The Bishop's Wife

A Bishop (David Niven) struggling professionally and personally prays for guidance and receives it in the form of an angel named Dudley (Cary Grant).

The Bishop’s Wife is an entertaining comedy-drama helped along by some great performances.

Cary Grant is so perfect as an angel it’s almost laughable. Here he perfects the “Cary Grant” persona that would become so associated with him, as his easy charm forms a perfect halo as he moves through the story.

Loretta Young does a nice job opposite Grant, portraying an all too human woman torn between her loyalty to her husband’s position, her marriage, and Grant’s never-ending charm. While her performance is solid, she never really captures the audience and the film suffers from it, especially in the film’s second half.

David Niven, however, manages the difficult task of humanizing a man the audience could easily simply dislike but instead –due to Niven’s excellent performance– is able to understand. His may be the least glamorous of the three leads, but it’s the most nuanced of all the performances.

Director Henry Koster does a good job of allowing his stars to shine, but the rather silly animated special effects are superfluous. Grant’s miracles as an angel are much more magical when they’re subtle.