Editing The Bishop's Wife

{{Short description|1947 film directed by Henry Koster}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = The Bishop's Wife
| image          = The Bishop's Wife (1948 poster).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[William Rose (illustrator)|William Rose]]
| director       = [[Henry Koster]]
| based_on       = {{based on|''The Bishop's Wife''<br />1928 novella|[[Robert Nathan]]}}
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Leonardo Bercovici]]
* [[Robert E. Sherwood]]
* [[Billy Wilder]] (uncredited)
* [[Charles Brackett]] (uncredited)
}}
| producer       = [[Samuel Goldwyn]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Cary Grant]]
* [[Loretta Young]]
* [[David Niven]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Gregg Toland]]
| editing        = [[Monica Collingwood]]
| music          = [[Hugo Friedhofer]]
| studio         = [[Samuel Goldwyn Productions]]
| distributor    = [[RKO Radio Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1947|11|25|Premiere|1947|12|9|New York City|1948|2|16|United States|ref2=<ref name=AFI>{{cite web | url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/25469-THE-BISHOPSWIFE| title=The Bishop's Wife: Detail View | website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] | access-date=November 18, 2022}}</ref>|ref3=<ref name=AFI/>}}
| runtime        = 109 minutes{{efn|2013 release of Blu-ray from [[Warner Home Video]] is slightly cut.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RE3VQ7Q5S0BJG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00DW475CC|title="NOT a complete print!! Missing key musical footage!"|website=Amazon }}at amazon.com review</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RL0U3CYJPKXTU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00DW475CC|title=Great movie, but terrible blu ray transfer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!|website=Amazon }}at amazon.com review</ref>}}
| language       = English
| gross          = $3 million (US [[Distributor rental|rentals]])<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://archive.org/stream/variety173-1949-01#page/n45/mode/1up| title=Top Grossers of 1948| magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| date=January 5, 1949| page=46}}</ref>
| country        = United States
}}

'''''The Bishop's Wife''''' (also known as '''''Cary and the Bishop's Wife''''')<ref name=GrantWeb>{{cite news| url=http://www.carygrant.net/articles/tookhollywood.htm| first=Pete| last=Martin| newspaper=[[The Saturday Evening Post]]| date=February 19, 1949| page=22| title=How Grant Took Hollywood| access-date=December 5, 2021| via=GaryGrant.net}}</ref> is a 1947 American [[Christmas]] [[Romance film|romantic]] [[Fantasy film|fantasy comedy]] film directed by [[Henry Koster]], starring [[Cary Grant]], [[Loretta Young]] and [[David Niven]]. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his problems. The film was adapted by [[Leonardo Bercovici]] and [[Robert E. Sherwood]] from the 1928 novel of the same name by [[Robert Nathan]].

It was remade in 1996 as ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'' starring [[Denzel Washington]], [[Whitney Houston]], and [[Courtney B. Vance]].

==Plot==
[[Bishop]] Henry Brougham, having difficulties finding the funding for the building of a new [[cathedral]], prays for divine guidance. His plea is seemingly answered by a suave [[angel]] named Dudley, who reveals his heavenly identity only to the clergyman.

Dudley's mission turns out, however, not to be to help construct a cathedral, but to guide Henry and the people around him spiritually. Henry has become obsessed with raising funds, to the detriment of his family life. His relationships with wife Julia and their young daughter Debby are strained by his focus on the cathedral.

Everyone, except for Henry, is charmed by Dudley, even the non-religious Professor Wutheridge. When Dudley spends time cheering up Julia, though, an unexpected development occurs: he finds himself strongly attracted to her. Sensing this, Henry becomes jealous and anxious for his now unwelcome guest to finish and depart. He reveals Dudley's true identity to Professor Wutheridge, who urges him to stand up and fight for the woman he loves.

Dudley persuades a wealthy parishioner, the widowed Agnes Hamilton, to contribute her much needed funds, but not to build the cathedral, as Henry had hoped. Instead, he coaxes Mrs. Hamilton to donate her money to feed and clothe the needy, much to Henry's chagrin.

On several occasions throughout the film, Dudley is shown to have special powers as an [[angel]]. He helps Julia and Sylvester (a taxi driver) ice skate like pros, redecorates the Broughams' Christmas tree in seconds, saves an old church by restoring interest in the boys' choir, dictates to a [[typewriter]] to magically produce Henry's new [[sermon]]—without Henry's knowledge— and other smaller things.

