The Bishop’s Wife (1947)

• Year: 1947
• Released: 16 Feb 1948
• Country: United States
• Adwords: Won 1 Oscar. 1 win & 4 nominations total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bishops_wife
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-bishops-wife
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, French
• MPA Rating: Not Rated
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
• Runtime: 109 min
• Writer: Robert E. Sherwood, Leonardo Bercovici, Robert Nathan
• Director: Henry Koster
• Cast: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven
• Keywords: christmas, husband wife relationship, holiday, taxi driver, angel,

	7.6/10
	72/100
	84% – Critics
	80% – Audience

The Bishop’s Wife Storyline

Henry Brougham is a newly appointed Bishop and is having a difficult time raising funds for a new cathedral. His wife misses their old neighborhood in a poor part of town and he is stressed and preoccupied with his new duties. His prayers are answered when an angel, Dudley, suddenly appears in his study. Dudley tells him that he’s there as his assistant and will be present until he is no longer needed. With all of his work, Brougham hasn’t had much time for his wife, Julia, so Dudley keeps her company. Brougham is just a tad jealous. The main contributor to the cathedral fund, Mrs. Hamilton, has several conditions to be met before she transfers the funds and Bishop Brougham, to his dismay, is forced to compromise his principles in order to get the money. Dudley has his own way of getting her cooperation. As Christmas arrives, Dudley spins his charms ensuring a happy Christmas for everyone, particularly Julia and Henry.

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The Bishop’s Wife Movie Reviews

Touched by an angel

Dudley, the angel, comes to earth to teach a thing or two to the people of this town, or so it seems. He touches everyone he encounters in a positive way. The message is how we humans get so involved in things that are so unimportant that we miss the big picture.

This film, directed by Henry Koster, is a classic. In fact, I am surprised it doesn’t play more during Christmas, or maybe I have missed seeing it around that time of the year that is the setting for the angel’s appearance. It seems as though Dudley is pointing to the arrival of Christmas at a time, perhaps, when the season had still a non-commercial aspect and it was, after all, a family affair.

The cast was exceptional. Cary Grant is Dudley, the man/angel who turns everything he touches into a lesson on how to be kind. Julia, the bishop’s wife, plays the neglected woman with conviction. David Niven plays the preoccupied bishop who is trying to bring the moneyed people of town to his side in order to erect his monument to his own ego.

Gladys Cooper is also a distinguished face in the film. She is Mrs. Hamilton who learns a thing or two about humility. Elsa Lanchester was a happy figure in whatever film she appeared. Monty Woolley, as the professor is also effective. James Gleason was one of the most prolific character actors of his generation. He is excellent as Sylvester, the taxi driver who befriends Julia and Dudley. Their ice skating sequence is one of the best things of the film.

This is a film to treasure.

Light and sweet

This is a fine movie–the sort of nice old fashioned film that Hollywood did so well decades ago. A delightful script, excellent acting, along with beautiful sets and deft direction make this simple movie stand up so well even today.

Cary Grant plays an angel that comes to assist the extremely controlling and obsessed Bishop, played by David Niven. While Niven prayed for divine help, he struggled throughout the film with accepting the help on anything but his own terms. He soon learns of Grant’s mission, but others are unaware of his Heavenly origins. Grant plays his angelic role in a very deliberately paced and casual manner–almost like combining TV’s Mister Rogers with the usual Grant persona! In addition to these two wonderful actors, the film also features Loretta Young, Monty Woolley, James Gleason, Elsa Lanchester and Gladys Cooper. All did a great job of providing color and support in the film.

Perhaps the biggest star of this film, though, were the sets, cinematography and direction. They created a really nostalgic sense to the film that seemed almost better than real life. The snow, the frozen pond and all the other aspects of the film just set the perfect mood. About the only negative at all (and it’s a small one) is the skating sequence. While it was nice to see Grant and Young really ice skating in the beginning, using doubles for them as well as James Gleason wasn’t very seamless. Having these doubles skating with darkened faces just seemed pretty cheesy but forgivable.

All-in-all, this is a nice fantasy film that should be enjoyed by most anyone except the most cynical viewers.

A little miracle that left me with a warm glow

How on earth did it take me so long to see ‘The Bishop’s Wife?’ Actually can’t really find an excuse really as to why it wasn’t seen or heard of sooner, but part of me is feeling a little ashamed for not doing so. Love Christmas films, love feel good films, Cary Grant is one of my favourites and there is a great cast here. The story also sounded very charming. Henry Koster is not a favourite director of mine, but he was responsible for ‘Harvey’ (am very fond of that film).

After such a nightmare of a year, thank goodness this little miracle came along and in all honesty brightened up what was turning into a fairly bleak life. ‘The Bishop’s Wife’ is easily one of Koster’s best and one of the few of his to wow me. It is also a fine example of how to do a feel good film, which it epitomises, gives off the festive feel beautifully and it contains not just one of Grant’s best performances it also contains one of his finest lines. Any signs of a troubled production is not obvious at all.

‘The Bishop’s Wife’ is beautifully made for one thing, with some very stylishly beautiful photography. Both Grant and Loretta Young look fabulous in the various close ups and long shots and the darker lighting is very atmosphere. Not to mention the wintry scenery and the simple but impressive visual effects (wisely kept at minimum). Koster provides some of his most accomplished directing, this is much more than just competent but undistinguished level but is instead very skilled and sensitive. Nicely scored too, in good keeping with the gentle mood.

Can’t find anything to fault the script for, it’s thoughtful and lovingly balanced dialogue that is neither too heavy and complicated or too frothy and simplistic. There is some lovely gentle and genuinely amusing humour here as well as an emotional impact that never goes overboard on the sentimentality and an endearingly good nature impossible to resist. Any darker elements, where Dudley does become not as likeable, don’t feel jarring or distasteful. It doesn’t feel preachy either, even in the moral dilemma plot strand where it had the biggest danger of being, and flows naturally. The standouts being the last lines and Dudley’s “the only people who grow old were born old to begin with.”

Furthermore, the story is very warm-hearted and made me smile and well up in equal measure. Was also very surprised that ‘The Bishop’s Wife’s’ story is a lot more eventful structurally and emotionally complex than most films that fit under the feel good category, feel good done with substance. The moral dilemma is especially well done, though the skating scene is very amusing and sweet and nothing feels too forced or too neat. The substance is not just there in the story but also in the characters, these characters are a lot more complex than what they seem on paper initially and the film handles the characterisation in a way that is not cliched or one-dimensional (all having shades of light and dark, not just beige).

Grant gives one of his best performances in a tough role, personality-wise it is vintage Grant (charming, subtle, endearingly mischievous, warm in presence but with a tough edge) while with a lot of nuance and honesty. Young matches him beautifully in the charm department and the performance is full of allure and sensitivity without being bland. Their chemistry is pure magic. David Niven is suitably cynical yet sympathetic. James Gleason, Monty Woolley and Elsa Lanchester flesh out what could have been stock roles beautifully and Gladys Cooper relishes playing a dragon of a character.

Concluding, wonderful film. 10/10