The Bishop's Wife

Weir wait. readA gay people. Let's talk about Carry Grant. It was Carry Grant gay? Was he really? Ah, come on, a guy that good looking in Hollywood was gay.

It's hard to believe. It's hard to believe, Richard. So I I you know, this year has been what's the word, A complete and utter fucking nightmare. And somehow, and yet, somehow, I have kind of chafed at the idea of doing Christmas movies ever again since we already did him like a long time ago, because like, it's not that I don't like Christmas, but I kind of don't like Christmas. Halloween is my Holliday.

And so when you were like, I'm gonna give you a month of the year to do and you were like, I'm gonna do Christmas movies, I was like, oh god no. And now with my life, like at some point I'll be able to talk about it here legally I'll be able to talk about it, but I can't yet. But again, my life this year has been pretty rough. So doing Christmas movies in Christmas time this year is like double fuck you, especially this movie, Richard, Thanks well, Adam. Christmas movies like christ Christmas make you reflect right, okay, so okay, there are people who have movie watching traditions.

Certain holidays, they watch certain movies. But I think we can all agree that at Christmas time you do tend to watch. Oh I'm gonna watch a Christmas story. I'm gonna watch. Well that's because you're a cul check fan.

Well no, look again, they want to watch is it? You know what I mean? You're not, you're not, But you know what you mentioned the one with Darren McGavin. First, I see what you're doing there. Well, I'm trying to mention one that is like universally recognized in the modern era.

What is? What is? Give me another one? Post, give me another one post Christmas story. I think this is an interesting way to begin this moment.

I'll give you one. Let's talk about it later. Elf. Oh my god, I yes, I think Elf is like the best example, right, Like, I don't think there's been one since Elf. Well, here's what's interesting.

What's happened with the Christmas movie industry is that now it's not about one movie, it's about an entire wallpapering of a network. Oh oh, the Hallmark Channel. You mean you mean a touchdown love or whatever? A Chief's love story. Have you seen that one?

There is a love story based in Kansas City around the football team, the Chiefs, and it's called like touchdown for love or something. I mean, that's how far they've gone, by. The way, and I get it. What they're doing is holiday touchdown is what it's called. It's almost like a radio station that on Thanksgiving night starts playing Christmas music.

And so Mariah Carey has been heard across the land. Yeah right, yeah, I mean it's that fucking Mariah Carey song for me. That's the big trigger point for me. Well, there is a way that people consume God forbid, I say the word content now. But they it's not that they want to watch one movie like, oh, that's my favorite movie.

They want the Hallmark channel and they want endless iterations on a theme of you know, two people falling in love in a small town around Christmas time, right, And and I think Hallmark figured out we're not trying to make the perfect one, We're trying to make a thousand of them, right, And people want it just sort of playing in the background while they cleaning our house wrap their gifts, and they're not really even watching it that hard because the plots aren't that important. And I'm not criticizing. I didn't realize, but this is sort of a new kind of narrative. A friend of ours woman named well, actually there were a couple. There was Rachel Boston and then an actor named Daniel D.

Tomaso. They were both on Witches of East End. I know them both, I'm friends with them both, and I guess it was Daniel who did one of these movies. So we were like, oh, we'd seen Rachel's and we're like, let's watch Daniels. And I'm like, wait a second, there's no conflict in this movie.

And Susan's like, yeah, that's the point. Yeah, it's very wholesome. It's like wholesome, beyond belief. Well it's but what's interesting, it's not just wholesome. It's we're not even going to create false anxiety for you to have to worry about thing at any point in the narrative, which is so bizarre.

Is it? Though? It's it's like it's I mean, I guess from a traditional storytelling standpoint, but wouldn't you then concede It's like that's well, no, I guess children's programming like conflict is part of children's programming to teach them how to deal with conflict resolution in a healthy way. At least current children's programming is. Yeah, we can't speak for the turtles.

They solve their problems with sticks and size. I mean, the turtles did say don't do cocaine. But like to your point, like there's an X there's an expectation with the Hallmark stuff where it's gonna be like wholesome, beyond belief, probably to like a saccerin sickeningly saccerin level right. And and look you well, I'm I'm turning the word wholesome over in my mind, and I'm like, well, is a wholesomeness or is it simply reassuring just sort of like this is gonna be like a massage. We're gonna give you the good feelings with and we're not going to presume that you ever need to feel like, wait a second, the narrative is taking me in a place where I am, legit even a little bit worried about the outcome of the story.

Now, of course, all of this is a really interesting conversation to have in a lead up to the Bishop's Wife, which is not trafficking in great conflict. No, it's trafficking in conflict really at all. Well, it's trafficking, it's trafficking in emotional level of emotional consequence. But because of the kind of narrative it is, and because of the cast and the way it's directed, you are being told early on that this is a movie that is about reassuring you about human nature. And in fact, something very close to those exact words are spoken by Sylvester the cab driver.

You know, you guys have restored my faith in human nature, you know, or the human kindness. It's a movie about there is a problem at its heart, there is a thing that needs to be resolved, but it's resolved with such charming humanity that were never there's never a sort of that that bitter tang of oh, people are bad. It's like, no, there's a movie about people trying to be good and but they're they're fragile, and they're scared, and they're in difficult circumstances, and so you you go along with it. I find this movie so reassuring and so and so uh comforting, and so enjoyable and so funny and so heartwarming and sort of brimming with joy that that it is one of my Christmas favorites. And on this episode of the Culture Cast, I am still your host, much to the chagrin of at least two people out there in the world, Christashi, and I'm joined by my good friend all the way from Richard Adam's paranormal bookshelf, your friend of mine.

