The Bishop's Wife (1947)

A bishop trying to get a new cathedral built prays for guidance. An angel (Cary Grant) arrives, but his guidance isn't about fundraising.

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Robert E. Sherwood (screenplay), Leonardo Bercovici (screenplay),

Stars:

Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Grant	...	Dudley
Loretta Young	...	Julia Brougham
David Niven	...	Henry Brougham
Monty Woolley	...	Professor Wutheridge
James Gleason	...	Sylvester
Gladys Cooper	...	Mrs. Hamilton
Elsa Lanchester	...	Matilda
Sara Haden	...	Mildred Cassaway
Karolyn Grimes	...	Debby Brougham
Tito Vuolo	...	Maggenti
Regis Toomey	...	Mr. Miller
Sarah Edwards	...	Mrs. Duffy
Margaret McWade	...	Miss Trumbull
Anne O'Neal	...	Mrs. Ward (as Ann O'Neal)
Ben Erway	...	Mr. Perry

Storyline

An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral which he hopes will be paid for primarily by a wealthy, stubborn widow. He is losing sight of his family and of why he became a churchman in the first place. Enter Dudley, an angel sent to help him. Dudley does help everyone he meets, but not necessarily in the way they would have preferred. With the exception of Henry, everyone loves him, but Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his family's affections, as Christmas approaches.

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Plot Keywords:

bishop | christmas | fund | angel | hope | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

16 February 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jede Frau braucht einen Engel

Filming Locations:

Loring Park, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

William A. Seiter was the original director, but producer Samuel Goldwyn didn't like what he had shot and brought in Henry Koster to shoot a completely new film. The preview audience didn't like the new version, so Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett had to rewrite a couple of scenes without screen credit.

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Goofs

In several shots throughout the movie, the dog trainer's shadow can be seen. When Dudley pushes Julia's chair in, at Henry's back a shadow moves, and the dog gets up and walks over to Dudley.

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Quotes

Henry Brougham: Dudley, if we should need you again, will you come back?
Dudley: Not I. I shall ask to be assigned to the other end of the Universe.
Henry Brougham: Is that because I was so difficult?
Dudley: Oh, no. This difficulty was in me. When an Immortal finds himself envying the Mortal he is entrusted to his care, it's a danger signal. Take her in your arms and hold her tight.
[Coming]
Dudley: Kiss her for me, you lucky Henry!

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Connections

Referenced in Barry Norman's Christmas Movie Quiz (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Noël"
(Montez à Dieu) (uncredited)
Music by Charles Gounod
Sung by the boys' choir

User Reviews

When An Angel Envies The People He's Helping, It's Time To Leave

The year before this film came out another heavenly visitor in the person of Henry Travers visited earth after getting a complete and thorough briefing on his client James Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life. But other than learning that Travers liked a flaming rum punch we didn't learn too much about him.

Just as James Stewart prayed for guidance, David Niven who's a man of the cloth prays for it in The Bishop's Wife. Instead of lovable old Henry Travers, Niven gets as his aide, Cary Grant.

Niven proves to be a difficult client, but rather than expose him to an alternate universe, Grant does what he can in this world. Of course the woman who plays the title role, Loretta Young, is quite the distraction and Cary's having difficulty focusing.

Niven's a good man who's been raised to the post of bishop due to rich parishioner Gladys Cooper. He's to do her bidding and she bids that a cathedral be raised as a monument to her late husband. The burden of his conscience and dealing with Cooper has caused Niven to lose sight of what's really important in the world.

This is a Christmas season film so you know that everything will work itself out. If Cary Grant were an angel than I imagine he's very much like Dudley this minute. If I had a problem this Yuletide season, I'd kind of like Cary Grant to help me out, if I couldn't get Bing Crosby.

Loretta Young is radiant as the woman who causes Cary's halo to slip and David Niven is as charming as he always is. I also liked Monty Woolley as the professor and James Gleason as the cabdriver.

Make The Bishop's Wife a must for the Yuletide season. And see it back to back with the version that stars Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Courtney B. Vance.