Decent tribute, but I must ask, what is the film in your signature (Noodles slowstir)?
It’s hard to tell from the size of the picture....but that’s Cary Grant. It’s a scene from
The Bishop’s Wife (1947). It’s a sentimental Hollywood holiday film, but I like it. Acutally, I don’t think that it gets too unbearably sentimental. I try to watch it each year around this time. I think Cary Grant is nicely cast as the almost perfect stranger, Dudley, that arrives in town and everyone seems to be drawn to. Both Grant, and David Niven as Bishop Henry Brougham, are quite good. Niven plays a bishop concerned with building a grand cathedral. He’s experiencing a personal crisis. In addition to finding that he may have to sacrifice some of his principles to secure financing to build the cathedral, he’s been neglecting his wife and daughter. In a moment of frustration he prays for guidance. There’s a pretty nice supporting cast. Many of the supporting characters have their own little frustrations and stories of love lost. I think the script is quite good. There’s a lot of subtle humorous moments. It has a nice little score. Cinematography is by Gregg Toland.... so nothing more need be said about that. It has a skating scene in which it’s pretty obvious in the long shots that stand ins are being used, but it’s so charming I easily overlook it.
Penny Marshall made a remake with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston,
The Preacher's Wife. I like Denzel, but I never bothered to watch it. From what I've read it's another remake that falls short.
