Rating: 
Summary: Christmas with Cary Grant.
Review: I think overall, this movie is maybe my favourite that was set around Christmas time. It's better than the brilliant - although overrated - Capra classic, "It's a Wonderful Life". I am in no way meaning to compare the two though. "The Bishop's Wife" is not really like that movie. But both films remain the two greatest christmas time classics to come out of the 1940's.The film is, as one would have already guessed, set around christmas time. The main plot of the story, is that David Niven is this Bishop, who prays for guidance, of how to get a new cathedral built. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an Angel, who has been sent to help, although the Bishop does not take to him being an Angel too seriously, for some time. Dudley helps everyone he meets, but not always in the way they might prefer, to start off with. Dudley spends a lot of time with the Bishop's wife (Loretta Young) and he is not liking it. Dudley becomes the popular friend among all the people he meets, and helps, but the Bishop is the odd one out, becoming more annoyed, and frustrated with him as it goes along. It all ends nicely though, of course. The film is really wonferful. There is a skating scene, that is inparticularly memorable, among Cary Grant always charming, excellent performance. The acting in this movie, is simply brilliant. I cant possibly have seen it being any better. The script, the story, everything about this movie is great. Repeated viewings are easy, and its one of Cary Grant best movies. This DVD from MGM has a great print. It contains very few signs of scratching, and the other little artifacts you find in some movies of this age, and is an overall good looking transfer. The extras are lousy. You get the trailer (which is quite fun, might I add) but absolutely nothing else. Oh well, the print is the main thing, and they have done a good job in that part. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Get it, Get it, Get it.
Review: Get it, Get it, Get it.
Now that we've gone past the subtleties, this is indeed one of the better feel good oldies and definitely one of the best Cary Grant shows.
Amazingly, even though made in 1948, it is still soooo.. relevant today. The issues raised and the sentiments felt are still so real and alive even today.
The best part is that for an old show it is amazingly accepting and non-preachy about a lot of things. There is also sufficient twists and turns in the plot to rise above the genre of innocent and simplistic films from the past.
Love it. It is still excellent and will definitely more than hold its own with the best shows of today.
Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable - nice way to spend the afternoon.
Review: Nice little plot with very good performances by all the lead parts.
A cozy way to spend the afternoon with TBW and a bowl of popcorn.
No special effects to speak of.
Deals with religious questions without beating you over the head.
Good film for young adults to see.
Rating: 
Summary: Such a charming ,subtle angel.
Review: Christmas is now complete. I've again seen The Bishop's Wife.
David Niven is the Bishop with a hot poker up his butt. Loretta Young is his simple-minded wife, Julia, who puts up with him. Then there is the angel, St. Dudley aka Cary Grant. The bishop prays for an angel for help & gets hime. Dudley is not exactly what he was hoping for. Dudley starts by giving Julia the attention she's been missing, squiring her around town showing her a good time, things she no longer does with the obsessed bishop. Julia falls in love with Dudley. Dudley can't fall in love with Julia because he's an angel. Or can he? The bishop is the only person that knows Dudley's an angel, feels jealous & wishes he would go back to where ever he came from.
But the bishop has lost his way in his lust for a new cathedral. Dudley gently guides him back to doing the right thing. The end is bittersweet. I always hope that when Dudley gets ever so close to Julia in an intimate moment that they will kiss. They can't of course. They saved that for off camera when the movie was over
Rating:
Summary: My Grandmother loved it...
Review: .... back in the 70s I watched it with her and she couldn`t get over it... Her husband was tragically killed in South-Africa in 1946 at the the age of 36 and was dying to bring her over from Norway after he had witnessed films in Radio City Music Hall...
As I saw it yesterday on DVD, the movie talked to me - indeed I think as it did to my grandma in the 70s... The day after she watched it, she continued to marvel at its greatness and how much she enjoyed Cary Grant. Cary Grant was born the same year - on that same date as her - and ever since then - Mr Grant has held a special place in my heart... Sentimental reasons I know... but the film is still as magical as it must have been at the time of its initial release.
I hail it as the all-time-xmas film:-) PS: Don`t miss the funny trailer hehehe
Rating:
Summary: Christmas Fable That Falls Short
Review: "The Bishop's Wife" is a mildly diverting fantasy that falls short of greatness because of the flatness of the direction. I kept thinking that if this film were directed by Frank Capra instead of Henry Koster it would be a whole different enterprise. The strengths of the film lie with the basic story
and the charismatic turn by Cary Grant as Dudley, the angel that visits a diocese in New York to set the priorities straight. David Niven does admirable work as the uptight bishop who cannot see the forest for the trees. Loretta Young, on the other hand, gives a performance akin to a cigar store Indian. Master cinematographer Gregg Toland films her in soft focus to show emotion and passion that are otherwise absent in her performance as the frustrated bishop's wife. Good supporting turns are also delivered by Monty Wooley as a historian and Gladys Cooper as Niven's main benefactor in getting his cathedral built. But why is the talented Elsa Lanchester wasted here as the bishop's maid?
Rating:
Summary: Truly A Heaven Sent Christmas Gem
Review: It always mystifies me why this truly touching 1948 Christmas movie is not better known. It certainly hasn't got the high seasonal profile of efforts such as "It's a Wonderful Life", and "Miracle on 34th Street", however it deserves to be given its great characters, moving story and still relevant examination of people's misplaced values and lack of focus on those things in life that are really important. The legendary trio of actors performing here; Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven are perfectly cast in their respective roles and bring great conviction and meaning to their dialogue and the situations they perform. Of course being a story taking place at Christmas and dealing with individuals learning the real values in life the movie seems to radiate a tremendous feeling of goodwill and especially hope with each screening and for that reason alone it is a much treasured part of my Christmas viewing each December.
