The Bishop's Wife [1947]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1947
Running Times: 110 mins
Length: 9500 ft
Format: black and white     computer colorized version also available     35mm
Ratio: 1.37:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: RKO Radio Pictures Inc / Samuel Goldwyn Company
Executive in Charge of Production: Leon Fromkess
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn
Production Manager: Raoul Pagel

SCRIPT
Script: Leonardo Bercovici, Robert E. Sherwood, Charles Brackett [uncredited], Billy Wilder [uncredited]
Book: Robert Nathan

DIRECTION
Director: Henry Koster
Assistant Director: Joseph Boyle

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gregg Toland
Camera Operator: Bert Shipham
Grip: Ralph Goge
Stills: Hal McAlpin

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Monica Collingwood

MUSIC
Music: Hugo Friedhofer
Song: Edgar DeLange, Emile Newman, Herbert Spencer [Lost April]
Musical Director: Emil Newman
Orchestrator: Jerome Moross

SOUND
Sound: Fred Lau
Vocal Director: Charles Henderson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Robert Stephanoff
Hair: Maria Clark
Costume Designer: Irene Sharaff

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: John P. Fulton

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Directors: Perry Ferguson, George Jenkins
Set Decorator: Julia Heron

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisors: Irene Carson, Sam Freedle
Assistant to Producer: Edgar Peterson

CAST
Cary Grant [Dudley]
Loretta Young [Julia Brougham]
David Niven [Henry Brougham]
Monty Woolley [Professor Wutheridge]
James Gleason [Sylvester]
Gladys Cooper [Mrs Hamilton]
Elsa Lanchester [Matilda]
Sara Haden [Mildred Cassaway]
Karolyn Grimes [Debby Brougham]
Tito Vuolo [Maggenti]
Regis Toomey [Mr Miller]
Sarah Edwards [Mrs Duffy]
Margaret McWade [Miss Trumbull]
Anne O'Neal [Mrs Ward]
Ben Erway [Mr Perry]
Erville Alderson [Stevens]
Robert Anderson [defense captain]
Teddy Infuhr [attack captain]
Eugene Borden [Michel]
Almira Sessions [1st lady at Michel's]
Claire Du Brey [2nd lady]
Florence Auer [3rd lady]
Margaret Wells [hat shop proprietress]
Kitty O'Neil [hat shop customer]
Isabel Jewell [hysterical mother]
David Leonard [blind man]
Dorothy Vaughan [Delia]
Edgar Dearing [policeman]
The Bob Michell Boychoir [choir]
Edythe Elliott [saleslady - uncredited]
Joseph J. Greene [Santa Claus - uncredited]

Bishop Henry Brougham is so engrossed in completing work on a new cathedral to be paid for by a rich but stubborn widow that he begins to neglect his family. As he begins to question why he joined the church in the first place, help is on hand in the shape of Dudley, an angel sent to help him. As Dudley charms his way into Henry's life, helping anyone he meets, Henry begins to suspect that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his parish. Can Dudley restore Henry's faith as Christmas approaches?

Cary Grant, David Niven, Christmas… how can you go wrong? It could have been horribly sugary and cute, but somehow this wonderful romantic fantasy stays just the right side of unbearably sentimental thanks to an intelligent script and fabulous performances that give the characters a real depth. Grant oozes charm, Niven brings a touching vulnerability to the role and Loretta Young keeps audiences guessing as to whether she'll fall for Grant or stay with her husband Niven – this is real acting by genuinely talented performers. [Full Review]

USA
Theatrical Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures Inc
Video Distributors: Embassy Pictures Corporation; HBO Home Video; Embassy Home Entertainment
Laserdisc Distributor: Pioneer Special Edition [PSE 94-51]; Nelson Entertainment [30305]
DVD Distributors: HBO Home Video [90658]; MGM Home Entertainment Vintage Classics [1001581]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: S

1948
Academy Awards, USA
Best Sound, Recording [Gordon Sawyer] - winner
Best Director [Henry Koster] - nominated
Best Film Editing [Monica Collingwood] - nominated
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture [Hugo Friedhofer] - nominated
Best Picture [Samuel Goldwyn] - nominated

1947
December
9: USA – theatrical release in New York City

1948
February
16: USA – theatrical release

September
9: Denmark – theatrical release

1949
December
16: Finland – theatrical release

1952
May
20: West Germany – theatrical release

December
Day Unknown: Austria – theatrical release

1959
August
3: Denmark – theatrical re-release

1980
June
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast

1986
July
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

1992
August
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast [on ITV (Thames Television)]

1994
April
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

December
14: USA - laserdisc release [Pioneer Special Edition [PSE 94-51]]

1995
December
Day Unknown: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

1997
November
18: USA - DVD release [HBO Home Video [90658]]

1998
December
21: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

2001
March
6: USA - DVD release [MGM Home Entertainment Vintage Classics [1001581]]

2003
April
1: USA - television broadcast [on TCM]

Biskoppens kone – Danish title
Engel sind überall – German title
La esposa del obispo – Venezuelan title
Honni soit qui mal y pense – French title
Jede Frau braucht einen Engel – Austrian / German title
La moglie del vescovo – Italian title
La mujer del obispo – Spanish title
Piispan vaimo – Finnish title

REMAKE
The Preacher's Wife [1996]

MAGAZINES

Cinema and Theatre January 1948 p.29 [UK]
review

Film Score Monthly vol.7 no.7 [September 2002] pp.45, 48 [USA]
illustrated soundtrack review

Kine Weekly 4 December 1947 [UK]
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.15 no.176 [August 1948] p.110 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

Motion Picture Herald 22 January 1947 [USA]
review

New Movies December 1947 [USA]
review

Photoplay vol.32 no.2 [February 1981] p.28 [UK]
review

Today's Cinema vol.71 no.5671 [9 July 1948] [UK]
review

KEYWORDS

angels, book into film, children, christmas, miracles, priests

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007