The Bishop's Wife
DVD

THE BISHOP'S WIFE (G, 1947)

Cary Grant is the hunky angel sent to smooth the lives of a beleaguered pastor (a suitably stuffy David Niven) who is bogged down with plans to build a cathedral and his neglected wife (the luminous Loretta Young).  After 53 years, this magical movie still tugs at the heart and delivers smiles simply because of the charisma of its legendary performers and the basic universal goodness of the story. Look for reliable second banana James Gleason as the cab driver whose humdrum life takes a delightful detour when he goes ice skating with Grant and Young. Do not confuse this masterpiece with the 1996 remake, THE PREACHER'S WIFE with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston-an oddly hollow attempt that only proves that some things are best left alone.
Cathy Edsey Collins © 2002