He programmed this entire month, Richard HadAM. Thank you for having me, Thank you for letting the program this month. And I'm gonna let you know right now I am without objectivity when it comes to these movies. Well, let me actually let me restate that I can objectively discuss all the movies we're going to discuss, but but not really. This is an aging but I unreservedly some I love more than others, unreservedly.

But I'm not here to harshly evaluate anything. I'm here to celebrate these movies and hopefully introduce you guys the listeners to some stuff that you've never possibly never even heard of before that could quite possibly become your favorites, which is how I discovered some of these movies. And yeah, on this episode of the Culture Cast, we're talking about a film I had never seen to Richard's point from nineteen forty eight that it came out right at the end. In nineteen forty seven, The Bishop's Wife. Hollywood, California, and the studio is where the distinguished pictures that bear the name of Samuel Gold were not produced, such films as The Best Years of Our Lives, winner of nine Academy Awards.

It was in these very studios that we recently tried to make a trailer for a new and wonderful picture called The Bishop's Wife. You know what a trailer is, one of those little films you see at your theater, which shows you scenes from some big picture that's coming soon. Well, we made the big picture and it's on its way, but something happened to the little one. It was on the day we finished all work on The Bishop's Wife. Yes, stars were.

On their way home. It's wonderful work. Goodbye, David. See tonight, what about the trailer? Trailer?

I forgot all about it. It must be set up somewhere. Where are they? I think. Just about it?

Folks, I'm sorry, I can't go in a lot of pass You see. We work here, that is, we just finished over there. And now we're all right, so you're finished. There's no one stopping here for the leave. You don't understand.

We still have to make the trailer, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to stop us from telling people about a great picture like The Bishop's Wife. Have you seen it? No, not exactly. How do you know it's great? Well?

Oh, we had a lot of fun making it, and that's always a very good sense. Well, I love it, may be so, but I'm new here. I don't know you. Folks, unless you're got to pass something. I'm David Nivan and I played the Bishop.

I'm a rather young and I played the Bishop's wife. I'm Kerrie Grant. I play all that's right. Yeah, wait a minute, what's the matter. Nobody's supposed to know what the part I play until they see the picture.

And what are you need of the trailer? We'd like folks to come in and see the picture. It's very fine, and it's quite the. Most unusual picture Sam Golding's ever made. Oh yeah, it's full of surprises.

Oh please, Well, if you put it back on good Nay, I got an idea, but the Bishop's Flight is different. Let's keep it that way. Let's have no trailer, David, a picture without a trailer. No, that's it. Why take all the wonderful surprise you out of it before people see it?

For I'm so try it. To Richard's point, is a Christmas movie, which means it's Christmas movie season, folks, and we're talking about Christmas movies. That's what Richard wanted to do, was Christmas movies. So we're here, We're gonna be talking about the Bishop's wife, We're gonna be talking about Elf, We're gonna be talking about, I think at some point a movie that probably even less people have seen in this movie, The Lemon Drop Kid, which I think is one that uh again I'm excited to watch and uh love actually at some point and Scrooge as well, love actually with uh with your love Actually Susan will be joining us on that one. So good actually, Richard, Yeah, we'll be talking about what a what a way to end the new year for me at least Jesus.

Yeah, I again, Like I want to ask you, like, so this is part of your holiday roundup of things that you watch in this season? Is this movie? Okay? So our what's a what's a movie that we're not going to be watching this month that. Is Christmas story.

Okay, are what is there to say about Christmas story? Right? Like, well, I mean, you know it, well. There's always something to say, but like it's just going to be our opinions at this point. Like, well, it's just gonna be.

It's good. It's that hallmark thing. Anyone listening to us talk about a Christmas story is someone who loves a Christmas story, and they would listen to us talk about our favorite scenes, right and exactly, And much of what we talk about this month will probably play out that way if people are familiar with the movies, we're going to talk about the things that we love. It's interesting that you you were talking about you know, you've and you have, I know, stuff that obviously the wider audience doesn't know about things you've gone through this year, and that it's been, you know, emotionally, a very tough and when Christmas rolls around you you sort of automatically go, oh, wow, last year, I was working this job, I was with this person, I was you know, my circumstances were one thing, and this year they're another thing, maybe better, maybe worse, maybe the same.

But you take stock at the end of the year and then and Christmas is the holiday where you kind of look back, and then New Year's is the holiday where you look forward. And it's sort of the perfect end of the year ritual that you can go through and take stock of your life. And it's funny. I watch this and I know the first time I watched this movie it was in uh it was Christmas season, like probably this week ish in the year two thousand and one. So if it's twenty twenty four, that means I have seen this movie twenty three times, right, And I can't say that about a lot of movies, but I know that after I watch it once, I've seen it every Christmas since then.

So I've seen this movie twenty three times. I can tell you the movie for me that has been the constant, and we are not talking about it. I have not have I don't even know if you've seen it. Maybe you have. I would assume you've seen it.

Have you seen the Santa Claus the Tim Allen film? Yes, Okay, that's one that my family always want. That's our Christmas. That's what I mean. And probably for a lot of people of like a certain age and generation, like Tim Allen like nineties comedies, Disney like all kind of like that strikes a gong.

Tim Allen, now maybe not so much, but Tim Allen then, you know, fine, you know whatever, Tim Allan just is Tim Allan. You know, just don't be the guy who does cocaine with Tim Allan. He'll sell you out, That's what I've heard. But once it becomes a family tradition. I've seen the Santa Claus like fucking thirty times.

