THE WRITER’S EYE

Watching The Classics From A Different Point View

Recipe for a comic Christmas fantasy:

1 dashing angel

1 neglected bishop’s wife

1 obsessed bishop

1 magical Christmas setting

The seasoning: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven, plus several terrific character actors, James Gleason, Elsa Lanchester, Monty Woolley, and the great Gladys Cooper

Grant is Dudley, an angel sent in response to the request for help from David Niven, a bishop who is frustrated in his quest to raise money for a new cathedral. Loretta Young is “The Bishop’s Wife” who temporarily falls under the spell of the charismatic angel. Frustrated in his efforts to secure the donation of the town’s wealthiest woman (Gladys Cooper), the bishop begs for guidance, meaning “how do I get the old biddy to give me the money I want for my cathedral?”

On his way to meet the bishop, Dudley encounters Julia Brougham doing Christmas shopping, and he is quickly smitten. He moves on to see Bishop Brougham and reveals himself as an angel sent in response to the bishop’s request. The bishop hopes for quick action, but Dudley plays a waiting game, partly because he wants to spend as much time with Julia as possible. Along the way, Dudley affects the lives of all the characters in positive ways. There is considerable humor throughout the film, but the poignancy of the characters is what draws me back, every Christmas, to this enchanting film.

What can a writer learn by watching this film?

First off, you can learn how to craft a story well-balanced between character and action. Character drives the plot and creates both humor and pathos. Second, you can learn to focus on what each of your characters really wants. Third, if they get what they want, how will the plot turn out? If they get what they actually need for a happier life instead, how does this affect the outcome of their lives? This film is a good class on revealing character by action, showing rather than telling. The characters show us who they are, which is what great writing is all about.