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Last night kicked the season off for me with an all-time favorite: The Bishop's Wife (1947). David Niven, Monty Woolley, Loretta Young (who never looked lovelier than in this film), and Cary Grant as a remarkably convincing angel sent from heaven to intervene in the lives of mortals.
Niven plays a Bishop obsessed with raising several million dollars to build a new, spectacular church. Formerly a rather fun fellow, he is now so consumed with this project that he neglects all else around him, becoming a bit hard and cold to his wife (Young) and young daughter.
Enter the Angel Dudley (Cary Grant). He brings comfort and instant calm to those he meets, reassuring them that their lives have meaning.
He also manages to sweep the Good Bisop's wife off her feet, demonstrating to her husband that small things bring her great joy. He takes her out to a French restaurant for lunch, stops their cab for an impromptu ice skate, and takes her to visit a friend, professor Wutheridge (Woolley) who she has not seen in some time. The professor is not a religious man, yet is so taken with Dudley's quiet demeanor and comfort that he finds a new mission for his own life, and we eventually find him attending services.
David Niven gives us a wonderful performance outside his usual charming and witty roles. He also perfectly delivers one of the best comedic moments on film as he finds himself challenged by seating arrangements...
This is a sentimental, wonderful movie and Grant is surprisingly believable as a holy presence, never more so than when serenely directing a boy's choir, or stepping out into traffic knowing that he is safe, utterly protected and shielded by a pure faith.
The Bishop's Wife. A great kickoff to your holiday DVD collection.