Yeah, Like it's like yeah, and. You know you can, yes, you can make an argument for its relative quality on a million different levers. But I'm not looking forward to watching the movie about the divorced dad this Christmas. Yeah. Now it has a little bit of a different feeling to it.

Watching movies now as someone going through divorce where divorce comes up is just like like it's like I didn't think anything of it. Like another Timaalan movie, Jungle the Jungle, Like it's about a guy who's going through a divorce who goes out and finds out he has a kid with a woman in the jungle, and I'm like, can we not watch this right now? Like maybe something else other than this, Like the nineties Divorced Dad movie. Yeah, that's it. You should have picked Divorced Dad December, Richard, That's what you should have picked.

This was a Christmas movies picked divorce Dad. Movies the nineties were littered with Chevy Chase even did One Man of the House. In two thousand and one. I was divorced Dad. I was within a week of being divorced Dad.

I probably when I watched this movie for the first time. That's probably within a calendar week of me sitting in a counseling session saying I want a divorce. And I'm within a couple of days of that. Now, watching this movie for the first time and talking about it with you, that's fucking that's fucking wild. Okay, Now, now too, for people who haven't seen the movie, it's not a divorce, let me sort of describe what the movie is about.

So, yeah, you know what's going on. Okay. So David Niven plays a man who has recently become bishop, an Episcopalian bishop. Okay, And the city is essentially New York, even though it's never explicitly stated, it's the city. It's the city, and it's very and it feels very much like New York.

So it's a good New York nineteen forty eight movie. Anyway, he's married to Loretta Young, who's an actress I don't know from any other movie except this one, and I love her. Now, what you get is that with this promotion has come a tremendous amount of pressure. So before he was running a little parish and they had a very happy life and little neighborhood and they knew everybody and they had a very happy life. But with this promotion, it's one of those things where it's suddenly like, oh, now there's all this stress and responsibility.

And he has been tasked with gathering funds to build this enormous cathedral. And there's this very rich woman who's sort of, you know, a very patrician, and she just wants all millions of dollars put into this cathedral to honor her husband. And you know, she's sort of the the unpleasant woman that he has to somehow keep happy and satisfy because she's a big person in in the Episcopalian church within which he works, and she is someone he must contend with. And so building this cathedral has been this albatross around his neck. Now into this situation comes Carrie Grant.

He is an angel. He walks the earth, and in the time that we're watching the movie, he walks New York. He runs into Loretta Young first and notices her and then you know, sort of like, oh, that's an interesting woman. You know, she's attractive. Something about her sticks in his mind.

Then, in a separate scene later, David Niven, who plays the bishop, and this is all within the first ten minutes, finds himself like he's just had a fight with Loretta Young, his wife, and he's he's just so worn down by what he's got to do, and he's so miserable, and he just prays for help, and Carry Grant shows up. God, please help me. He's what he said, Please help me, Just help me. He doesn't ask for what, he just says, helped me, just help me, just says help me. So Carrie Grant shows up, and then the question of the movie becomes, well, well, what does David Niven want help with?

Does he want help with building this cathedral or does he want help repairing this rift that is developing in his marriage. Now we're talking about David Niven and Carry Grant, So we're talking about two of the most charming human beings that have ever been filmed. I love David Niven so much. David Nils I. Know, he's just delightful.

He's delightful. It's it's it's like, it's too bad it's this role because it kind of downplays how delightful he is by by by choice. But it's a very different role for him. But he is just like in everything, he's such I love David Niven immensely. And Carrie Grant of course comes with his.

Own the first time I've ever seen him in anything. Okay, I can't even get into that. So what's just see the gloss over that one? Let's his glass over that. So Carrie Grant shows up and is basically saying, look, I'm here to help you.

But David Niven doesn't really believe that he's an angel and doesn't really know how to get help from him because he's got to go meet with people and try to get people to write checks. And so while he's doing all of that, Cary Grant is like, well, then while you're off working, I guess I'll go hang out with your wife, right, And then he becomes this very charming sort of like, well, your husband's busy and I'm his assistant, so I'll just hang out with you. Now. This could go in so many unpleasant directions, and it never really does. It's just about how this guy, Carrie Grant, kind of has, you know, this magical dust that it exudes from him, and anyone he meets is charmed by him, and he has a way of making situations work themselves out.

And it takes a long time before David Niven understands that his real problem is his marriage is kind of dissolving. Right, And. Without going into all the wonderful details of the plot, everyone learns a lesson and everyone learns about what is really important, including that woman who just wants millions of dollars to be put into a cathedral when really that money could be distributed among thousands of people to make their lives better. It's a very traditional Christmas movie, full of good feelings, full of charming, good humor. There's a snowball fight, there's a Saint Bernard, what Martia Want?

And Carrie Grant, Oh boy, he is a good looking man. Oh yeah. Oh, Like I said, I had not seen him in anything before. Is this the good first thing to have seen him in and not north and not north By Northwest. Well yeah, I mean you see north By Northwest.

I wouldn't never tell you not to see him another carry Grant, Well, what's funny about this? It's like you're just like Susan would say, you know the same thing about Jimmy Stewart, Ah Richard. Yeah, you know. You can measure a circle starting anywhere. Just jump in, start enjoying Jimmy Stewart started and enjoying Cary Grant.

But I will say that the most famous story about this movie, and people have called it into question. People have said, well, that's not really true, but this part is true. There was another director who had started filming and Samuel Goldwyn, the producer of the film, was not liking what he was seeing, so he fired the director hired Henry Coster, who is the director of this film now. So he came on and he watched the footage that had been shot. But in the earlier version, David Niven played the angel and Carrie Grant played the Bishop, and Henry Coster said, oh, no, no, no, no, Carrie Grant's the angel, David Niven is the bishop.

