The Bishop's Wife

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Timing: 1:49 (109 min)

7.1/10
225

7.173/10
2055

7.6/10
24000

All about film

Video 3

Photo 5

Actors and characters

Release date

1947-12-25

Country

United States

Production

RKO Radio Pictures

Genre

Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Budget

$0

Revenue

$0

Website

Director

Henry Koster

Actors

Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley, James Gleason, Gladys Cooper, Elsa Lanchester, Sara Haden, Karolyn Grimes, Tito Vuolo
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Samuel Goldwyn

Operator

Gregg Toland

Composer

Hugo Friedhofer

Artist

Audition

Editing

Monica Collingwood
All team (31)

• Initially, Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach, 1904-1986) played the bishop, and David Niven (1910-1983) played the messenger from heaven. When William A. Seiter left the director's chair, he was replaced by Henry Koster (1905-1988). He reviewed all the footage and decided that Grant and Niven should switch roles. Grant initially resisted and wanted to play the bishop. Later, his performance as the angel was called one of the best roles of his entire career.
• William A. Seiter was initially in the director's chair, but producer Samuel Goldwyn (1879-1974) insisted on his replacement. What Henry Koster produced didn't appeal much to audiences at preview screenings, so some scenes had to be rewritten and reshot. There is no mention in the credits that Billy Wilder (1906-2002) and Charles Brackett (1892-1969) participated in the screenplay.
• While working on the scene of the conversation between Cary Grant (1904-1986) and Loretta Young (1913-2000), director Henry Koster (1905-1988) initially positioned the actors facing each other, but both began to complain that they were facing the camera with the "wrong side" of their faces. To face the camera with the "right side" of their faces, the actors needed to look in the same direction, but then they wouldn't be facing each other. The director then filmed them through a window, so Grant was slightly behind his partner, and both were looking in the same direction. The next day, producer Samuel Goldwyn (1882-1974) appeared on set and scolded the director for filming the scene in such a manner. He asked Young and Grant to explain what the problem was. The actors told the producer about the "right" and "wrong" sides of their faces, after which he completely lost his temper and declared, "Since you are only showing half of your face, you will only receive half of your fee!" and then left the set in anger. After that, the issue of the "right" and "wrong" side of the face was never raised again.
• During the filming of long shots of skiing, a stunt double for Cary Grant wearing a mask with features more or less resembling Grant's face was used. This was done despite Grant's protests. Loretta Young's skiing was also portrayed by a stunt double.
• Initially, William A. Seiter (1890-1964) was appointed as the film's director, and the bishop's wife was played by Teresa Wright (1918-2005).
• During the filming of long shots of ice skating, a stunt double for Cary Grant wearing a mask with features more or less resembling Grant's was used. This was done despite Grant’s protests. Loretta Young’s ice skating scenes were also performed by a stunt double.