Twelve Hidden Yuletide Gems
Paul Henreid, the third star of Casablanca (or perhaps the fourth, if you count Claude Rains as Inspector Renault) later claimed that his relative lack of superstardom stemmed from the role he took as freedom fighter Viktor Laslo. Next to Bogie as the anti-hero who everyone was cheering for, how could he continue to be seen as a matinee idol? (He may have had a point; Henreid was well-liked as the romantic lead in Now, Voyager but had little of a career after Casablanca).So what might David Niven say about his role in The Bishop’s Wife? In this Christmas fantasy, playing an overstressed Episcopalian priest, he is second fiddle in a heaven-sent love triangle. How can the most sophisticated screen gent compare to Cary Grant, after all – especially when Grant plays that most perfect of all creatures, an angel named Dudley? Fortunately, this angel was sent from above to help the frustrated priest realize how much he appreciates his wife, his family, and friends…and Dudley probably won’t fall in love with Niven’s neglected wife… or will he?
A romantic and touching movie, featuring a moving performance by the radiant Loretta Young in the title role, The Bishop’s Wife has steadily regained popularity as a Christmas movie, especially after the 1991 remake The Preacher’s Wife with Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, and Courtney B. Vance reminded everyone how good the original was.
A mix of fantasy, whimsy and sentiment, at its core, this film is really about losing sight of the things that matter most, when we’re hell-bent (if you’ll excuse the phrase) on achieving a goal. In this case, the priest has forsaken his old church, in hopes of building a gigantic cathedral with the help of a priggish millionaire, played by Gladys Cooper (so effective as the tyrant mother in Now, Voyager), and spends far too much time gazing on a tacky painting of this would-be cathedral.
If anything, the film resonates more than ever, in a time when Americans are driven to be “busy”, but find themselves lacking more time to spend with loved ones. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another forty years for an interesting remake – perhaps “The Reverend’s Husband”, with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks in the roles played by Niven and Young, respectively, and Julie Delpy as the angel. (If the script were trapped in development hell – again, please excuse the phrase – it might be Katie Holmes, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst as the angel. Hmm.)
Another holiday film starring David Niven is charming and fun, with a title that takes a minute to register in these modern times…
