I must say that I like how much respect you have for film: not simply the story or the actors, but the whole process, the context, even the framing. And yet you're not above fangirling over Cary Grant. Love and intelligence are a rare combination--especially around film on YT.
The girl who played the daughter is the same little girl who played Zuzu in It's a Wonderful Life and as you saw the boy who Dudley hit with the snowball was the young George Bailey. So two of the children in this movie also played in It's a Wonderful Life.
Karolyn Grimes. I actually got to meet her a decade or so ago and chat with her a bit about some of the roles she got to play and actors she got to work with. She said Cary was very kind and would read to her between takes.
I fanboyed over the housekeeper (or cook), Elsa Lanchester. For some reason she mostly gets brief roles, though sometimes important (Bride of Frankenstein/Mary Shelley). I strongly suggest Witness for the Prosecution with Elsa Lanchester, her husband Charles Laughton, and the always so mysterious Marlene Dietrich.
Monty Woolley, quietly stealing scenes as the warm, yet cynical Professor, and showing how he can be totally opposite from "The Man Who Came to Dinner", and yet still project that sly, smiling edge. It's fitting to me that, of all the central people Dudley's associated with, it's this man who stops for an instant, feeling that slight, uncertain whiff of recognition (I love Monty Woolley, who acted alongside Grant in another movie, "Night and Day", a movie based on the life of Cole Porter, a friend of Woolley's).
I'm 26, and this is my favorite Christmas movie. I watch it twice or three times during the Christmas season. There's something so wholesome and cozy about it. It's a feel-good movie
Loretta Young is divine. Im also a sucker for Cary Grant and David Niven :) I feel bad for the youth who don't have the experience of these treasures! So grateful for you and your channel!
I'm glad to see someone react to this gem of a film.I think it gets overlooked because of the stronger religion aspect of it today! Loved hearing the history portion at the front of the video but was a little disappointed not seeing Sylvester the taxi driver in your edit of it. He's a minor but notable part of the movie! Well done over all! Thank you!
She played the sister of Maxim in Rebecca. Loved the scene where she told Robert at lunch he should get all his teeth taken out! She played Laurence Olivier’s first wife in That Hamilton Woman. Great character actress!
Yes, I know what you mean. I think that Cary Grant understood the supernatural dimension to his lines in that scene, and conveyed it so effectively that, as you said, it is goosebump-inducing. The director clearly understood it too, as the housekeeper and the secretary are listening and they stop what they are doing as though mesmerized for a moment...what a wonderful, subtly powerful scene that is.
I'm a non-believer, but I am a cultural Christian who loves Christmas, and I have a soft spot for this film. It is suffused with a rare warmth that I can't resist. Gregg Toland's deep focus cinematography is extraordinary.
9:40 That actress is Gladys Cooper. We was a beauty queen at 19 and started out in silent movies. Yes, she was in "Rebecca" and also played Betty Davis' mother in "Now, Voyager" in 1942 as well as Rex Harrison's mom in "My Fair Lady."
One of my favorite David Niven movies is Batchelor Mom with Ginger Rogers. It is a comedy set between Christmas and New Years. I think you will love it.
Your channel continually impresses Mia. My biggest hope this new year is Kind Hearts and Coronets. When you live a life of revenge, you dig two graves, but the movie also doubles the laughs!
Are you the viewer who thought Bringing Up Baby was silly and frantic for no real reason other than to be silly and frantic? If so, my response is A Midsummer Night's Dream, Woody Allen, Duck Soup, and Monty Python. Comedy divides neatly down lines of gender. The Marx Brothers at Paramount had an almost exclusively male audience. So at MGM they became big brothers to young lovers. And the quality fell. The I'd was checked. And the Bruddahs got rich. Guys are quite willing to spend 90 minutes with a bunch of donnish professorial types pretending to ride horses while followed by servants banging two empty halves of coconuts together to make hoof sounds. And guys are very comfortable with silliness for the sake of silliness. As Groucho said in one of the Paramount movies,just as Chico and Harpo were preparing to play, "I HAVE to be here, but that's no,reason you folks can't go to the lobby for popcorn 'til this thing blows,over." If you don't know what I'm talking about, I apologize. And this reply will self-destruct in 30 seconds.
While we're at it, Mrs. Duffy, the accompanist for the choir rehearsal, is played by Sarah Edwards, who played Mrs. Hatch ( Mary's mother ) in "It's A Wonderful Life". If you want to see some engaging, relatable David Niven, watch the 1946 film "A Matter Of Life And Death" - aka "Stairway To Heaven".