We're gonna switch those two roles, and apparently David Niven was fine with but carry Grant was a little bit miss because he's, like the movie's called the Bishop's Wife. I signed on to play the bishop, the title role in a way, not the wife, but the bishop. So he was a little miffed. But when you watch the movie now, it's very difficult to picture it any other way than what it is right now. I can picture it the other way.

But like, like I saw that anecdote as well, and like I was wondering if you were going to bring it up, because I know you and I are both learned fellows. You know, we talk about that nobody does it better book constantly on the Bond podcast, so we do our research. Folk. I really I can't imagine that version of the movie, Like I can imagine it, but I just date like I imagine it only because like it makes so many of the things in the movie that are essentially like, well, that's just a happy accident, because you have Carrie Grant playing the role instead, like the fact that he walks away at the end, like that makes way more sense if it's David Niven. And you know, because again I'm not saying David Niven's not a good looking guy.

But Carrie Grant and David Niven are two different kinds of charming. And yes, Carrie Grant I think is more traditionally army. I think David Niven could charm the pants off of a naked man, you know what I mean. Like so eyes to Eskimo. Same with Carry Grant.

It's just I it makes sense because when you look at the promotional stuff for the movie, Carry Grant is run center even though he's the Angel, and I could see it. But man, Carrie Grant as the Angel walking away from Loretta Young at the end, like that's a happy accident because it works so well, and it makes it makes the story of the movie resonate that much more because then you really feel like the angel learns a learns a lesson as well, which ends up kind of being the point of the movie. And and you know, spoiler alerts, and even with our discussion if you haven't seen a movie alerts, this. Movie from forty seven ten years is the statue limitations on this podcast for spoiler alerts. Brother, And there's nothing we could tell you about the plot that will make the movie any less enjoyable to someone watching it for the first time because so much of the charmers and the presentation.

But it's a holiday movie. It has a fucking happy ending. It's a holiday movie. What holiday movies? Even the holiday movie that I call in contention of being a holiday movie, Diehard has a happy Yeah.

Even it has a happy ending, like you know, Happytrayalsn's that's fucking that's a happy ending. So even that Mariely has a happy ending. Even the Mothmad Prophecies has a happy ending. It does. Yeah, and the consummate Christmas movie, why didn't we watch that movie?

This is your one opportunity to be like wink wink, I'm making it a modern Christmas classic. Right, I love it. I love that movie anytime of the year, Richard. What I was gonna say is part of what makes this movie so touching and so so gives it a little bit of emotional haft, is that David Niven and Loretta Young, their marriage is very much even though they're they're not they're definitely upper middle class, yeah, but there, but there's something very real about the stress in their marriage. And and David Niven is a very real he plays a kind of a real guy.

He's just like, I've got this difficult job or I've got difficult clients and a difficult boss, and and so it's very relatable. And then the most beautiful man shows up and starts taking your wife out. There's a wonderful moment when David Niven really begins to worry that he's going to lose his wife to this angel. And he goes to Monty Woolly and we got to talk about Monty Woolly, but anyway, you. Remember you from Vienna right knock about your coastal elite.

He's like, I think I'm going to lose, you know, my wife, and I can't. It's an angel and it's carry grant. I don't what am I going to do? And Monty Wooley says, says, well, you have you have a distinct advantage over him. You're a man.

He is an angel. Yeah, he is to a certain degree, not flesh and blood, no matter what he looks or how he looks or what he does, and and and to and to see that moment where David Niven sort of puffs up, you know, in a small frame, I'm going to all go all fighting, even though he'll rip me to shreds with his you know, preternatural metaphysical powers. I'll do whatever I have to do to save my marriage. And it's just such a great moment. And then, as long as we're doing spoilers, it is met with a heartbreaking scene where Carrie Grant kind of loses his cool and he says to Loretta Young, he's like, he find the facade finally falls and he's not just the charming, in control guy, and he's like, I'm tired of searching.

I'm tired of never being hot or cold, hungry nor full. I want to be a human being and the way to do that is to be with you in a romantic relationship. And I feel like I want that, And she suddenly it's just it's such a small little thing, but she suddenly realizes, well, this friendship that we've had can never cross a certain line, and she immediately goes, no, no, no, you have to go. And so what's happened is that his character has been the catalyst in the repair of this marriage. Once Loretta Young feels that something is threatening her marriage, she's like, no, of course not.

I'm in love with David Niven and David Niven when he feels something is threatening his marriage, the same thing Dudley the Angel. He's like, I'll go fight this guy. But he doesn't have to because he comes home, you know, just all you know, full of his and Vinigar and and and our friend has gone, and before you know it, they have both forgotten he was ever there. But Dudley's work is done. And it really is very poignant that Carry Grant then looks at this marriage and goes, well, I did my job.

I put this marriage back together, and I didn't get the thing that I wanted. And he walks away, and it's so touching and so beautiful and yet and yet on no level, like you're not sad for anyone. You realize that everyone ended up where they need to be. And you know, you said it's not a movie about divorce, but it is because again, like it ultimately comes down to the question of where do you put your time and effort. And Loretta Young's character when she realizes what is happening and Carry Grant says it, he's like this is heaven, Like this being with you is heaven.

