For a Christmas classic long on charm, the 1947 THE BISHOP'S WIFE had a remarkably troubled history. When the film originally went before the cameras it starred noted actress and Academy award winner Teresa Wright in the title role with co-stars Cary Grant as the Bishop and David Niven as a slightly wayward angel--but somewhere along the way Wright ran afoul of director William Seiter, who, for reasons that have never been clearly explained, fired her. This in turn brought down the wrath of producer Samuel Goldwyn, who looked at the film, didn't like what he saw, and fired Seiter.
Goldwyn brought in director Henry Koster, who looked at the film and very strongly felt that Grant and Niven were in the wrong roles--and it took some time and effort to convince the two to make the change. Then, by the time shooting was set to resume, Wright was visibly pregnant and was replaced by Loretta Young. In consequence of these changes, there wasn't a scrap of film that could be salvaged from the original footage, so the film restarted from scratch at enormous cost. As a result, and although it was well received and did good box office, THE BISHOP'S WIFE was never the great financial hit Goldwyn had hoped: it was so deeply in the red before it opened that even the best attendance couldn't do more than recoup its cost.
The story is simple but charming. Episcopal Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) has become so consumed by the worldly demands of building a new and very expensive church that he has effectively lost touch with his faith--and, not incidentally, his wife Julia (Loretta Young), who is increasingly unhappy in the marriage and therefore presumably open to temptation. Their difficulties come to a head as Christmas approaches, but to their good fortune they are visited by an angel with the improbable name of Dudley (Cary Grant.) Handsome, suave, and able to show Julia a good time, Dudley soon incurs Henry's jealousy, and through this Henry comes to appreciate Julia and rediscovers his own spirituality.
Like most Christmas-oriented films of its era, THE BISHOP'S WIFE is less about serious theological issues than it is about whimsy, and while some may consider the result shallow it is nonetheless a truly charming bit of Christmas cheer. The three leads are memorable, with Grant a standout as the slightly devilish angel, and they are strongly supported by the very entertaining performances of Monty Wooley, Gladys Cooper, and Elsa Lanchester. The script is witty, the direction even if not greatly inspired, and the whole thing adds up to a highly entertaining two hours.
THE BISHOP'S WIFE was remade in 1996 as THE PREACHER'S WIFE, but the result was lackluster; gentle charm is not among the strengths of modern Hollywood. As for the DVD release of the original, it is at best so-so; the transfer is on the dark side, a fact that tends to take the edge off the film's emotional brightness. Even so, recommended just for the fun you'll have watching three of Hollywood's classic players execute a lightweight script with considerable grace and, yes, Christmas charm.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Goldwyn brought in director Henry Koster, who looked at the film and very strongly felt that Grant and Niven were in the wrong roles--and it took some time and effort to convince the two to make the change. Then, by the time shooting was set to resume, Wright was visibly pregnant and was replaced by Loretta Young. In consequence of these changes, there wasn't a scrap of film that could be salvaged from the original footage, so the film restarted from scratch at enormous cost. As a result, and although it was well received and did good box office, THE BISHOP'S WIFE was never the great financial hit Goldwyn had hoped: it was so deeply in the red before it opened that even the best attendance couldn't do more than recoup its cost.
The story is simple but charming. Episcopal Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) has become so consumed by the worldly demands of building a new and very expensive church that he has effectively lost touch with his faith--and, not incidentally, his wife Julia (Loretta Young), who is increasingly unhappy in the marriage and therefore presumably open to temptation. Their difficulties come to a head as Christmas approaches, but to their good fortune they are visited by an angel with the improbable name of Dudley (Cary Grant.) Handsome, suave, and able to show Julia a good time, Dudley soon incurs Henry's jealousy, and through this Henry comes to appreciate Julia and rediscovers his own spirituality.
Like most Christmas-oriented films of its era, THE BISHOP'S WIFE is less about serious theological issues than it is about whimsy, and while some may consider the result shallow it is nonetheless a truly charming bit of Christmas cheer. The three leads are memorable, with Grant a standout as the slightly devilish angel, and they are strongly supported by the very entertaining performances of Monty Wooley, Gladys Cooper, and Elsa Lanchester. The script is witty, the direction even if not greatly inspired, and the whole thing adds up to a highly entertaining two hours.
THE BISHOP'S WIFE was remade in 1996 as THE PREACHER'S WIFE, but the result was lackluster; gentle charm is not among the strengths of modern Hollywood. As for the DVD release of the original, it is at best so-so; the transfer is on the dark side, a fact that tends to take the edge off the film's emotional brightness. Even so, recommended just for the fun you'll have watching three of Hollywood's classic players execute a lightweight script with considerable grace and, yes, Christmas charm.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer