Holiday movies

One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Bishop's Wife.  I can't begin to say how many times I've seen it; it's the first holiday movie I watch at the beginning of each December.  Years ago I recorded it on 8mm tape, then more recently I bought the DVD.  It was featured at the local theater as a classic film, so I got to see it on the big screen, which was a lot of fun.  Apparently Cary Grant started as the bishop and David Niven the angel; a new director came on board and realized the two men were in the wrong roles.  He persuaded Cary Grant to drop the title role, which he had wanted, and to play Dudley, which became one of his most praised roles.  After seeing the film I can't imagine the two men in reversed roles.

Yes, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Elf, Love Actually, One Special Night, La Pastorela, It's a Wonderful Life, and more are on our shelf, but this is the one I pull out first.  There's just something about the premise of being unaware of angels among us, answering prayers.  In 1996 this film was re-made with Denzel Washington as the angel, Courtney B. Vance as the minister, and Whitney Houston as The Preacher's Wife.  I haven't seen it.  Cary vs. Denzel...both are good, but after seeing the older one, it would be hard to like the new version.