Like when she realizes what he's saying, like like you said, like, that's there are moments in your life where that happens and you can either lean into it or lean away from it. And if you're in a position where you're supposed to lean away from it and you lean into it, that's that's the other version of this movie that wouldn't make any sense because again, like David Niven as the Angel, there's no, it's not that I don't believe it, but like I wouldn't believe it. It wouldn't be as poignant a moment, it wouldn't be as important a moment. It wouldn't be the moment that matters. Which is even with it being Carrie Grant, she says, no, who more transcendently good looking at the time, other than like the fact that like when I watch this movie, when I say, I've never seen Carry Grant and anything seeing him in this is wild because it's like he doesn't eat.

It's like someone that good looking should never be able to exist for real, do you know what I mean? He's like transcendently good looking in a way people are not. Now, maybe it's the black and white of it all that probably helps, but he's like he's just he's everything you kind of want in this kind of actor at this kind of time, and that's just not a thing the way it used to be. I'm not saying things could get good again. I'm just saying this is just not a thing anymore.

Well, we are seduced by Carry Grant, as she is seduced by Carry Grant. How could you not be? And so when when it becomes a legitimate threat, it is felt as a threat because it does feel like, well, well, David Niven like, again, good looking guy, but in a lineup, you're gonna choose Carry Grant. And then suddenly, as an audience member, you are like, uh oh wait a second. Now is the Carry Grant power going to be too much for everyone to deal with?

But Loretta Young is like, no, I love my husband, you know I want to be with him, and and you love her for that. And on a certain level, of course, you know that Carry Grant will be okay because he's not a human being, so he will continue going on doing what he needs to do. But it sucks. But it sucks and he learned something though, Like I think in in this movie, Carrie Grant has never felt this way before. No, that's that's the gist of that scene is this is this is the first time I have felt this way in a long time, if ever, which is like I've found the person who makes me want to stick around because I've never wanted to stick around before.

That's the jit. That's the gist of it, And like isn't that what we all want? I mean, that's the thing. Like that's why I said, Like when I read that story about David Niven playing the Angel, I was like, it just wouldn't make any sense, like it would The poignancy of that moment has to be that this guy is again, he's an angel, so he's effectively perfect, Like that's right, Like the concession is like he's a he's a you know, he is a lackey of Jesus as opposed to a demon. He's an angel, which means he's all good.

If demons are all bad, he's all good, which means even David Niven has a bad day, this guy doesn't like that's he's an angel. And yet Loretta Jung goes no like and even that she goes no. So on paper, the angel character threatens the marriage. But if David Niven is playing that character, do we feel the threat or are we like, well, of course she's gonna she's married to Carry Grant. She's not gonna leave Carry Grant for David Nivin.

But in a weird way, you could see the opposite because Carry Grant is just so iconographic. Right, He's like a guy who's caricature you see in Hollywood restaurants. Right. I have a picture of Clark Gable back here that's covered up, Like it's the same thing. Like Clark Gable and Carry Grant, like you know who they are, Like you could see a picture of him be like that's you know, it's like Humphrey Hillgard.

It's the same thing. It's like Jimmy Cagney, It's like Jimmy Stewart, like the same thing. Like they are just iconically American actors, and like they have a look to them that there's like a there's an aura around Carry Grant in this movie, and it's you know, they're not doing anything. They're not giving him one of those you know Eastern Orthodox you know circles around his head, you know, the halos with the fingers up like he just he looks it on his own. He just looks and it's just based on what it's based on the fact that he's so good looking that when Loretta Young sees him, it's like, uh oh, David Niven, you better be careful.

But that's the great part about the story is like ultimately the human spirit triumphs in the end. Over every here's something and there's something else that I know people have felt. And this is a I think like it's just baked into Christmas. We've all for many of us, maybe most of our Christmases, we're also burdened by our jobs. Whatever your job happens to be.

For teaching high school, you're put on the Christmas show and you're working up until December twentieth. If you're in the entertainment business, you're you know, you're which I am. You're usually writing a script over the Christmas break. Those two weeks are that's a time to catch up. The pressure does not abate.

If you're in retail, Louck good luck, right right. I mean, there's if you're in a food service, hotel, all these various things where the Christmas season just means more work and you're watching through a window other people enjoying themselves. And that's one of the things I love about this movie is that David Niven is like, I can't go out to lunch with my wife at the restaurant where I propose to her, Michelle's, because I've got a meeting I have to go to and a presentation I've got to make. And by the way, can we just talk about that scene in Michelle's. Is there anything I love more than the interior of a low ceiling, bustling warm restaurant on a cold, cold New York day where they're just serving international cuisine and perfectly made cocktails in these little booths.

I mean, just I just want to live in Michelle's. I love that. You know. What I feel like is a lost thing wearing hat. I mean, hey, you're as a fan of col Chak right, maybe like you know you get it, Like I miss people wearing hat like and I'm not talking to like a fucking ball cap like I was in Texas for the last two months.

And the one regret that I have is I didn't go to the custom Cowboy Hat story and get myself a cowboy hat because I really want one, and like I have too big of a head to just buy one off the rack. But now that I have long hair. I'm like, what's the one thing you do with long hair is you get you let it down and you put a cowboy hat on top of it. We're like a flat built hat. I'm like, I could totally rock it.

And to your point, I love the emotions that this part of the world at this time of year conjures up, because if there's nothing cozier than this, like oh yeah yeah, and like the waiter and the hats and the clothing and the suits and everybody's dressed. I mean, I don't know, like it's set. Like again, I'm not asking to go back to the way things are, but I would love to live in this time and place, the idealized version of this time and place, because people are still fucking suffering in nineteen forty seven. Jesus fucking Christ, Like. Why, But that's why we watch these movies.

