---
title: "The Bishop's Wife: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-bishops-wife/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-bishops-wife"
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Bishop's Wife (1947): what the critics said

Critics' score 71 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative.

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 1947. 

The film comes very close to being the most enchanting picture of the year thanks to its simple, humble plane and sensitively handled whimsy drawn from human frailties. Henry Koster's direction elicits fluent, beguiling performances from Cary Grant as the angel and David Niven as the bishop, making it a warmly inspiring Christmas show.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1947/12/10/archives/the-bishops-wife-starring-cary-grant-david-niven-loretta-young.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Mark Chalon Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 1992. 

The 1947 film is heavy with sugar glaze but has engaging performances, with Loretta Young standing out and David Niven showing the right amount of crankiness. Director Henry Koster opts for a soft, occasionally wry touch rather than melodrama, with the best moments coming from Niven's reactions to the angel.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-03-ol-2043-story.html)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2022. 

The critic finds the 1947 Christmas fantasy comedy beguiling and charming despite some inhibition, calling it classic yuletide comfort food. The skating sequence is singled out as a little gem.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/dec/07/the-bishops-wife-review-cary-grant-and-david-niven-shine-in-cosy-christmas-comedy)

## Time Out

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review finds the film a pleasant enough Goldwyn-produced whimsy capitalizing on the success of other 1940s angelic fantasies. Cary Grant's charm works effectively on audiences, and his relaxed wit combined with Loretta Young's delicate loveliness creates a frothily touching comedy.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-bishops-wife)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1946. 

While a fantasy, there are no fantastic heavenly manifestations, and the humanness of the characters, even the angel, beguiles full attention. Henry Koster's sympathetic direction deftly handles the warm humor, with Cary Grant never appearing to greater advantage and strong contributions from the cast and crew.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1946/film/reviews/the-bishop-s-wife-1200414994/)

## The New Yorker — John McCarten

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 1947. 

Cary Grant as the angel behaves much as he did in mortal roles, creating uncertainty whether he will return to heaven or stay with the bishop's wife. The bishop and his spouse seem to have a trapped look throughout the proceedings.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1947/12/13/1947-12-13-095-tny-cards-000023515)

## Collider — Kelcie Mattson

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2023. 

The critic praises the film as a charming holiday classic with old Hollywood magic and a strong anti-materialism message. They single out Cary Grant's against-type performance as the angel Dudley for its warmth, subtlety, and earnest longing.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/cary-grant-the-bishops-wife/)

## Film Stories — Sarah Cook

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2022. 

The critic praises it as a delightful Christmas film held together by strong performances from Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young, highlighting the enchanting angel magic and ice skating sequence, while noting its lighter tone compared to It's a Wonderful Life.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/old-movies-the-bishops-wife/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-bishops-wife.md