The Bishop's Wife (1947)

An angel in human form enters the life of a bishop in order to help him build a new cathedral and repair his fractured marriage.

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

bishop | angel | christmas | hope | faith | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

16 February 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jede Frau braucht einen Engel

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert J Anderson is not the only actor in this film who also played a child in It's a Wonderful Life. Karolyn Grimes, who plays Debby, also played Zuzu in It's a Wonderful Life, whilst Robert J Anderson played a young George Bailey.

---

Goofs

When Dudley sits down to have dinner with the Bishop and his wife, the Bishop has a stalk of celery in his left suit pocket. He removes it from the pocket as he sits down. In the next shot it is back in the same pocket and he takes it out again.

---

Quotes

Henry Brougham: Are you expecting a letter?
Dudley: Well, you never know. If I did get one, the stamp would certainly be worth saving.

---

Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

---

Connections

Featured in The Andrew Klavan Show: Episode #1.436 (2017)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

One of the top 3 best Christmas movies of all time.

I discovered this wonderful movie quite by accident. It was Christmas time many years ago, late at night, I was cruising the channels one last time before retiring for the night. when I saw Cary Grant's face flash on the screen. I had to pause my frenzied surfing. Cary is one of my all time favorite movie stars. Fortunately the movie was just beginning, so I sat back to watch, and was treated to a wonderful Christmas surprise.

Cary is at his wide screen best. All of his charm, wit, and charisma. Endowed by heavenly powers, he bestows his angelic persona upon a small town bishop who is overwhelmed by his mis-guided quest to build a magnificent "earthly" cathedral to glorify God. In frustration at the difficulty in building this false edification to God, he prays to God for guidance. The bishop's prayers are answered in the form of "Dudley", as Cary's angelic character in called.

Dudley proceeds to weave a benign spell over a whole cast of wonderful characters to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas. This charming Christmas fantasy truly warms the hart and kindles the soul.

David Nivin plays the perfect foil for Cary's assignment of "answering the bishop's prayers". Loretta Young's charming demeanor as the bishops devoted, but neglected wife, distracts Cary("Dudley")from his primary mission, and leads the audience on a heart warming journey through small town America at mid 20th century, during a memorable Christmas season.

My young son saw this movie for the first time when he was nine years old. It has become his favorite Christmas movie. He even requested to watch it last summer at age 12. I recommend this film for the whole Family. Put a fire in the fire place, light the scented candles, cuddle up with your love ones, and have a Merry "Cary" Christmas.