Eventually, Dudley hints to Julia his desire to stay with her and not move on to his next "assignment". Although Julia doesn't fully understand what he's talking about, she senses what he means and tells him it is time for him to leave. Dudley tells the bishop it is rare for an angel to envy a mortal. When Henry wants to know why his cathedral plans were derailed, Dudley reminds the Bishop that he had prayed for guidance, not a building.

With his mission completed and now knowing that Julia loves her husband, Dudley leaves, promising never to return, but satisfied that his work is done. All memories of him are erased, and later that [[Christmas Eve]] at midnight, Henry delivers the sermon he believes he has written.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Cary Grant]] as Dudley
* [[Loretta Young]] as Julia Brougham
* [[David Niven]] as Bishop Henry Brougham
* [[Monty Woolley]] as Professor Wutheridge
* [[James Gleason]] as Sylvester, a sympathetic taxi driver
* [[Gladys Cooper]] as Mrs. Agnes Hamilton
* [[Elsa Lanchester]] as Matilda, the Broughams' housekeeper
* [[Sara Haden]] as Mildred Cassaway, the Bishop's secretary
* [[Karolyn Grimes]] as Debby Brougham, the Broughams' daughter
* [[Tito Vuolo]] as Maggenti
* [[Regis Toomey]] as Reverend Miller
* [[Sarah Edwards (actress)|Sarah Edwards]] as Mrs. Duffy
* [[Margaret McWade]] as Miss Trumbull
* [[Anne O'Neal]] as Mrs. Ward
* Ben Erway as Mr. Perry
* [[Erville Alderson]] as Stevens
* [[Bobby Anderson (actor)|Bobby Anderson]] as Defense Captain
* [[Teddy Infuhr]] as Attack Captain
* [[Eugene Borden]] as Michel
* [[Almira Sessions]] as first lady in Michel's
* [[Claire Du Brey]] (credited as Claire DuBrey) as second lady
* [[Florence Auer]] as third lady
* Margaret Wells as hat shop proprietress
* Kitty O'Neil (credited as Kitty O'Neill) as hat shop customer
* [[Isabel Jewell]] as hysterical mother
* David Leonard as blind man
* [[Dorothy Vaughan (actress)|Dorothy Vaughan]] as Delia
* [[Edgar Dearing]] as policeman
* [[Robert Mitchell (organist)#Robert Mitchell Boys Choir|The Mitchell Boychoir]] as vocal ensemble
}}

Niven was originally cast as the angel, [[Dana Andrews]] as the bishop, and [[Teresa Wright]] as his wife. However, Wright had to bow out due to pregnancy. According to [[Robert Osborne]], Andrews was lent to RKO in order to obtain Loretta Young. Koster then brought in Cary Grant, but he wanted to play the angel, so the role of the bishop was given to Niven.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

==Production==
[[File:The Bishop's Wife poster with textbox.jpg|thumb|150px|right|In markets where the original title was kept, the posters had a black text box added]]
[[File:Cary and the Bishop's Wife poster.jpg|thumb|200px|right|In some US markets, the film was retitled ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'']]
[[File:Cary Grant in 'The Bishop's Wife', 1947.jpg|thumb|Advertisement in the ''[[Ladies' Home Journal]]'']]

The film's production faced several difficulties. Producer Samuel Goldwyn replaced director [[William A. Seiter]] with Henry Koster to create a completely new film. In early previews, audiences disliked the film, so [[Billy Wilder]] and [[Charles Brackett]] made uncredited rewrites. Though the premiere of ''The Bishop's Wife'' was acclaimed by critics as a success, the film did not initially perform well at the box office. Market research showed that moviegoers avoided the film because they thought it was religious. As a result, Goldwyn decided to retitle it ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'' for certain US markets, while adding a black text box with the question "Have you heard about CARY AND THE BISHOP'S WIFE?" on posters in markets where the film kept the original title. By adding Grant's first name to the title, the film's business increased by as much as 25 percent.<ref name=GrantWeb/><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sMPSqFrycu0C&dq=%22Cary+and+the+Bishop%27s+wife%22&pg=PA93| first=Peter E.| last=Dans| title=Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners| page=93| publisher=Rowman & Littlefield| date=May 16, 2009| isbn=978-0-7425-7032-0| access-date=December 5, 2021}}</ref>