It's the idealized what we watch the Hallmark movies because we want to be in those environments with those people, you know, sort. Of twenty elevens. I want to be in the fourteen nineteen forty seven is up the twenty elevens Hallmark shit takes place in the now. That's the problem, Like there's something about this that feels timely, like you said, like it's New York, Like the city is unimportant, the time and place is unimportant. I mean this gets remade in the what early nineties with Denzel Washington and Courtney ban I have never seen it.

Ill, why would it be like gilding the lily? Like this movie is essentially perfect? Like there's very little, if anything wrong with this movie. Like objectively, I think why it's a Christmas classic. And look, the argument can be made in both directions.

You know, there's been endless retellings of a Christmas Carol because it's such a durable story that it can be retold in various ways and still retaine its power. I think this is also narratively there, it's a little bit more gossamer. It's a little bit more dependent upon the charm of the cast and the director and everyone behind the camera. So I'm I haven't seen Preacher's Wife. I don't hear people talking about it, So I don't really feel like I'm missing out.

It might have its. Charms Denzel Washington in it. There's no way it doesn't have charms. Guy is the only reason people went saw Glady Eater or two best I can figure out. Yeah.

So, but what I do love is the I love the set design in this movie. I love the low ceilings. I love the over decorated interior environments that all feel. The costumes come on everything. Everything feels like like a little like it's not clean and spare.

You know, the Bishop's office, there's too many lamps and too many books, but it feels cozy and warm in that way. Michelle's is packed. I mean you just know that it's just everyone is just coming in with their shoulders covered in snow, and there's a candle on every table, and the waiters have the towel over their arm and it's just perfect. And everywhere you go in this movie you do have that feeling of, oh, I would love to be there. The ice skating sequence, I mean, is there a more graceful, transcendent, joyful, funny five minutes in film?

Well, I mean they do the Texas switch a lot in that scene. I'll tell you that much. There's a lot of Texas. There's a lot of Texas switches in that scene. They're shooting under the cover of the shadows.

If you know what I'm I was watching That scene is great because of how well it's done for the limitations, because I know it's not Carry Grant. I know it's not Loretta Jung, and I really know it's not James Gleeson doing any of those because again, like when they start shooting from far away and you can tell it's a professional skater trying to look like they don't know what they're doing, it's more impressive than watching someone who doesn't know what they're doing. New it. Like, I'm like, I'm sitting there thinking to myself, like wow, Like I'm impressed that you can make looking like you don't know what you're doing looks so easy. My favorite of that what you're saying is when we're back outside, you know, sort of standing on the shore of the pond watching and Carry Grant sort of skates away and then starts doing this whole routine.

And of course it's winter and he's just people, so they're wearing big, high collared coats and scarves and so it's easy to hide the face. And he starts and he and he's doing all and leaping and just the Olympic level stuff, and then he does that thing where you spin really fast, be really in place, it really really fast, and suddenly you stop and then we cut in close as as he just sort of turns and holds out his. Hand like you would be a lot more exhausted brother than that, Like. He's not dizzy at all. Well, he's an angel.

So yeah, you took the words right out of my mouth. And doesn't and doesn't Monty Wooly know that he's an angel or what? What? So? What so?

So he's encountered Monty Woolly before? Is that what the deal is? No? No, no, Monty Woolly who who plays the old professor who's a humanities professor and you know it, has been working on writing a history. But he recognizes it appears he recognizes or is that is that just a put on?

No, it's a put on. It's a put on I could carry Dudley. The angel comes up, Oh, professor you I was in your class. We had a conference together in Vigana. And Monty Woolley is doing that thing you do where you're like, oh, re sure, yeah, I remember.

Monty will is just too good at it. He believe he got me to believe it too. Well. No, but then later he's like now wait a second, I've been thinking about this. You were never in Vienna.

I don't know you at all, you know. And and but later when David Niven, who is the only person that Dudley the Angel has said, I am an angel too, when he when he finally goes to Monty Woolly, Monty Woolly isn't really surprised at that point because he's got the bottle that's been refilling with wine, he's been writing his history. I mean, look, there's just nothing that burrows its way into my heart more than the idea of Monty Woolley, who spent forty years trying to write a book, hasn't written a page, and suddenly, after one afternoon of drinking with Carrie Grant, is producing pages like crazy. If that isn't my fantasy, I don't have a fantasy. Yeah, And that's the thing, Like, because I was thinking about this, and you know, you mentioned you, and I asked you, like, what the movies you watch at Christmas time?

Right? And I think for me and I think you might be inclined to agree as well, Like, look, it's great to make a comedy that people remember, right, It's great to make an action movie that people remember. People remember under Siege too. It's great to make a supernatural movie that people remember, people remember the Mothman prophecy. But to your point about some of these movies, like a movie that is a holiday movie that is a holiday classic, is the is for me, in my mind, like the hardest thing to do to make a genuine like to make one.

I don't think you make a holiday classic. I think it just becomes it and like a genuine one, not just like, oh, this is some like cult movie that people have. I'm not discounting that, but you know what I mean, like talking about one that's like broadly recognized as a classic. I don't think that Rankin and Bass thought that they had a classic on their hands. I don't know if they thought The Bishop's Wife was going to be a classic the way that it is, or you know, Christmas Story or stuff like that, like you don't know, or Elf or Elf like again, like I mean, Elf is like the one where I'm just like Elf has been out for twenty five years.

It's crazy. Well let's not I mean, I I. Know what I mean, but let's not talk about I know, no, I know, but my point being like it's not something you can do organically. And I guess it's probably not twenty five, but it's twenty years for Elf. Like it's like any movie, like, but I know, someone tries to make a movie that's going to be, that's going to last.

