#Leonardo Bercovici

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

The Bishop's Wife is a Christmas film for those more interested in heavenly miracles than fat men in red suits. It’s a bit of a strange bird, which is why the archival posters I saw for it are utterly puzzling (I wonder if audiences at the time felt misled) but false advertising from the marketers or not, I won't complain. Whatever it takes to get eyes on this movie is worth it.

Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) is having difficulty funding the building of a new cathedral. Without the contribution of Agnes Hamilton (Gladys Cooper), it will be impossible for him to meet his goal but her money comes with all sorts of demands about the building’s design. His prayers for help are answered when a suave angel named Dudley (Cary Grant) appears at his door. When Dudley seems more preoccupied with helping Henry’s wife, Julia (Loretta Young) reconnect with her old friends and playing with Henry's daughter, Debby (Karolyn Grimes), than raising money, Henry has difficulty understanding what sort of angelic help he’s received.

The posters advertising the film heavily emphasize Cary Grant and Loretta Young, implying that his character might be stealing her away from David Niven's. It’s true that if you saw certain scenes in isolation and didn’t know that Dudley was an angel, it might seem like the two of them would end up together, but this is not that kind of movie. The angel knows that Henry's put so much effort in this cathedral project that he's neglected his family. His wife and daughter feel sad and lonely at the worst time of year: Christmas. Henry may not be directly going up to people and asking them for money for the building but you can tell there’s a plan in motion. You're curious to see how it will all come together.

Cary Grant is perfectly suited for this role. He’s extremely charming and divinely charismatic. He and Loretta Young get along so well you understand why Bishop Henry becomes suspicious of them. Young’s performance is also noteworthy because you see how much fun she’s having on the little adventures Dudley takes her, while never for a second thinking she might be falling out of love with her husband. It’s simply a deep friendship, the kind that might not last long but means the world to you at that moment. The sentiment is infectious, both to the other people in the film (there are several memorable side characters, such as an old friend of Julia’s, played by Monty Woolley) and to viewers. By the time the film gets to its December 25th finale, you’ve been reminded of some of the more important elements of the holiday and have been told a story that’s unlike any other yuletide romance I can think of.

I hadn’t heard anyone speak of The Bishop’s Wife before seeing it on a list of “classic” Christmas films and I can sort of see why. If I tell you it's the story of a bishop wondering about his wife's happiness, you’ll wonder how you could possibly relate. Trust me. Give this film a chance. In no time, you'll get a feel for the characters and become involved in the story. Seeing Dudley put together his ultimate plan is intriguing, the drama between the family is engaging, the performances are quite good (I didn’t mention David Niven earlier but he does well for himself) and the black-and-white cinematography gives it a certain homey feel you can't resist. I even think there's a spot for The Bishop's Wife in your yearly viewing list, particularly if you're craving more earnest Christmas sentiments than we usually get. (December 23, 2021)

[phantomladyoverparis]

Storia di una donna (1970), dir. Leonardo Bercovici 

[mariocki]

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (Blood on My Hands, 1948)

"Listen to me. There's nobody else I wanna be with. Nobody else I wanna talk to. What's wrong with that?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong, you're wrong. You're a coward. There was one of him and one of you; he was a much older man, I suppose if you - if you hit a child, you'd say the same thing. What's the matter with you? Why can't you be decent? Why can't you be like everybody else? You're nothing but a cheap, vicious bully."

[gatutor]

Bibi Andersson-Robert Stack "Historia de una mujer" (Storia di una donna) 1970, de Leonardo Bercovici.

[captainfantasticalright]

Random yet ineffable fun fact of the day:

A scene from the film, The Bishop’s Wife, inspired a cut scene from Good Omens.

The basic premise of The Bishop's Wife (1947) is about an angel who helps a bishop with his problems.

The film was adapted by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E. Sherwood from the 1928 novel of the same name by Robert Nathan.

Link to the post.

I compiled both scenes in this video so you can see the comparison. I do recommend watching the entire film though!

And some more interesting trivia:

Originally Cary Grant played the bishop and David Niven the angel. When original director William A. Seiter left the film, Henry Koster replaced him and viewed what had been shot so far. He realized that the two were in the wrong roles. It took some convincing because Grant wanted the title role of the Bishop. He eventually accepted the change and his role as the angel was one of the most widely praised of his career.

Does that remind you of anything related to the casting roles in Good Omens? 🤓 History repeats itself.

[retrotariotr]

The Bishop's Wife is a 1947 American Christmas romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Henry Koster, starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his problems. The film was adapted by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E. Sherwood from the 1928 novel of the same name by Robert Nathan.

[filmnoirfoundation]

NOIR CITY 20 at Oakland's Grand Lake Theatre Day 9: Evening- SORRY, WRONG NUMBER (7:00) & KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (9:00). Films introduced by Eddie Muller.

