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1947 film starring Cary Grant as an angel sent to help a Bishop played by David Niven, and the Bishop's wife, played by Loretta Young. Niven wants to build a new cathedral, and, to do so, must obtain funds from patrons who attach conditions to their money. Niven does not want the strings attached, and so he prays for guidance. Voila. Grant shows up. At first, he does the standard angel fare of saving babies from being hit by cars, then the standard cute angel fare of re-filling bottles and glasses of sherry. In one scene, a professor shows the Bishop that when he pours a glass of sherry, the bottle does not empty. Now THAT is a useful skill.The film takes place at Christmas, and I read that it has become standard Christmas viewing. I must say that I have not seen it played regularly on television during the holiday season, particularly in light of Jimmy Stewart's Christmas classic hogging the airwaves. My cynical side suspects that this film is more overtly religious than Stewart's film, and the media today tries to avoid positive depictions of religion. I read that Loretta Young was very religious.
Does Niven get the new Cathedral? In the end, that is not important, and the screenplay does an excellent job of resolving that issue that makes complete sense, and is in the spirit of the season. There is nothing that is groundbreaking or earth shattering here, simply a pleasant story, with some good effects for the time, acted by very pleasant, capable actors, that leaves you feeling better after you have seen it than before.
Follow Ups:
This film is more ambiguous as it seems, and much more mean as a " simple " feel good movie...Let me see who was the director....
The film was directed by Henry Koster. Referring to www.imdb.com, I am unfamiliar with most of his work, only having seen Harvey, starring Jimmy Stewart. Most of his films seem to be the light comedy variety, though he apparently did direct six oscar nominated actors.
Well Koster always had the vehicle and what he want to tell us, which was always a little more wicked as it seems.
In this case, if I remember there was this angel who fell in love with the heroine, and she too!
In fact the whole family was under his spell. The poor bishop was only eager to return him from where he came.
I am not sure that love would be the right word. I think he experienced something akin to love, but I think that he fell in love with the concept of love, and wanted to stay. I think he liked the idea of building a life with someone, rather than entering a life, doing his job, then leaving for another job. He comments at the end of the film that he would like to stay. But I think it is more because of his desire to have the life that the Bishop has. In the end, the Bishop's jealousies, well founded or not, forced him to appreciate his wife more. Certainly, if you are David Niven, and an angel shows up looking and acting like Cary Grant, and you have an attractive wife, I suspect that jealousies will rear their head. Better an angel that looks like Ernest Borgnine.
Ah ha! That is really true! Better Ernest!
Still I think this film is not as " innocent " as it look at first glance.
Grant not only manage to win all his family but made all the wrongs to rights, being a caring would be husband & father & church manager ecetera...
A little weaked, would you not say?
I am not sure if that is the movie, or Cary Grant. Grant always had that demeanor that regardless of what he did, or was supposed to do, he had that menacing glint in his eye - like he always had something else in mind, and that something else usually had to do with the ladies. I suspect that Grant could be a priest, in a monastery, could not utter a word, and he would have that look of being up to no good.
That is perfectly true, and Hitch used him for that glance in " Suspicion ". But the script let me no doubt about what I wrote...
very religious, she had a fair number of lovers...case in point her daughter out of wedlock with Clark Gable...Those Catholic girls....
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