My most favourite Christmas movie. Children still love it. The professor is my own favourite character. That he seems to finally finished his work, well, that's something any academic likes to do. Write just the one thing that makes a difference
This has always been one of my favorite Cary Grant movies, along with an Affair to Remember and Operation Petticoat. And his films with Audry Hepburn are all stunning.
Mia...you should have done "Holiday" (1938) with our favorite Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn as a New Year's Eve/Day film. With Lew Ayers in a wonderful performance. It's a very underrated film.
Happy New Year, Mia, and I hope your move goes smoothly. I think the early dining table scene is set like that to show the distance between the bishop and his wife. Sitting at opposite ends of a long table, made visually longer by where the camera was placed. This has long been amongst my favourite movies. Cary Grant's charm is so incredible, it just leaps from the screen. The story telling is excellent and no scene nor dialogue is wasted. David Niven and Loretta Young play their parts perfectly. Your information on Grant deciding to switch roles makes sense and I can't imagine him playing the insecure and misguided bishop. Young was, by what I've read, a bit of a prude in her real life, including keeping a jar in her home where guests were expected to put money into if they allowed a curse word to escape their lips. Apparently, at one party, she got annoyed at Errol Flynn for his frequent use of expletives so he tossed a large bill into the jar and told Loretta that should cover his night of swearing, and to not bother him again. Also appearing in The Bishop's Wife, as the maid who couldn't take her eyes off Dudley the angel, was Elsa Lanchester. She was also the female lead in The Bride of Frankenstein opposite Boris Karloff as the monster. She was a big star in her native England as well as her husband, Charles Laughton, another gifted actor. Elsa would play another maid in Disney's Mary Poppins, with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. In your thoughts on David Niven films, another of my favourites is The Prisoner of Zenda. Niven is very young and his part isn't big, but he does a great job. The rest of the cast include Ronald Colman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., the great Raymond Massey, and one of my favourite character actors in C. Aubrey Smith. Niven and Massey would combine again the 1946's A Matter of Life And Death (the US title is Stairway To Heaven). That one is also a classic. As to other Cary Grant movies, I'll recommend two that are great fun. Firstly, as the submarine captain in Operation Petticoat with Tony Curtis as co-lead. Secondly, if you've not seen it, the wonderful Arsenic And Old Lace, a brilliantly paced screwball comedy that also starred Raymond Massey and the underappreciated Peter Lorre.
Mia, my dear friend literally introduced me to this movie for the first time THIS past Christmas. I haven't watched the video yet, but I just wanted to say how much I hope you enjoyed it and I cannot wait to hear your reactions. This movie is a delight and it was such a classic that, much like with The Shop Around The Corner --> You've Got Mail they remade it in the 1990's with Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington in The Preacher's Wife and I had the pleasure of checking that one out too, which was also very cute. But this original version is the best. Carey Grant is excellent as Dudley, but honestly I felt it was an absolutely standout performance for David Niven. I could enthuse about it for hours, haha. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and are enjoying a happy New year so far! Much love!
This original version of "The Bishop's Wife" is absolutely the best. A boyfriend told me about it back in 1977 (when this film was considered fairly obscure) and I saw it on the big screen in the 1980's at the local cinema rep house (these don't exist anymore.) Thanks for sharing your initial viewing with us Mia! Did you know that in 1946, David Niven's wife Primmie died in a freak accident during a party at Tyrone Power's house? He was still grieving when he filmed this. Originally, Grant was playing the Bishop and Niven was playing the Angel. They would've both been good, but I'm glad they switched roles. This has Cary Grant exuding maximum Cary Grantness. It doesn't get any better.
Gladys Cooper was a stage star in the beginning of the 20th century. She was also a pinup girl in WWI. Bachelor Mother with Ginger Rogers and Niven is another good holiday movie. Monty Wooley in The Man Who Came to Dinner is also good if you haven't done it already. Keep up the good work. I'm a fan of old movies and I'm really enjoying watching someone watch them for the first time.
I'm fan girling with you Mia. I can't wait for this reaction. I love this movie and al your reactions. I know you're going to love this . The rich old lady played Rex Harrisons mother in My Fair Lady. She was also in Now Voyager with Bette Davis
@@MoviesWithMia Watching a movie for the first time, there's so much to take in. It's often the case that there are things viewers won't catch the third, fourth, or even fifth time around, if then.
