There are not enough superlatives for this movie. First of all, the score by Friedholder beautifully underlines the scenes with great poinience. This is a triumph in ensemble acting. There are no minor characters. Everyone shines. Despite a few incongruities, this rates high on my list of favorites.

A delightful Christmas classic that ranks not only among my favorite Cary Grant films but my favorite films period. It's beautiful and funny and touching in ways movies seldom are anymore. The story is about an angel named Dudley (Cary Grant) sent to Earth to help Bishop Henry (David Niven), who's struggling with raising the money necessary to build a new cathedral, all the while neglecting his wife Julia (Loretta Young).Cary Grant is just perfect as Dudley, one of his best 1940s roles. He's charming and handsome and has great chemistry with all of his co-stars. David Niven does a fine job as the stressed and slightly neurotic Henry, who finds himself in the unenviable position (particularly for a Bishop) of being jealous of the very angel sent to help him. With good reason, too, as even angelic Dudley can't resist falling for the heavenly Loretta Young. For her part, lovely Loretta positively glows as the sweet and faithful Julia. Scene-stealing turn from the great Monty Woolley, but when did this guy not shine? Every movie of his I've seen is made better just by his presence. The rest of the wonderful supporting cast includes Elsa Lanchester, James Gleason, Regis Toomey, Sara Haden, and Gladys Cooper. Also of note to fans of another Christmas classic: Karolyn Grimes and Bobby Anderson (Zuzu and young George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life) are in this.It's a quality production with great direction and cinematography, and a witty and emotional script full of very human characters who are flawed but not in the same broken way that description is used today. It's a heartwarming seasonal fantasy film. Not to belabor a point I touched on before but it's the type of movie they don't really make anymore. It's the rare and magical movie you watch with a smile etched on your face the whole time. Definitely recommended for fans of the stars or those who love gentle, old-fashioned Christmas films.

Only Cary Grant could have played the part of Dudley in this charming film. It is a difficult part to get right. He has to be alluring and sexy, most attractive to women of all types and Grant achieves this effortlessly. As the bishop's wife of the title Loretta Young strikes just the right note - she is attracted to him but in what seems like an innocent way. It was a hard call, writing this movie, there are a lot of pitfalls which the writers managed to avoid. The peripheral characters like Sylvester played by James Gleason and the professor played by Monte Woolley and Gladys Cooper as the domineering matriarch of the town help to make the town real and believable. David Niven has a hard task in making the bishop less attractive than Dudley without the viewer rooting for Dudley to "win " the heart of the bishop's wife. Why Cary Grant did not win Oscars for this and other films is,I think, because he made it look so easy to be "Cary Grant". I think he said as much when interviewed once. He was a consummate performer in all his movies and because of the ease he displayed he was severely underrated.

The years following World War II brought an influx of angels (or Heavenly Conductors) to the movie screen in films such as Stairway to Heaven, It's a Wonderful Life, and the 1947 The Bishop's Wife starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Though it is hardly a perennial Christmas favorite in the same league as Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life, The Bishop's Wife has its advocates and is generally considered one of the best Christmas films for a general audience. Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, original score, and film editing, the only Oscar the film won, however, was that for Best Sound and the performances by Grant, Young, and Niven, considered to be among their best, were overlooked.In the film, Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) asks for divine guidance to help raise the money to build a cathedral, a project to which he is so single-minded about that his values, marriage, and family are put in jeopardy. The answer to his prayer comes in the form of the angel Dudley (well, I guess it's a better name for an angel than Clarence). This particular angel (Cary Grant) is rather handsome and charming and takes particular notice of Henry's wife Julia (Loretta Young) who is under the impression that he is Henry's new assistant. Daughter Debby (Karolyn Grimes) is also not immune to his charms. The bishop also feels that this angel has picked up some rather strange tendencies and has become quite jealous of the time he is spending with his wife, though Julia seems (or pretends to be) oblivious to his "angelic" qualities.Dudley's heart is in the right place, however, and he steers the dour Henry towards the values that are most important in life and in the process transforms everyone whose lives he touches. These include the guilt-ridden dowager Agnes Hamilton (Gladys Cooper), Monte Wooley as a skeptical History professor who has given up writing a book about Roman history because he doesn't think anyone will read it, and James Gleason as Sylvester, a cynical taxi driver who rediscovers that life has some pleasures. He even brings the flirty housekeeper (Elsa Lanchester) back to life. The film has some memorable set pieces that are worth the price of admission by themselves.Dudley, Julia, and Sylvester performing a sparkling skating routine (with the help of professional doubles), Sherry glasses that keep filling up by themselves, Dudley miraculously rounding up a group of forgetful boys to perform the beautiful hymn O Sing to God (Noel) by Gounod at St. Timothy's church, and Dudley "finding" a harp to play in Agnes' living room.The Bishop's Wife has a good message, brilliant performances especially from Cary Grant, and a joyous feel to it, though it is somewhat dampened by the humorless and aloof Henry who doesn't seem to get the message of humility and love that Dudley is trying to convey (well, at least not right away). In essence, however, The Bishop's Wife is a beautiful film that is done with a minimum of sap and should be seen more often. At least you don't have to wonder whether or not Dudley will get his wings.