And when you make a holiday movie, sometimes there's a bit of a you know, a crass incentive because you're like, well, we've already got a little bit of an advantage because it's a Christmas movie, so people will watch Christmas movie. But there's so many of them that have been made that you don't watch over and over. But to be fair, like the ones when they hit, like, I don't think that the intention was like we're gonna make a classic. We're making a holiday movie, you know, and like it happens to be a classic and you know, one of my favorites, and I don't think. Look, I love Jingle all the way.

It's not a great movie, but at the same time, like it's for me as a holiday classic, like the Santa Claus. There are people that will watch Santa Claus and don't like it. I think, I think to be a true holiday classic, it almost has to be transcendentally good. It has to transit like this movie is transcendentally good. It transcends quality because I think the message at the center of this movie is so important and everyone who learns a lesson in this movie or has a message taught to them in this movie, those messages I think are so universal and important that while like I think, Christmas movies kind of get away with being morality tales constantly shrouded in the guise of the holiday season.

But like you said, with Christmas being the time to look back and New Year's being the time to look forward, and those being separated by what a week like, you have the opportunity to, like with a Christmas Carol, like with a movie like this, you have an opportunity to tell a story that kind of is timeless. And I don't know this, this movie has a timeless quality to it that's like hard to argue with Richard. If you haven't seen it, listeners, please check it out. Yes it is in black and white. Yes it is on Peacock Oh some Peacock TV.

On Peacock TV. If you have Peacock TV for anything else, you could watch this too. When I when I watched it for the first time, it was because my cousin jan had just sort of off hand said to me earlier that week, Oh, tonight's the night we watched The Bishop's Wife. And I'm like, what what I think? I know I've heard about what is that?

And she said, Oh, it's my mom's favorite Christmas movie. It's my favorite Christmas movie. And you know her mom being my aunt Sally. I mean, these are people who you know, I've been very very close to my entire life. And I'm like, that's so funny that is that is one of those holiday movies I've never seen, like some people have never seen White Christmas or it's.

A sayingful life, you know. And I was living on my own and I'm like, oh, I'd like to see it. But when you're talking two thousand and one, there are no cable channels where you're just going to go check it out and unless you're just gonna happen to catch it on Channel thirteen. I was like, oh, I have to rent it. So I went to Blockbuster.

They didn't have it. Then I went online looking to buy it, and for some reason, it was like eighty nine dollars to get a DVD of the Bishops and I'm like, what now. I have it running in the background while we do this episode of the show. Isn't that fucked cup? I mean, you know, great time to be alive, lots of technology, we can watch movies while talking about them.

Yeah, that's fucking horrifying to think about it. I ended up going to four different independent video stores until I finally found it, and then I watched it and then I'm like, oh, I had seen it. I loved it. I returned the film and it was another two or three years before I actually owned a copy before another edition came out and suddenly it was only twenty nine ninety nine or something. But now I've got my I've got all the movies that I watch in a special bin on DVD, so I don't need to worry about what day it's gonna be on.

Although that was fun and we'll talk about that later. But anyway, my I urge the listeners check out Carry Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young in The Bishop's Wife, and then stick around all through December because we're gonna be talking about a handful of really beautiful, wonderful, very different movies. Well's and that's the other thing. I want to mention, you know, before we bring this episode to a close, Like that's the thing about this movie that I don't think anything else this month is gonna have, right, is like this is a very specific kind of movie made it a very specific time. Like everything else is a little bit more contemporary.

Nothing else has Elsa Lanchester in it, you know, the bride of Frankenstein herself, which is the one weird thing in this who was like, what the flying fuck is she doing in this movie? But this movie, I mean again, like the other things we're going to talk about, like Elf and stuff like that, there's a timelessness to them, but this the timelessnessness of this movie is baked into it. It really is. Part of it. And like, yes, that's the thing for me that I really enjoyed about this movie is I feel like this will be one that I bring out to watch with people like my family, like genuinely like and I don't even know if they've seen it, but I think, oh, that's so great.

I'm what does say that? But that's the point. But the point is, like the movie I think resonates with me so much because again, like even if it's like the personal issues of it all like in me you know again, like we've said, like some of this, like some of the stuff in this movie can feel deeply personal at times, given stuff you've dealt with or I've dealt with her people, the holidays deal with just in general, Like you don't have to be going through divorce to feel shitty in the holidays. Like the holidays are either, like you said, a great time or a bad time. And there's not really an in between, like there's it's kind of good or bad at the holidays, like and and like you said, like it's a it's a time to reflect.

But also at the same time, if you think about it, a year from now, I could be looking back on this going, man, I'm better off now a year from now than I was. And and that's the thing with this movie is Carrie Grant is ultimately there to quote provide guidance unquote. But what it's really about, when you sit and think with the movie and give the movie the time that it wants and deserves, is the movie's about perspective. The movie is asking you to sit back and remember the perspective of things. Yes, we could spend millions of dollars on a cathedral.

But ultimately it's not going to make as much of a difference as giving it to people in need, those in need who actually need. It's not going to do as much good, just like not investing in your relationship with someone is not going to be as beneficial in the long term, you know as just running off what the angel is. In this movie's parlance, again, like David Niven and Loretta Young recommit themselves to each other because the perspective is when the when the marriage is threatened by Carrie Grant, they both recommit themselves to the marriage because of the perspective that Carrie Grant provides. And that's what the movie's about. Carrie Grant is the perspective that the characters need the guidance quote unquote as the movie and that is a movie that is a holiday movie, is a you know, like you've said, like at the end of the year, when we look back on things.