Oh I have!! I’ll be honest the story of Wuthering Heights frustrates me because the two main characters are ultimately propel their own unhappiness! But the acting in that particular version was sublime!
So pleased you chose THE BISHOP’S WIFE, one of my favorites. Yes, the boy played young George Bailey. And Debbie played Zuzu. And as a big fan of Cary grant, you will love another of his little known, but great movies: ROOM FOR ONE MORE with then-wife Betsy Drake.
I always thought this scene at 11:30 was filmed this way to emphasize the "distance" between Julia and Henry at the dinner table in how they are sitting so far apart from each other.
Hey Mia! Happy New Year! ⭐ I've suggested you should watch the Academy award winning 1942 romantic war drama "Mrs. Miniver" a sentimental story about a middle class English family that have to survive during the second World War, It was the first film with the plot centered on World War 2 to win best picture a year before Casablanca won for best picture at the 16th Academy Awards in 1944, If you haven't seen it I recommend it.
Mia, in regards to David Niven, he was in countless movies but he was also a well known writer. You might find his two memoirs interesting reading. The Moon is a Balloon is early life and his experience in the military and Bring On The Empty Horses about his time in Hollywood. During the seventies, I remembered that he was a frequent guest on tv talk shows because he was an excellent storyteller with excellent stories to tell
Yes! THE MOON’s A BALLOON and BRING ON THE EMPTY HORSES are wonderful memoirs, highly recommended if you can find them. The second title is from a movie directed by Michael Curtiz Niven was making. Not a native English-speaker, Curtiz’s gaffes were famous. In this case he wanted riderless horses to enter. “Bring on the empty horses!”
Mia, I think that you would enjoy reading David Niven's memoir, Bring on the Empty Horses. It was a best seller in the 1970's. My mother gave it to me one Christmas as she instilled in me a love of classic films. I found it delightful.
The other reason for the title is Loretta Young was a HUGE star the, David Niven wasn't yet. BTW, if you like him, watch A Matter of Life and Death. I think you'll really love that movie!
Mia, if you want to see a great movie with David Niven may I suggest A Matter of Life and Death(1946). Produced in the UK by the filmmaking team of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell, it is also a romantic film with fantasy elements. It also features some of the best cinematography of that era done by none other than Jack Cardiff ( the cinematographer of The African Queen ). I highly recommend it.
The snobby Mrs. Hamilton was played by Gladys Cooper. I remember you reacting to the original Twilight Zone series. She played in two of those episodes.
And Mia is also right, she was the sister in "Rebecca". Cooper often played this type of character, or worse (e.g., "Strange Love of Martha Ivers" or "Now, Voyager"), but, apparently, like many professional movie villains, was sweetheart in real life. My introduction to her was as Rex Harrison's mom in "My Fair Lady", and loved her immediately.
Since you like David Niven AND fantasy, check out A Matter of Life and Death (1946) where he mysteriously bails out of a doomed bomber, lives and falls in love, then has to plead for his life in a celestial court.
This is a wonderful movie. Dudley changed everyone around him but the Bishop's wife, she didn't need to be changed just seen. The Bishop and the old woman were changed most profoundly.
i've turned so many people onto so much music and so many movies. this was one of my favorite LONG BEFORE it became well known later in the 80s. its a bit more "religious" than i usually like but its done with remarkable religious restraint. i mean "the ten comandments" (1956) is a religious film but its still a great movie! in "the bishop's wife" the professor, played by Monty Woolley, is my favorite character. (much like "the day the earth still" (1951) where sam jaffe plays the professor.) here, elsa lanchester plays the house keeper. she played the "bride" in "the bride of frankenstein" (1935) and later specialized in house keeper roles also appearing as one in "mary poppins" (1964). and speaking of sam jaffe, the black-listed actor, have you seen "gentleman's agreement" (1947) starring gregory peck, dorothy mcGuire, john garfield and sam jaffe? an exceptional film about anti-semitism in post war america. jaffe also played "gunga din" (1939) which also starred carey grant and douglas fairbanks jr. and speaking of the late 40s you have to watch 1948's "the snake pit" starring olivia de havilland. she gives a tour-de-force performance in a film about mental illness.
This is one of my favorite movies and along with Bell Book and Candle (Jimmy Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs AND also Elsa Lanchester ... the inspiration for Bewitched) are 2 of my absolute yearly must-have, must-watch Christmas movies. Your reaction to this one was the best I've seen !!!
