Cary Grant was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. He could play comedy and drama equally well. The Bishop’s wife gives him a chance to keep his hand in both. Grant plays an angel named Dudley. He is not a lovable but struggling angel candidate like Clarence, from Its a Wonderful Life. Cary Grant brings all his charm and style to his role. He is cast alongside Loretta Young, (Julia Brougham). The sparks do fly between them on screen. Grant was fortunate he received this role. He was going to play Henry Brougham, which went to David Niven. This happened when the producer, Samuel Goldwyn, fired the original director. Henry Coster was hired, and the roles were recast.
Dudley has been sent from heaven to help Henry Brougham, an Episcopal Bishop, with his problems. Dudley helps regular people before meeting the bishop. He saves a woman’s child, and helps a blind man cross the street. Dudley even meets a professor, (Monty Woolley), and play mind games with him regarding a previous meeting. The professor is later helped by Dudley, with a major problem. Grant’s Dudley is sidetracked by the lovely Julia Brougham. He sees the beauty and charm that her husband overlooks. This is mainly due to her husband’s obsession with building a huge cathedral to replace his church. Dudley’s attraction is shown when he goes skating with Mrs. Brougham. They skate like professionals, mainly due to Dudley. He isn’t content to just help Julia become a better skater. He makes Sylvester, the cab driver, (James Gleason), also become adept at skating. Sylvester attempting to skate, gives great comic relief.
Bishop Brougham is not only affected by jealousy, but by a wealthy widow, Mrs. Hamilton, (Gladys Cooper). She is willing to give the bishop the money he needs for the cathedral. Her only request is that her late husband be memorialized in it. The bishop tries to explain that isn’t how it works, but she won’t listen. She later gets a better understanding when Dudley intervenes. The scene between Grant and Gladys Cooper is a very sentimental, and helps to make this movie tug at your heartstrings.
It certainly was good for this movie that there was interference from the studio. It is doubtful that David Niven could have played Dudley as well. Niven did do something that Cary Grant never did. He won an academy award. He also charmed as the lead,Phileas Fogg in the Oscar winning movie, Around the World in Eighty Days. Niven was by all accounts, as charming offscreen as on. Both of the actors were helped by a good screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Robert E. Sherwood. German emigre, Henry Coster, got solid performances from the cast. He also got good scenes with the snowball fight that Dudley engineers for Debby, (Karolyn Grimes). There was also the Christmas magic scene where Dudley helps Matilda, (Elsa Lanchester), decorate the Christmas tree. The actress would later be cast in Coster’s other Christmas movie, Come to the Stable. He would a few years later, bring the broadway play Harvey to the silver screen. The Bishop’s Wife was made during the golden age of Hollywood. Tinseltown has changed since the movie. Stories that are charming and engaging like The Bishop’s Wife can still be made in Hollywood.