The Bishop's Wife (Loretta Young, Cary Grant)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve forgotten how we acquired the classic 1940s film ‘The Bishop’s Wife’, but we watched it at the end of 2008, and (on the whole) liked it. It seemed like a good idea to see it again as we had almost entirely forgotten what it was about. We had even forgotten that it was in black-and-white; something that isn’t obvious from the cover.

Loretta Young is Julia, the bishop’s wife of the title. She’s young, loving and somewhat neglected by her ambitious husband Henry (David Niven). He is extremely busy with his work, including an attempt to raise funds for a new cathedral. This means that he cancels dates, is regularly late for meals, and often seems to forget that he has a wife and children.

Into their lives appears Dudley (Cary Grant). We see him early in the film, helping a blind man across the street, narrowly avoiding being hit by traffic. Then we see him racing to catch a runaway pram just before disaster happens. And he speaks to Julia… but it isn’t obvious, at first, that he is an angel looking after the neighbourhood, dressed in a suit.

Dudley persuades Bishop Henry that he needs an assistant, and soon endears himself to the household staff by greeting them by name, opening doors for them, and generally treating them far more respectfully than they have come to expect. And since Henry cancels yet another date with his wife, Dudley takes her out instead, and it’s quickly rather evident that they like each other a little too much…

There are some very cleverly done sequences, all the more impressive in an era long before computer animations or graphics. We were amused by a self-tapping typewriter, for instance, and some filing cards that arranged themselves tidily in boxes. There’s some excellent timing, some enjoyable ice skating (about the only part I had remembered from previous viewing) and some clever scripting.

There’s also some poignancy, and parts that are quite thought-provoking. It’s a 1940s film so it’s going to end in a positive, moral way; but not without some heart-searching and bittersweet endings. There are some sections which would have been so much better in colour, such as the way Dudley decorates the Christmas tree. But I found myself caught up in the story for most of it, and almost forgot that it was black-and-white.

The style is inevitably very dated, the accents sound very 1940s, and I doubt if this would appeal to many people nowadays; there are so many modern Christmas films available, rather faster paced and of course in colour. But we enjoyed this, and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind black-and-white films, and who would like a gentler, slower film with much to think about, and a moral ending (albeit predictable).

Recommended, if you like this kind of thing. But look out for special offers, as it is often very highly priced new. The rating is U and there’s nothing in it unsuitable for children; but equally very little that would interest most of them.

Review copyright 2019 Sue's DVD Reviews