The Bishop's Wife
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Movie Reviews of The Bishop's Wife
Movie Review: This Movie will Grow on You
Summary: 5 Stars
The more I see this film, the more I like it. This film has a definite ring of reality and truth. Anyone who has had ministry experience will empathize with David Niven's character as the pastor of a church that is in somewhat of a decline. After years of struggling to grow his church, he is desparate to "save" his church and his ministry by securing the funding of a new building program. He is so focused on this goal that he is willing to sacrifice his ideals and his marriage in order to achieve it. What's very realistic about this is that Niven's character thinks he is doing "God's work" in his pursuit. Unless one has been in full-time ministry, it is difficult to grasp the pressure ministers are under to "produce" growth - to have a "successful" ministry. This pressure is captured very well in the film. In the process of achieving this funding for a new church building, Niven's character has lost sight of Who and what he is serving, and worse, he is totally unaware of his cold and "stagnant" relationships with God, his wife, his co-workers, and those he is called to love and serve.
In steps an angel, Cary Grant, who is sent to influence this driven, over-worked, frantic, and misguided pastor/husband to recover his once-sincere devotion to his God, to his ministry, and to his wife. Complications arise when Grant's character and the pastor's (Niven) wife, Loretta Young, are attracted to each other. The angel falls in love with the pastor's neglected and dispirited wife.
Of course everything works out in the end. The angel (Grant) accomplishes his mission and the pastor is restored to genuine love of God and his wife. There are many sweet and endearing characters and scenes along the way. I highly recommend this for your Christmas season viewing.
Movie Review: A holiday classic that you may not even be familiar with.
Summary: 5 Stars
It seems like just about everyone in America is familiar with Frank Capra's classic holiday movie "It's A Wonderful Life". As far as I know it is the only black and white movie still shown on network television. But there other superb "holiday" movies. One that you may not be familiar with is Samuel Goldwyn's 1947 production of "The Bishop's Wife" starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven.
Cary Grant plays an angel named Dudley in this film (Dudley?) who all of a sudden appears in response to the prayers of a newly installed bishop (David Niven) who is at his wit's end trying to raise funds for a new cathedral. Being chairperson of my church's Capital Campaign I can totally relate to what the bishop was going through. Anyway, his fund-raising campaign is not going so well and is consuming practically all of his time. He is desperate with worry and his responsibilities as bishop are beginning to take their toll on his relationship with his wife Julia(Loretta Young) and his young daughter. With the Christmas holidays approaching Dudley appears to help the bishop sort it all out. What neither Dudley nor the bishop could have ever anticipated was that Dudley would suddenly become smitten with the lovely and vivacious Julia. This simply had never happened to him before! Needless to day the budding relationship between angel and wife wreaks all sorts of havoc. But as was so often the case in these old classic flicks everything turns out OK in the end.
"The Bishop's Wife" is yet another movie from this period that my wife and I can enjoy again and again. "The Bishop's Wife" was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1947 and would be remade in 1996 as "The Preacher's Wife" starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. Very highly recommended!
Movie Review: A Holiday Classi
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite holiday films that carries a clear message: You get what you wish for. So starts our film with a bishop who asks for help from the almighty to build a cathedral. The problem is that his major benefactor wants the church built like a Mausoluem for her departed husband. To top that off our dear Bishop has been trying so hard to get his cathedral build that he has forgotten about his wife and daughter. Help comes in the form of Dudley the Angel, charmingly portrayed by Cary Grant. This is a wonderful role for Grant, who was originally slated to play the Bishop with Niven in the role of the angel. One chat between Grant and the director caused a switch which, in turn, created a magical film. I can't imagine anyone else in the role of Dudley the Angel. You can almost see how much Cary Grant enjoys playing the Angel. Anyway, I won't ruin the rest of the movie for you accept to say that Dudley is there to help the Bishop. Thing is that the Bishop thinks Dudley is their to help him build the Cathedral. Dudley has come to aid the bishop and give him the help he needs. The bishop just doesn't realize where the help is needed.
My recommendation is to rent this movie for now.
This movie was shot in letterbox but is presented in Pan & Scan. Many of us are discriminating collectors that cherish the original format that the movie was presented in. Why the studio chose to present this movie in Pan & Scan when it was clearly shot in letterbox, is beyond me. All movies made after 1945 were shot in Letterbox. This info is public knowledge. So, listen up studio. Give this movie the treatment it deserves and release it in Letterbox for all of the fans of this wonderful movie who want to own it in it's original format. Letterbox please.
Movie Review: The Bishop's Wife
Summary: 5 Stars
What can one say about this 1947 MGM offering? Just plain tremendous!
Cary Grant as the angel Dudley is a bit devil, but he does not deviate from his mission, even though, he develops "feelings" for the beautiful, graceful, and talented Loretta Young. Loretta Young plays Julia Brougham to perfection, the patient, loving wife of David Niven, an Episcopal Bishop.
David Niven's Henry Brougham is a man with a driving passion. Unfortunately, his passion is not for his lovely wife, but his desire is to build a magnificent cathedral in this postwar town.
The season of the year is Christmas. It seems at least in the movies that miraculous things happen at this time of the year.
The town looks like a Norman Rockwell painting with snow, trees, ice skating, the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir and music even to make a Grinch steal back to his hole. Of course, you have to have a rich person who holds the keys to Bishop Brougham's dreams--so he thinks.
One of the best scenes is when Dudley takes Julia and Sylvester, their cab driver, ice skating--really ice dancing. It is priceless. It's fun to watch.
Overall this film is a great Christmas present because it brings back a time when life's problems could be solved by a simple miracle. The black and white noir is just fine. Gather your family around and watch this delightful fantasy.
It was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. It won the Oscar for Best Sound. It was based on the 1928 novel by Robert Nathan.
"Give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still -- the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see." Robert Nathan
Movie Review: The Bishop's Wife: Loretta Young the Star
Summary: 5 Stars
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!