Holiday Movies: The Bishop's Wife (1947)

The most remarkable thing about The Bishop's Wife (1947) is the most obvious: Cary Grant.  He's magical.  He's debonair.  He's charming.  For god's sake, he's Cary Grant, and he stars in this Christmas movie directed by Henry Koster (who was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Director for the film), as an angel sent to earth to save the marriage of a bishop (David Niven) and his wife Julia (Loretta Young).  If that premise sounds unfathomable, remember this angel's name is "Dudley," marking the first time in history magnetic grace and charm would be associated with such a dullard name.  Which is to say, I'm willing to believe anything you say if you're Cary Grant telling it to me.  I'll even believe your name is Dudley.  The film is entirely a vehicle to showcase the actor's utter charm and attractiveness.  The Bishop's Wife, in short, is about Cary Grant, by the sheer force of his wonderfulness, gorgeously framed by cinematographer Gregg Toland's camera, making everything better.

And by god, Cary Grant does make things better.  He befriends Julia to make her husband Bishop Henry jealous.  Grant brings love back to the couple's marriage by showing Henry the lightness he's capable of achieving with Julia.  In the meantime--spoiler alert--he falls in love with her, but don't worry, this is Cary Grant, and he is magnanimous enough to go back to heaven before he is tempted too strongly by physical pleasures.  Cary Grant has such restraint.  Cary Grant is perfect on the inside and out.  Cary Grant is a goddamn angel, you guys.  Not only that, he's downright magical.  He can decorate a Christmas tree with the wave of a hand:  

 

 

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