The story opens where we find Bishop Henry Broughman (David Niven), in a quandery about finding the necessary funds to build his new Parish Cathedral. He is constrained by the demands of wealthy widow Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper), who wants the Cathedral to be a memorial to her late husband. Under his Parish demands Henry neglects his wife Julia (Loretta Young), and his young daughter Debby (Karolyn Grimes)constantly breaking promises to spend more time with them. With things in their marriage going from bad to worse suddenly, as if from heaven (!) help arrives in the form of a mysterious man called simply "Dudley", (Cary Grant). Offering to work as Henry's assistant in the Parish Office, Dudley has a strange "other worldly", demeanour about him and he never seems to get ruffled or flustered. He also seems to have solutions to most of Henry's problems much to the Bishop's annoyance. Dudley begins to make Julia feel wanted again and the two begin to rediscover life and go ice skating , shopping and dining out in the Bishop and Julia's favourite restaurant. Dudley seems to have a way with most people and manages to also remotivate the Brougham's old friend Professor Wutheridge to begin writing again after many years. Dominated by the demands of Mrs. Hamilton and having to compromise everything to suit her, Henry finds that Dudley even seems to have the magic touch with this formidable woman when he meets her and the plans for this monument to her husband who she actually didn't even love are scraped. Sensing Julia's attachment to him and finding his own feelings growing Dudley senses that his work is done in the Bishop's household as both parties seem to have rediscovered what is important in their lives. The conclusion sees Henry back at his earlier Parish of St. Timothy's delivering a sermon which in actual fact was left for him by the now departed Dudley. Once gone all memory of Dudley in the lives of Henry and Julia is erased allowing them to get on with their lives together undistracted, the only exception being the "guardian angel", which mysteriously appears above their daughter's bed.
Quite rightly nominated for Academy Awards as Best Picture and Best Director for Henry Koster the film really could have been nominated in a number of other areas as well, especially the acting. It's hard now to imagine considering the way the two male leads are so perfectly cast that when "The Bishop's Wife", first went into production Cary Grant and David Niven where playing the others role. Two weeks into production they realised the mistake that had been made and the roles were reversed. Cary Grant makes a perfect angel and he was right to swap roles with David Niven who is also ideally suited to play the distracted Bishop sorely in need of "divine intervention". Grant with his good looks, suave charm, and expert delivery of lines that of course we the audience know have a double meaning really makes you almost believe he is an angel and a great deal of the wonderment in this story is due to his great work. Loretta Young also excels in her role as the neglected wife who sees her husband and their life together slowly fading away under the plans to build the new Cathedral. Her chemistry with Cary Grant is terrific and the warm affection turning to a subtle kind of love as the story progresses contains some great acting. David Niven probably has the least appealing but also in some ways the most difficult of the three main character roles. His plight about building a huge edifice to a dead man's memory at first seems rather shallow however once again through his skillful playing Niven manages to make us see the difficulties that he is experiencing and how it is effecting him as an individual which necessarily softens his character. His work with Cary Grant in particular also shines and the two share many amusing moments over the Bishop's disbelief that Dudley is in actual fact an angel sent down to earth to help him. Monty Wooley in the smaller role of Professor Wutheridge had one of his more appealing characters here and he is wonderful as the bemused old academic who courtesy of Dudley's "intervention", has his belief in himself restored so that he can finish his novel on Ancient Rome after many years. "The Bishop's Wife", I feel should have received a Cinematograhy Oscar nomination as there has rarely been a more beautiful looking film set at Christmas. The scenes of Dudley and Julia ice skating, the Carol Singers in the snow covered streets and the excellent special effects especially when Dudley magically decorates the family Christmas tree with the raising of his hands all add up to a beautiful looking and magical viewing experience to cherish. The inclusion of the real life Mitchell Boys Choir into the story as the singers at St. Timothy's also adds a special highly appropriate element to this Christmas offering and their famous voices are featured prominently in one excellent Carol scene.
If ever you even just a little believed in magic or that there is someone "on the other side", looking out for you in this life then you can't help but love "The Bishop's Wife". I also happen to like the remake titled "The Preacher's Wife", that starred Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston very much as well but it was a very different type of movie. This earlier film from 1948 makes perfect Christmas viewing with a human message that is just as relevant at any other time in the year, which is to not take what you have for granted ever and always hold on to those things or people who are important to you. Enjoy Cary Grant as the perfect angel in the Yuletide offering "The Bishop's Wife", soon.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST!!!!
Review: This movie is a MUST have and a MUST to see! The special affects for the time this movie was made were top of the line. It's delightful to see how David Niven plays against Cary Grant.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT Christmas Movie
Review: The Preacher's Wife was a remake of this. In the Preacher's Wife, I kept rooting for the preacher to dump the controlling diva and go have some fun. The plot is pretty much the same, but it soooo missed the spirit of the original. In this one, you clearly want the couple to get back together, you can empathisize with all three characters, and you can see that it's really just a case of good intentions leading to overwork leading to marital problems. It's an incredibly sweet, nice movie that all ages can enjoy. And I'll take Cary Grant as my Guardian Angel, no questions asked!
Rating:
Summary: It's a Wonderful Movie
Review: I love The Bishop's Wife. This movie is so charming, funny and warm that its mood is completely contagious. Grant is wonderful as the angel, Dudley, and Young and Niven are equally fine as his assignment. Lessons about what's important in life and where your priorities should lie are all here - wrapped up in a big, cheerful bow. This is a great feel-good movie and a true holiday classic.
PS: Do not confuse this with the awful The Preachers Wife and let it scare you away from this gem.
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