Hey Mia! Huge fan here, I absolutely adore your movie breakdowns and your genuine passion for cinema shines through every single video. You've introduced me to some hidden gems I'd never have discovered otherwise, so thank you! Today, I'm on a mission to spread the word about a Turkish masterpiece from 1966 called "Sevmek Zamanı." Let me tell you, this one might just knock your socks off (and melt your heart!). Imagine a lonely painter, consumed by an impossible love for a woman he's only seen in a portrait. Sounds tragic, right? But trust me, Erksan weaves this forbidden affection into a tapestry of longing, obsession, and breathtaking visuals. You'll be transported to the misty Prince's Islands in Istanbul, and the black-and-white cinematography will have you reaching for your coffee table book just to admire the scene composition. It's not a straightforward romance, though. More like a cinematic Rubik's Cube that messes with your head and heart in the best way possible. And the music, oh my gosh, the music! Hauntingly beautiful melodies that linger long after the credits roll. Just prepare to be glued to the screen, dissecting every shot and wondering what Erksan has up his sleeve next. I know you love diving deep into lesser-known classics, and "Sevmek Zamanı" deserves a spot on your must-watch list. It's the kind of film that sparks endless discussions, and I'd love to hear your take on it after you've seen it. Anyway, just throwing this cinematic gem your way. Trust me, Mia, your viewers (and your heart) will thank you for taking this trip to Istanbul with Erksan. Can't wait for your next video! And keep exploring those cinematic corners, you never know what treasures you might unearth.
Thank you so much for sharing your recommendation! I am eager to explore international classic films, so I will keep Sevmek Zamani in mind for that potential series!
i love this movie! Such a great reaction! You should watch 'Wings of Desire', i think it's what City of Angels is based on, great movie, love an angel who wants to be human movie
For the distance at the early dinner scene; it could be to convey the distance growing between Julia and Henry. This is my mom’s favorite Christmas movie; I’m going to show her your video. ☺️
Thank you, Mia, for commenting one of my favourite Christmas movies. I love Cary Grant too, saw him in 48 movies may I recommend you « Penny Serenade » for which he was nominated (the Oscar went to Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, they should have been ex-æquo !) and « People Will Talk ». I am very fond of Loretta Young and David Niven, but in this film, I want to point out the minor characters : Gladys Cooper whom you saw in My Fair Lady and who gives an astonishing performance in « Now Voyager », Sara Haden (The Shop around the Corner), James Gleason - too bad you missed his character - and also little Karolyn Grimes (Debbie/Zuzu) who is still alive. Greetings from France 🇫🇷
Another movie from which you might remember Gladys Cooper is My Fair Lady (probably my favorite movie): she is Professor Higgins' mother. As to other David Niven performances, have you seen Around the World in 80 Days? He's incredibly fun in that.
I was just looking up Gladys Cooper (Mrs. Hamilton) on IMDB. She not only was the character you though she was in Rebecca, but she was also in an episode of Twilight zone that I remember seeing when I was eight years old and it aired for the first time. The episode Nothing in the Dark featured her as an old woman waiting for death opposite a very young Robert Redford.
Thanks, Mia. As always, I love to ‘discover’ new-to-me old films, this is no exception. Sometimes these old films trigger memories in mysterious ways for me. The ice skating scenes in this movie did just that, bringing back 3 very different and very specific memories. But, ah heck, I guess they are too many and too long to tell. Suffice to say that once in a lifetime, when the entire lake has a clean freeze, thick enough to skate on with no snow on it at all, when the skates fit perfectly so that the blades feel like they are simply a part of you, it’s an opportunity for indescribable joy. My wife and I took a large plastic tarp, fastened it to two long thin strips of pine that we just happened to have, rolled it up, skated upwind, then un-rolled it to make a giant sail. The wind was cold and strong, and we raced down the lake, laughing all the way until we ended up in the cattails at the East end of the lake, a ride of about a half mile. We rolled it up and skated upwind for another run. A neighbor’s dog joined us and ran the whole way with us, jumping and barking the whole way. After that, any time we were out skating, playing hockey with neighborhood kids, or even just shoveling snow off our rink, the dog barked to get out of his house to join us on the lake. Sorry, this story was too long, and had little point, but I’m too old to care. Love the old films, keep up the good work! There’s nothing like skating outdoors!
Happy New Year, Mia. I enjoy watching your reactions because you actually enjoy these wonderful old classics and stars. I also appreciate your recognition of changes in our culture through time, region and race that we no longer have the context for. For example, nosy old Puritan prudes from the Northeast that influenced so much of our social standards today. One clarification though. Ethereal is pronounced: eee-THEER-eee-al. Looking forward to your discovery of another of my favorite movies!
