as Dudley seems to make himself quite at home in Henry's life, charming the wife, the child, the maids... even the taxi driver Sylvester (James Gleason). It's all a bit too much for Henry when Dudley finally brings the cathedral's biggest patron Mrs Hamilton (Gladys Cooper) around to the idea of donating the money to the homeless instead of to the cathedral. Is there anything left of Henry's life that he can salvage? And can he really compete against an angel who has God and little miracles on his side?

THE BISHOP'S WIFE is a sweet little romantic dramedy, perfect for a Christmas night curled up before the TV set. You have to give it credit for packing in a lot more story and real, human characters than you'd expect--it's not stock Christmas heart-tugging schmokum (did I just make up a word?), but a story that's quite genuinely intelligent and real. It's not perfect (what is?), but its presentation of the characters, especially Dudley and Henry, ring true. You can believe that Henry, underneath his bitterness and myopia, really loves his wife. He's just... forgotten his direction in life, is all. Niven does an excellent job with the character, keeping him just this side of prim but making him sympathetic especially when he asks Dudley to put up his fists for Julia.

My favourite secondary characters are Sylvester, played impeccably by Gleason, and the slightly dotty Professor Wutheridge (Monty Woolley). They're actually real *people*. Actually, they even fare better than Julia herself, whom I didn't particularly warm to. I wasn't annoyed by her, but nor did I feel that it was very likely she could get a reverend and an angel to almost come to blows over her. It's a shame that Loretta Young spent most of the film looking pensive, and even in her character's moments of joy--say the ice-skating scene--she simply fails to leap off the screen and run away with the audience's hearts.

Cary Grant has no such problem, however. From the moment he strolls onscreen as Dudley--the guardian angel every girl wished she could have--he has everyone's attention. He makes Dudley just a little bit roguish, a little bit dark. You couldn't really take Grant seriously if he's all decked out in an angel's costume, halo and harp and all, but you *can* imagine him as a sort of very human kind of angel. Which is exactly what Dudley is. It's mostly the smaller moments Grant sneaks into the film and his own performance that make THE BISHOP'S WIFE compelling viewing, and if you came to this film as a Grant fan, you certainly won't leave it disappointed.

All in all, the final film is well-drawn-together, cleverly written and directed, and benefiting from its two powerhouse male leads... Niven cleverly underplaying his part, and Grant suffusing Dudley with the charm and deep, hidden vulnerability he can suggest in all his characters without so much as faking a pained expression. It's definitely a great w

For those who have asked about the name of the music sung by the Mitchell Boychoir in this movie, it took years, but I finally ran it down.

The original piece is named NOEL, and it was composed by Charles Gounod (1818-1893)as a classical church piece. It is not a hymn at all (in the sense that Gregorian Chants aren't hymns), but was translated for film purposes from the original church music.

It can be ordered from AMAZON.COM, the entire title is

CHARLES GOUNOD Musica sacra

and it is track 8 on the CD. I have loved this movie with the Boychoir performance all my adult life. Yes, I know how primitive and predictable this film is when measured by the whiz-bang techno-blitz of today's movies.. but I suppose that's why I love it so.. it's a retrospective trip where for a scant hour-fifty I can revisit some of the familiar stuff that was around when life really did seem a bit simpler.. having said that, it was pretty tame even at the time. But when the Middle East is ablaze with hostility, and no one can agree on anything anymore, I find it somehow reassuring that elements of this movie still have a universal appeal.

This is a wonderful film. It's a movie for all seasons, not just at Christmastime. Cary Grant is charming as Dudley, the angel sent to answer the prayers of the bishop (David Niven) who is desperately trying to raise funding for a new cathedral. However, he gets under the skin of the bishop as he poses as his assistant. Dudley ultimately opens the bishop's eyes as to what is really precious in life. Loretta Young is sweet and lovely and does a wonderful job as the bishop's loyal wife. It's also amusing to see how Dudley seems to charm everyone with whom he comes in contact. It's very touching and heartwarming, and is just a great feel-good movie. Later redone as the Preacher's Wife with Denzel Washington, I believe the original is the masterpiece. Do see it!