Often we look back on things to help make the path forward clearer. And that's what this movie is about. It shows Loretta Young and David Niven that you know, you do care about each other even if you are not able to have time each other. The time for each other the way that you want you do care, and that this woman is a good person, even if she wants to just give money to selfish things. And you know, the cab driver does have his faith in humanity restore, like carry Grant makes a difference in everyone's life in this movie, and that's the thing.

It's not about him doing anything other than offering perspective, and perspective at the holidays is the I think one of the most important things, because a lot of the stuff we talk about, I think the rest of the stuff we're talking about this season is not going to be so much about perspective as in tuning other things about like the holiday spirit and family. But this movie's about perspective. And to your point, Richard, like this movie does come at a very odd and interesting time in my life because I don't think I don't think I would be resonating with it as much if I wasn't dealing with the things that I'm dealing with, which is an oddly personal thing to say on a podcast where I've tried to keep my personal life out of it, unlike your podcast.

Richard Hadham's paranormal Bookshelf, which yes by the way is how we're going to be transitioning here in a second. So we're going to play an ad for the next episode of this show. Richard and I have more or less said check this movie out. I think that's obviously, like Richard said, no objectivity this month. These are movies that Richard loves, so he's going to be suggesting you watch all of them.

So let's take a break. We'll play some ads in a preview for the next episode. From weirding Way Media, Cambridge, and with Shawn is a podcast about two guys obsessions, passions, and hobbies. Those two guys are. Mark Bigley, host of Wake Up Heavy Recollections of.

Horror, and Ronald Zuriggian, host of the Skelevator YouTube channel. Each month, we talk about the toys, comics, movies, books, TV shows and other cultural phenomena that captured our imaginations and helped shape who we are today. From Masters of the Universe to Saturday Night Live, Star Wars to Harry Houdini, the Muppets to the Elephant Man. Ronnie and Mark dive deep into the recesses of their minds to pull out treasured memories of things lost but never Forgotten. Join us on the first Tuesday of each month over at weirdinwaymedia dot com, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Join me Jamie Benning on the Filmmentaries podcast, particularly if you enjoy stories like designer Nilo Rhodis Jamiro convincing George Lucas to push him around to help gain the support of his crew on the Ailing Howard the duck. Plam, the door opens, It's George. Everybody gas. George makes a bee line to me. I'm literally back against the wall or here.

Puppeteer Tim Rose's emotional story behind that iconic Amberlacbas shot in Return of the Jedi. I believe it or something to be proud of, but not to celebrate. All has Star editor Paul Hirsch tackled cutting so many successful films. The thing that I learned from work with the Palm is that tension depends on a clock. You need to have the sense that time is running out.

Maybe Oscar winning sound designer Mark Manngini's insightful chat about his work on Blade Runner twenty forty nine. Not a single sound from the original Blade Runner in the new film A great deal of inspiration. That's the film Youmentary's podcast with me Jamie Benning. Hello, Twisted Humans. Do you find yourself wanting to know more about the latest murder, conspiracy, cult, or haunting than this is the podcast for you.

In nineteen fifty two, there was a record high of UFOs reported fifteen hundred sightings. There has been evidence of human sacrifice, double worship, and it is haunted by more spirits than can be counted. A family of two adults and two kids reportedly. Saw a giant flying thing with glowing red eyes. And meanwhile, the family's nanny that helped Veronica to care for her and Lucian's children, was found bludgeoned to death in the basement of their family Hope, I'm Alicia and I'm Sierra, and this is twisted and uncorked.

That is the greatest picture I have ever made. And I've got the angle on the trailer boys. We've got to get across to the public that that picture has everything. Why. It's hilarious, it's romantic, it's tender, it's charming, it's delightful, it's exciting, and that's groovy.

Yes, that does it, Boss, mister Shaffer, You've got a great idea naturally. Now I'll tell you what we do. So that's right. On the next episode of the Culture Cast, we are going to be talking about Miracle on thirty fourth Street from nineteen forty seven, technically the same year that this movie came out, so a good year for Christmas classics. Another movie I have yet to see and scheduled to appear on that episode are doctor Will Dodson and doctor David Perlmutter, both people who are actual academics.

So Richard, you and I are about to be out class baby by some of those academic types. Uh oh good, I know it. Will, I know, show us a thing or two. So, speaking of that, Richard, when people aren't here joining me and you this month to program the entire month to talk about movies, where can people find you and your assorted works? They can find me on Richard Adam's Paranormal Bookshelf.

That's my podcast. Anywhere you get a podcast, you can get that one. I talk about paranormal books, one book per podcast. But it's also intertwined with a story of my life, something that's happened to me, a memory, so it's it's a sort of a sort of a secret Diary a little trip down memory lane, but it's a lot of fun, so check it out. And as for me, you know where you can find me on this show.

Every episode aside from like two, I've been a part of. And yeah, Weirdingwaymedia dot Com is the network that I started with our friend Mike White, who you and I talk about James Bond with once a month on Rank and on Bond, which is a Sames Bond podcast you can't find anywhere but at our Patreon, which is ten dollars a month ten dollars in hire. You get access to Ranking on Bond once a month. You hear us talk about James Bond. If that's the thing you're in, too cool.

If not, I totally get it. Speaking of misogyny, James Bond is the purveyor of misogyny, Richard, Octo pussy. There's eight of them, Richard, how dare? But yeah, that's where you can find us. That's where you can find me, Richard.

Thank you so much for joining me, and buckle up because we're talking once a week for the next like five weeks, so. We're talking a lot. I can't wait. Perfect way to spend the holidays, man. I totally agree, and as always, we'll catch on the next episode.

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