Happy New Year, Mia🎆 🎇 This one's an annual staple for me. I think it might be the role that best encaptulates that charming persona we all love about Cary Grant.
Loretta Young was a lovely actress with a graceful screen presence. She's in another one of my favourites "The Call of The Wild" with Clarke Gable. And in "The Stranger," with Orson Welles.
City of angels is Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is a loose remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin), which was set in Berlin. A must see❤
I've never paid any attention to David Niven before but he is great in this. There is one particular scene that made me laugh out loud. No spoilers, not telling.
Wow. Thank you for your effort spent reviewing.I so enjoyed watching your facial expressions! I'm sure you know for the role of Angel...David Niven was originally cast. After Mr Grant reviewed the script felt switching roles was best suited. Can you imagine? Thankyou for your comments on the spirituality in this film. Their were several notable references of scripture apart from the scene with precious Debbie. Another fact, Mr Niven lost his wife Primmie(in real life) shortly before this film. You can find it online if you didn't. How remarkable that he carried his role so brilliantly. The other characters masterful as well. From Professor, to Silvester to each woman... hats off. The Score and sound effects as well as to the Mitchell Boy Choir rounded out a film that is inspiring. For myself, Mr grant while so adaptable to many roles truly offered his finest ! Loved your review How enchanting.
Hi Mia, so glad you managed to react to this film, I had a feeling you would enjoy it. I was lucky enough to come across it by chance while channel hopping, around 10 - 13 Yrs ago. Also, it was just as it was about to start & I`ve been watching it every Xmas Eve, ever since. There are a number of wonderful traditional Xmas films, at least from 1940 - 1954. I don`t know if it was coincidence or due to the effects of WW II or perhaps both. But, I am grateful for them whichever reason is responsible. I agree with you about Xmas window displays, sadly only large stores (generally in Cities) continue this trend. When I was growing up in the `60`s, even small shops in Towns still did them. As a child, it was a wonderous feeling to stand outside peering in at the amazing displays of all the wonderful items, whether you were likely to get any of them or not.
I LOVE ANGEL(Immortal)/MORTAL love stories and love the old original novel for it's more simple sincereness and inner monologues saying what in the film WE SEE in the faces and reactions of the great actors. Some same story points the film adopted to portray it's updated more amusing version. The book is worded using the culture and words of that time in 1920's considering even more orthodox in social culture than even 40's film. The book angel Michael is more innocent and pure in trying to be human to help the Bishop FIRST and heart stumbles when meeting the Bishop's wife whose soul heart is so good pure
This has been a favorite of mine since the mid 50s. I also enjoyed "City of Angels" but I preferred "Michael"(1996?). It was one of Travolta's best movies, in my opinion, as was "Phenomenon" also of 1996. Great reaction to a very good movie. Thanks.
This was an excellent presentation. I enjoyed your reactions very much. I just have a few comments. Did you know the reference to a sparrow refers to Matthew 10:29, where it is stated that not a sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing it. You didn't mention that the many musical backgrounds and the connection of Dudley to music is because angels are frequently mentioned as the music-makers of Heaven. (Did you notice the twang the harp gave when Dudley walked by?) I thought they solved the question of the relationship between Dudley and Julia very well, showing just a bit of how an angel might envy a mortal. Light and sensitive.
Thank you very much for the review. This movie is frustrating for me, since it's a great premise; but everyone apart from Dudley has no agency. They're all just puppets for Dudley without a thought or action of their own that isn't put in place by Dudley.
YEEEEES! FINALLY - this gem is being seen (and appreciated)! It was my gateway into Cary Grant lol Although I've seen it at least 10x, I never stopped to think that it was called The Bishop's WIFE. Excellent observations throughout. You mentioned in the beginning how the camera felt oddly far away from the characters - if it was intentional, maybe the Bishop & his wife were distant from each other. His concern was about a building and not those who would be in it - making him far from her AND from God.
One final comment....while I absolutely love this film, I am not a fan of Angel's comments as he is sharing with Julia at finish. As an angel it was fitting that he was able to transport, as well as briefly put thoughts into another (as he does when professor invites them home). However his final comments to her were far from scriptural and strayed from the beauty of his Role. As an Angel ...I believe even Dudley fully knew that fact(one can almost see it in his eyes) and only serves to make his character even more loved and relatable! I cannot imagine anyone else fitting this role with such finesse . Thank you..
