The Bishops Wife
Perhaps if The Bishop's Wife had lapsed on its copyright and fallen into the public domain like It's a Wonderful Life, it would be as much a Christmas staple as that classic. It certainly deserves to be. Dudley (Cary Grant) is an angel sent down by the prayers of a new bishop (David Niven). The bishop is trying to build a new cathedral, and he's so entrenched in his fundraising that he's watching his own marriage crumble around him. Loretta Young is devoted, moist-eyed, and basically a great date for the tempted Dudley. They drink in the afternoon, go skating at night, and make impulse buys. The skating sequence beats mightily on one's suspension of disbelief, but the rest of the film is an absolute joy. Grant is suave, worldly, and enchanting. A wonderful present for anyone who has not seen it. –Keith Simanton
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars SAM SHOULD HAVE STUCK TO HIS GUNS
…..This is a nice Christmas story in the Vein of Miracle on 34TH Street or It's a Wonderful Life with Angels and a happy ending. However I think Sam Goldwyn should have stuck to his guns when he proposed that Cary Grant play the Bisop and that David Niven play the Angel. I don't know what arguement Grant used on Goldwyn to get him to change his mind but if I were Niven, I would have been furious. The part of Dudley "the angel" was a plum part and Niven had it stolen right from under his nose. I deducted one star for what I consider to be a casting mistake.
…..With an all star cast and good dialogue this is a very enjoyable film and the DVD is a quality transfer. Loretta Young was 34 and coming to the end of a very sucessful movie career when this movie was made but she still retained the radiant beauty that made her a top movie star and a soon to be successful TV star as the host of the Loretta Young show. For Loretta Young fans this movie is a must have for your collection.
5 Stars The Bishop's Wife: Loretta Young the Star
It's no wonder that the title of this film refers to the wife of the Bishop, played by David Niven. Young is at the peak of her beauty; she steals every scene she's in, even from Cary Grant. Watch her in her minimalistic acting: she's an acting pro who practices the advice Spencer Tracey, who once loved Young, gave Burt Reynolds that in acting "less is more." Whether or not you like Young, you have to admit there is a radiance to her beauty. She is perfect for this role. Now that her career is undergoing a re-evaluation (primarily because of the book The Star Machine), people are now taking a second look at her movies, especially those of the early 1930's. Although TV made her into an even bigger star and a household name, many people have forgotten her many fine films. Even in Platinum Blond, Young had top-billing, and as lovely as Jean Harlow was, it is still Young's film: her acting and beauty shine throughout the film. I'm glad The Bishop's Wife has become a tradition in many American families during Christmas because it's message is so appropriate. It's a film that doesn't knock you over the head with didacticism. Just sit back and enjoy the film, and all the other actors who also shine, including James Gleason, Elsa Lanchester, Monty Whooley, and of course, Cary Grant and David Niven. But in this viewer's opinion, the film belongs to Loretta Young. The camera is love with her face, and notice in every scene with Cary Grant, more light is cast upon her than the man with the top billing, Mr. Grant himself. He made one other film with Young, and I'm sure he knew that in his scenes with Young, she'd steal the scene without doing a thing. Such is the power of beauty!
5 Stars Great find!
I was very happy to find this movie available. My mother had been looking for it for some time, and I was able to give it to her for her 75th birthday in February. She was delighted to be able to watch a movie that she hadn't seen in years, whenever she wanted to. It also came in plenty of time..Thanks again!!
4 Stars Christmas Lover's Triangle?
What to do? You're an Episcopal Bishop who feels an angel is movin' in on your wife… and you've been overburdened trying to get a cathedral built! This is a nice 'old' classic for middle-agers and above to watch together (nothing here to keep the interest of children or teens). Fine performances by Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young. It an enjoyable movie, though I find the ice-skating sequence too long and drawn out.
5 Stars Love this movie
Love the movie and the DVD was everything it said it would be. Good price too.
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