The Bishop's Wife (1947) - Henry Koster

When Episcopalian bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) prays for divine guidance in his efforts to raise the necessary funds for a new cathedral, his prayers are answered in the form of a handsome, personable guardian angel named Dudley (Cary Grant). Establishing himself as a Yuletide guest in the Brougham home, Dudley arouses the ire of Henry, who, unaware that his visitor is from Up Above, assumes that Dudley has designs on the bishop's wife Julia (Loretta Young). Eventually, the lives of both Henry and Julia are agreeably altered by the presence of the affable angel: He regains the "common touch" he'd almost lost, while she realizes anew how much she truly loves her husband. Adapted by Robert E. Sherwood and Robert Bercovicci from a novel by Robert Nathan, The Bishop's Wife was remade in 1996 as The Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and Courtney B. Vance. (allmovie.com by Hal Erickson)

Review:
One of the most beloved of all Christmas films, The Bishop's Wife is a delightful combination of witty dialogue and charming performances. The polished finished product is all the more remarkable considering its troubled production history. William Seiter originally directed the film, with Cary Grant in the part of the bishop and David Niven as the angel (amazingly, they would swap roles for the final product). The film's notoriously short-tempered producer Samuel Goldwyn was furious with Seiter's finished product, fired the director and started from scratch. He hired Henry Koster to re-direct, but initial audience previews went poorly, and several new scenes were written (some from an uncredited Billy Wilder). The end product shows none of the seams, and the film was rewarded with five Academy Award nominations, including one for Koster (Best Director) and one for Goldwyn (Best Picture). The Bishop's Wife became of the most cherished Christmas movies ever -- strangely enough, it would be released within two years of the other perennial favorites It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. Remade, dreadfully, by director Penny Marshall in 1996 as The Preacher's Wife. (allmovie.com by Brendon Hanley)

Awards: The Bishop's Wife was nominated for 4 oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (Henry Koster), Best Score - Drama or Comedy (Hugo W. Friedhofer) and Best Editing (Monica Collingwood).