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The Bishop's Wife (Henry Koster, 1947)
This is another one of those absolutely classic Christmas tales that in my mind gets overlooked. It's A Wonderful Life is a movie that just about everyone has seen but have you ever seen this one? No? You should. One very good reason to see this is Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young, just a sparkling cast to say the least. You may also recognize young George Bailey and little Zuzu if you're paying attention. Also Its every bit of an amazing story as It's A Wonderful Life, a simple story. One of love and faith in mankind and even faith in angels and God. What does a Bishop (David Niven) do when he's faced with an angel face to face? Talk about a test of faith! Angels are to be believed in not seen in the flesh.
This is a solid Christmas flick whether you believe in God or not. It's very well-made and Cary Grant is at his most-charming, plus Loretta Young actually won a Best Actress Oscar this same year, albeit for The Farmer's Daughter. The dramatic core of this film is how will Bishop David Niven get his cathedral built unless he kowtows to a rich matron (Gladys Cooper). The Bishop does pray to God for help, and almost immediately the angel Dudley (Grant) appears in his study, but the Bishop is unable to believe that he is who he says he is. Instead, Dudley begins to romance the Bishop's wife (Young) in an attempt to get the Bishop to act, but he begins to fall in love with her. This is a beautiful Christmas film, and Loretta and Cary have several very fun and lighthearted scenes together that I feel never cross the line that so many other films do today when it comes to infidelity and marriage. Later it was remade as The Preacher's Wife with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.
This is another one of those absolutely classic Christmas tales that in my mind gets overlooked. It's A Wonderful Life is a movie that just about everyone has seen but have you ever seen this one? No? You should. One very good reason to see this is Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young, just a sparkling cast to say the least. You may also recognize young George Bailey and little Zuzu if you're paying attention. Also Its every bit of an amazing story as It's A Wonderful Life, a simple story. One of love and faith in mankind and even faith in angels and God. What does a Bishop (David Niven) do when he's faced with an angel face to face? Talk about a test of faith! Angels are to be believed in not seen in the flesh.
This is a solid Christmas flick whether you believe in God or not. It's very well-made and Cary Grant is at his most-charming, plus Loretta Young actually won a Best Actress Oscar this same year, albeit for The Farmer's Daughter. The dramatic core of this film is how will Bishop David Niven get his cathedral built unless he kowtows to a rich matron (Gladys Cooper). The Bishop does pray to God for help, and almost immediately the angel Dudley (Grant) appears in his study, but the Bishop is unable to believe that he is who he says he is. Instead, Dudley begins to romance the Bishop's wife (Young) in an attempt to get the Bishop to act, but he begins to fall in love with her. This is a beautiful Christmas film, and Loretta and Cary have several very fun and lighthearted scenes together that I feel never cross the line that so many other films do today when it comes to infidelity and marriage. Later it was remade as The Preacher's Wife with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.