THE BISHOP'S WIFE
US, 1947, 109 minutes, Black and white.
Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleeson, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester, Sarah Hayden.
Directed by Henry Koster.
The Bishop’s Wife is a pleasant fantasy from the mid-40s. In the year of It’s a Wonderful Life with its focus on Clarence the benign angel (played by Henry Travers) who appeared to James Stewart and altered his life, Cary Grant appears as the angel Dudley who is sent to guide Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) and his wife Julia (Loretta Young). Dudley is a suave, sometimes humorous and wisecracking angel in the Cary Grant style. He also escorts the bishop’s wife on dates – something which might have seemed somewhat inappropriate in the 1940s. However, the bishop is preoccupied in persuading people with money to build a church – which is really for his own vanity rather than for his ministry.
There is a good supporting cast with Monty Woolley as the professor and James Gleeson as Sylvester the taxi driver. Gladys Cooper and Elsa Lanchester do their usual style – Gladys Cooper haughty, Elsa Lanchester benign and rather muddled.
There are some pleasant sequences including an ice-skating episode.
Information about the film indicates that it was first filmed by William A. Seiter but he made a film which producer Samuel Goldwyn disapproved of. Henry Koster made a new film – but in previews there was criticism so Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett rewrote some scenes.
The film was directed by Henry Koster, a versatile director from Germany who worked in Germany for many years but came to Hollywood in the mid-1930s, directing some films for Deanna Durbin. In the mid-40s he directed such films as The Luck of the Irish, Come to the Stable and the Danny Kaye comedy, The Inspector General. He was prolific during the 1950s and was chosen to direct the first Cinemascope film, The Robe. He continued to direct during the 1960s a range of films including The Story of Ruth and Flower Drum Song and then a number of comedies with James Stewart: Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation, Take Her She’s Mine and Dear Bridget.
The film was remade in the 1990s as The Preacher’s Wife with Denzel Washington as Dudley, Whitney Houston as the preacher’s wife and Courtney B. Vance as the preacher. It was directed by Garry Marshall.
1. The appeal of this romantic comedy? In its time, now?
2. The film seen as a piece of Americana: American values, family life, attitude towards religion?
3. The film as comedy, as romance. sentiment? Its values? Christmas atmosphere? How much sentiment, sentimentality? Corresponding to the feelings of the forties, now?
4. Black and white photography, music, sets? The stars and their popularity? Cary Grant as an angel?
5. The sketching of the situation of the bishop: his ordinary background, his marriage, a man of the people, Mrs Hamilton and her influence in his becoming Bishop, his obsession with building of the cathedral, his over-working and obsession with work, comprising for Mrs Hamilton? His failure as a religious man?
6. How well was the character of the bishop portrayed: David Niven's style, his relationship with his family and neglect of Julia and Debbie, his lack of faith in Dudley and suspicion of him, his harsh attitudes towards the staff, his reaction to Mrs Hamilton and yet compromising for her? his growing obsession with his work, his jealousy of Julia, questions of faith? Did he deserve the help that he got?
7. How enjoyable and attractive an angel was Dudley? The credibility of Cary Grant as this kind of angel? The humour of his presence and performance? His asking for faith from the bishop? The humour on aspects of religion? The genial visit to the professor and the filling up of the cherry bottle? Helping him with his book? Debbie and her participating in games, telling her the story of David? His charm to Matilda and the bishop's secretary? The outings and their enjoyment? His handling of the situation at Michelle's with the gossiping ladies?
8. The skating and the impact on Sylvester? His falling in love humanly? His visit to Mrs Hamilton and the importance to her? His mission and its success and his difficulty in going away?
8. Julia as an American wife? Devotion, mother? The exhilaration of the outings with Dudley? To Michelle’s, the skating, to the choir? The effect on her emotions and Dudley's absence? Being helped in her love for her husband?
9. Mrs Hamilton as the typical rich American woman, her hold over the bishop, her dominance, arrogance? The importance of Dudley's visit to her, the revelation of the truth, her confession and fooling liberated? Her giving of her money to the poor?
10. Debbie as the typical American little girl, Matilda and her giggly reaction to Dudley, the secretary and her melting with Dudley's charm?
11. The character of the professor and his genial presence? His telling the truth to the bishop?
12. The sequences of the snow fight, dinner at Michelle’s, the choir sequence, the skating rink? Sylvester and his joy and exuberance, his putting his foot in it at later meetings with the bishop?
13. The comedy touches, the bishop unable to get out of the chair, the tree?
14. The sentiment: the choir, the ending and the return to St. Timothy's?
15. How satisfactory was the resolution in terms of value, religion, plausibility of plot, miracles and angels? The basic wholesome message - satisfactory for this kind of film? The overall effect of the sentiment and warmth?
