The Bishop's Wife
by Henry Koster
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Cary Grant, David Niven, James Gleason, Loretta Young, Monty WoolleyDirector: Henry Koster
Brand: GRANT,CARY
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: Pan & Scan, 1.33:1
Running Time: 109 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-03-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of The Bishop's Wife
Movie Review: Disappointing Christmas Fare
Summary: 2 Stars
I'd heard about this movie all my life, so on a whim I purchased it from Amazon and settled down with my eggnog for a holiday treat. Was I disappointed! I'd expected something on the caliber of It's a Wonderful Life. Instead, I thought this movie was shallow and contrived. It's an insipid story line about how a nice angel improves everyone's attitude by doing a few parlor tricks like straightening files and providing a never-ending bottle of whiskey. Loretta Young's character wallowed in subservient self-pity. David Niven's cold portrayal of her bishop husband didn't warm up much, even after the angel's visit. I didn't really care for any of the characters, and found myself yawning. The film was nominated for Best Picture after its 1940s release, so I'm sure there's a host of Americans who disagree with me, but I wish I hadn't wasted my money.
Summary of The Bishop's Wife
Heavenly bells are ringing, jubilant choirs are singing and Christmas joy is blanketing the world like freshly fallen snow. But the Yuletide spirit has yet to warm Bishop Henry Brougham's Victorian home. Struggling to raise funds for a new cathedral, the preoccupied young clergyman has neglected his loving wife Julia, and now only divine intervention can save their marriage! But the powerful and handsome angel sent from above has a mind of his own and teaching mortal Henry an immortal lesson inromance isn't all he's got planned! Starring Oscar(r) winners* Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven, and featuring "a stellar supporting cast" (The Hollywood Reporter) that includes James Gleason and Monty Woolley, this delightful romantic comedy is wondrous, witty andtruly divine! *Grant, Honorary Oscar (1969); Young, Actress, The Farmer's Daughter (1947); Niven, Actor, Separate Tables (1958)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
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