Location filming was in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]].<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/locations Filming locations for ''The Bishop's Wife''] at [[IMDb]]</ref> In the scene in which Dudley conducts the boys' choir, the [[Charles Gounod]] composition 'Noël: Montez à Dieu' ('O Sing to God') was performed by the [[Robert Mitchell Boys Choir]].<ref>{{YouTube| id=EgIvJl2P3JI| title=Boys' Choir scene from ''The Bishop's Wife''}}</ref> [[Emil Newman]] and [[Herbert W. Spencer]]'s melody, "Lost April," was given lyrics by [[Eddie DeLange]] and recorded by [[Nat King Cole]].

==Release==
The film was the second to be chosen for a [[Royal Film Performance|Royal Command Performance]] and  premiered at the [[Odeon Cinemas|Odeon cinema]] in London on November 25, 1947. Its American premiere was at the [[Astor Theatre (New York City)|Astor Theatre]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 22, 1947|page=3|title='Bishop's Wife' Named Royal 'Command' Pic|url=https://archive.org/details/variety168-1947-10/page/n172/mode/1up?view=theater|access-date=January 15, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

==Reception==
On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''The Bishop's Wife'' holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "''The Bishop's Wife'' succeeds thanks to the strength of winning performances from a stellar cast, which includes Cary Grant and Loretta Young."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_bishops_wife|title=The Bishop's Wife|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date={{RT data|access date|df=dmy}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[20th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Motion Picture]]
| [[Samuel Goldwyn Productions]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref name="Oscars1948">{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1948 |title=The 20th Academy Awards (1948) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093801/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/20th-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| [[Henry Koster]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| [[Monica Collingwood]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]]
| [[Hugo Friedhofer]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Recording]]
| [[Gordon E. Sawyer]]
| {{won}}
|}

==Adaptations to other media==
''The Bishop's Wife'' was dramatized as a half-hour radio play on the March 1, 1948, broadcast of ''[[The Screen Guild Theater]]'' with Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven in their original film roles. It was also presented on ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'' three times as an hour-long broadcast: first on December 19, 1949, with [[Tyrone Power]] and David Niven, second on May 11, 1953, with Cary Grant and Phyllis Thaxter and third on March 1, 1955, again with Grant and Thaxter.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Kirby| first1=Walter| title=Better Radio Programs for the Week| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2695625/the_decatur_daily_review/| newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review| date=May 10, 1953| page=50| via=[[Newspapers.com]]| access-date=June 27, 2015}}</ref>

The soundtrack has been released on [[compact disc]].<ref>{{cite web| title=The Bishop's Wife (1947)| website=SoundtrackInfo| url=http://www.soundtrackinfo.com/title/bishopswife.asp| access-date=October 10, 2009}}</ref>

The 1996 film ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'' was a remake based on ''The Bishop's Wife''.

==Note==
{{Notelist}}

==See also==
* [[List of films about angels]]
* [[List of Christmas films]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|The Bishop's Wife (film)}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}

'''Streaming audio'''
* [https://archive.org/download/ScreenGuildTheater/Sgt_48-03-01_ep377_The_Bishops_Wife.mp3 ''The Bishop's Wife''] on [[Screen Guild Theater]]: March 1, 1948
* [https://archive.org/download/Lux18/Lux-530511-49m12s-829-BiopsWife-CGrantPThaxter.mp3 ''The Bishop's Wife''] on [[Lux Radio Theater]]: May 11, 1953

{{Henry Koster}}
{{Samuel Goldwyn}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop's Wife, The}}
[[Category:1947 films]]
[[Category:1947 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:1940s American films]]
[[Category:1940s Christmas comedy films]]
[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
[[Category:1940s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:1940s romantic fantasy films]]
[[Category:1940s supernatural films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American Christmas comedy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:American romantic fantasy films]]
[[Category:Christmas romance films]]
[[Category:English-language Christmas comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language romantic fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films about angels]]
[[Category:Films about Christianity]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Robert Nathan]]
[[Category:Films directed by Henry Koster]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hugo Friedhofer]]
[[Category:Films shot in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Films that won the Best Sound Mixing Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Billy Wilder]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Charles Brackett]]
[[Category:RKO Pictures films]]
[[Category:Samuel Goldwyn Productions films]]