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The Bishop’s Wife is a film which could have any title, really, since it’s centred around three characters, but just picks one of them.
Of the trio, I would’ve thought David Niven had the most star power, as bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven), but the story – as the title suggests – falls mainly on his other half, Julia (Loretta Young).
But first, it’s Christmas time, there’s no reason to be afraid… and Dudley (Cary Grant), an angel, is first seen helping a blind man across the street, who’s clearly very trusting. I’m not sure I would be in that situation in 2022, but then this was 1947, hence the film getting a release at Christmas for its 75th anniversary, even though some bright spark at the studio didn’t put it out until February 1948!
But lo and behold, as they cross, cars instantly stop for Dudley, and he even stops a pram from running away after his mother doesn’t realise the brake doesn’t work any more.
Scrooge is clearly out and about, as about-town-know-it-all Professor Wutheridge (Monty Woolley) is arguing with a shopkeeper to spend just $1.40 on a tree, bringing the price down from not much more, thus coming across as a complete clown, despite being a regular customer. Anyone sensible would’ve barred him from their establishment aeons ago.
Henry is trying to raise funds to build a church (around the time a mysterious Roman coin keeps passing between characters), but after he prays for guidance, so angel Dudley comes to help, leaving Henry thinking he’s going mad, especially when Dudley keeps appearing and disappearing in his study at will. In fact, and very amusingly, the pair always act very awkward around each other, such as when the bishop leaves the study to talk to his wife, the angel comes out to join them and just stares… not realising until they look at him as if to say “WTF?!” that he’s intruding and retreats back from whence he came.
And after seemingly hiring Dudley on a whim, he’s only met him once, but Henry allows him to be in the house on his own?! Huh?
But of course, this is a more innocent time, so when some music is played, Dudley says, “It’s rather gay”, to which Julia replies, “I feel gay!”
And a bit of a spoiler… yes, I know The Bishop’s Wife is an old film…
But then as we see from time to time, Dudley can be very persuasive to other people, with actions rather like a Jedi mind trick, some 30 years before George Lucas brought such a thing to our screens.
And director Henry Koster was also ahead of time, since there’s a scene inside the bishop’s lounge, with Dudley and the bishop’s daughter, Debby (Karolyn Grimes – probably the only cast member still alive), with the camera on the floor but looking up to capture them both as they sit, along with Henry and Julia standing up, coming across like a Quentin Tarantino movie, with the corridor to the back room in Reservoir Dogs, before it changes to White and Pink talking about a setup.
As an aside, there’s a late exchange of “He’s an angel”, followed by “Too bad, he seems like a nice fella”, which got a big laugh from one man further back in the audience, for what would probably be classed as a homophobic reference, today, even though this is still a U-certificate.
The Bishop’s Wife had a one-off screening on December 24th 2022, and surprisingly isn’t available on Blu-ray or DVD in the UK, but it could be out of print, now.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 109 minutes
Year of release: 1947
Release date: December 24th 2022 (one-off showing)
Studio: RKO Radio Pictures
Format: 1.37:1 (35mm)
Cinema: Cineworld Didsbury
Rating: 6.5/10
Director: Henry Koster
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn
Screenplay: Robert E Sherwood, Leonardo Bercovici, Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett
Novel: Robert Nathan
Music: Hugo Friedhofer
Cast:
Dudley: Cary Grant
Julia Brougham: Loretta Young
Henry Brougham: David Niven
Professor Wutheridge: Monty Woolley
Sylvester: James Gleason
Mrs. Hamilton: Gladys Cooper
Matilda: Elsa Lanchester
Mildred Cassaway: Sara Haden
Debby Brougham: Karolyn Grimes
Maggenti: Tito Vuolo
Mr. Miller: Regis Toomey
Mrs. Duffy: Sarah Edwards
Miss Trumbull: Margaret McWade
Mrs. Ward: Ann O’Neal
Mr. Perry: Ben Erway
Stevens: Erville Alderson
Defense Captain: Bobby Anderson
Attack Captain: Teddy Infuhr
Michel: Eugene Borden
First Lady in Michel’s: Almira Sessions
Second Lady: Claire DuBrey
Third Lady: Florence Auer
Hat Shop proprietress: Margaret Wells
Hat Shop customer: Kitty O’Neill
Hysterical Mother: Isabel Jewell
Blind Man: David Leonard
Delia: Dorothy Vaughan
Policeman: Edgar Dearing
Vocal Ensemble: The Mitchell Boychoir
Ice Skater: ‘Babe’ Agamenoni (uncredited)
Little girl singing ‘Hark the Hearld Angels Sing’ with Cary Grant: Sheryl Deauville (uncredited)
Churchgoer: Dick Earle (uncredited)
Saleslady: Edythe Elliott (uncredited)
Churchgoer: Adolph Faylauer (uncredited)
Santa Claus: Joseph J Greene (uncredited)
Churchgoer: Thomas Martin (uncredited)
Churchgoer: Allen D Sewall (uncredited)
Restaurant Patron: Ellinor Vanderveer (uncredited)
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.