Full festival and tickets: www.NoirCity.com

Saturday Evening • January 28

DOUBLE FEATURE

7:00 PM

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

Bedridden heiress Leona Stevenson (Barbara Stanwyck) hears through crossed telephone wires a murder being planned. She tries to alert the police, to no avail, and grows frantic as she gradually realizes she is the intended victim. Stanwyck gives an Oscar®-nominated performance in this engrossing and densely layered extension of the legendary 22-minute radio drama. Featuring Burt Lancaster in one of his earliest roles, mesmerizing direction by Anatole Litvak, and atmospheric camerawork by the great Sol Polito. Famous … yet still underrated.Originally released September 1, 1948. Paramount, 89 minutes. Screenplay by Lucille Fletcher, from her radio play. Produced by Hal Wallis and Anatole Litvak. Directed by Anatole Litvak.

9:00 PM

KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS

War profiteering, 1940s-style, is the backdrop of this London-set noir, in which a traumatized American GI (Burt Lancaster) goes on the run after killing a man in a pub. Joan Fontaine is his only hope for salvation, Robert Newton his nemesis. The first film produced by Lancaster's Norma Productions, which recreated twenty square blocks of London on the Universal backlot, brilliantly photographed by Russell Metty. Miklós Rózsa contributed the highly effective score.

Originally released October 29, 1948. Universal–International, 79 minutes. Screenplay by Leonardo Bercovici, Ben Maddow, and Walter Bernstein, Based on the novel by Gerald Butler. Produced by Harold Hecht and Burt Lancaster. Directed by Norman Foster.

[mthguy]

A classic Christmas movie.

The Bishop's Wife, a 1947 American supernatural romantic comedy film was directed by Henry Koster, and starred Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The film was adapted by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert E. Sherwood from the 1928 novel of the same name by Robert Nathan.

The enchanting plot revolves around an angel named Dudley, in mortal form, played by Cary Grant, sent to assist an Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, played by David Niven, who is worried about how he will raise enough money to build a new cathedral and prays for guidance. The Bishop's earthly concerns are turned on their ear by Dudley, who manages to get under the Bishop's skin, as he develops a close relationship with the Bishop's wife, Julia, portrayed by Loretta Young, whom the Bishop has been neglecting as a result of his work. As the climax to the movie approaches, Dudley hints to Julia his desire to stay with her and not move on to his next assignment. Although Julia doesn't fully understand what he's talking about, she senses what he means, and tells him it is time for him to leave. Dudley tells the bishop it is rare for an angel to envy a mortal. When Henry wants to know why his cathedral plans were derailed, Dudley reminds the Bishop that he had prayed for guidance, not a building.

In all, The Bishop's Wife picked up five Academy nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as Best Sound Recording (won), Best Editing and Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

It’s CARY GRANT #StarOfTheMonth day on #TCM and his daughter Jennifer will introduce his films tonight.

[howardhawkshollywoodannex]

Portrait of Jennie (1948) was written by Leonardo Bercovici, Paul Osborne and Peter Berneis with uncredited help from David O Selznick and Ben Hecht, based on a novella by Robert Nathan. 

Leonardo had 19 screenwriting credits.  Also notable was his original unfilmed screenplay that formed the basis of The Preacher's Wife (1996) with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston.

Paul had 34 screenwriting credits, most notably for The Yearling and East of Eden. 

Peter had 23 screenwriting credits, most notably for adapting Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, and for a 1957 remake of My Man Godfrey.

[junkielee]

[Last Film I Saw] Portrait of Jennie (1948)

[Last Film I Saw] Portrait of Jennie (1948)

Title: Portrait of Jennie Year: 1948 Country: USA Language: English Genre: Romance, Fantasy Director: William Dieterle Writers: Leonardo Bercovici Paul Osborn Peter Berneis Robert Nathan Music: Dimitri Tiomkin Cinematography: Joseph H. August Cast: Joseph Cotten Jennifer Jones Ethel Barrymore Cecil Kellaway David Wayne Lillian Gish Henry Hull Florence Bates Albert Sharpe Anne Francis Nancy Reagan Nancy Olson Rating:…

[sesiondemadrugada]

Portrait of Jennie (William Dieterle, 1948).

[phantomladyoverparis]

Storia di una donna (1970), dir. Leonardo Bercovici 

[palhbooks]

Creative Writing: Leonard Bercovici Legacy "Get into the Head of Your Character"

[gatutor]

James Farentino-Bibi Andersson “Historia de una mujer” (Storia di una donna) 1970, de Leonardo Bercovici.

[phantomladyoverparis]

Storia di una donna (1970), dir. Leonardo Bercovici 

[phantomladyoverparis]

Storia di una donna (1970), dir. Leonardo Bercovici