The Bishop's Wife

UK Release Date. 25 November 1947
Certification. U
Running Time. 1 hour 40 mins
Director. Henry Koster
Cast. Cary Grant, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Monty Woolley, Loretta Young.
Rating. 59%

Review.

The Bishop’s Wife was first released in 1947, 12 months after It's A Wonderful Life, and as a result, comparisons with Frank Capra's Christmas staple are almost inevitable.

An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham (David Niven), has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral, which he hopes will be paid for primarily by the wealthy, but difficult and demanding widow, Mrs Hamilton (Gladys Cooper). He has already lost the common touch with his congregation and is in danger of losing his family; his wife, Julia (Loretta Young), and their young daughter Debbie (Karolyn Grimes) have been sorely neglected as he struggles to secure the funds for the new cathedral. At his wits' end, the forlorn bishop prays for guidance and an angel appears - an angel, in human form, named Dudley, played by Cary Grant. From the outset, Grant's divine manifestation could hardly contrast more sharply with Henry Travers’ Clarence Odbody, AS2.

This is Cary Grant at his most heavenly. Handsome, debonair and charming, with almost everyone, including the audience, falling under his persuasive spell. The script touches on all the wholesome tropes of a Christmas film without dipping too deeply into schmaltz. But, as was often the case with films made during the era of the Hays Code, there are hints of something dark beneath the surface. Grant's angel is flawed, and far from innocent as he develops wholly inappropriate feelings for the bishop's wife.

Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, The Bishop's Wife spawned an inspid remake in 1996, The Preacher's Wife, starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.

Thematically, there is nothing particularly groundbreaking about The Bishop's Wife – a troubled man has lost his way and needs to be reminded of what really matters. A humble tale of faith and hope, with just the right amount of sentimentality. The Bishop's Wife is no It's A Wonderful Life, but perhaps it may just be the sweetest Christmas film you've never seen.