The angel in the 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife is named Dudley.
Dudley appears to Bishop Henry Brougham, an Episcopal clergyman struggling to raise money for a new cathedral. Rather than simply solving the building project, the angel helps Henry recognize the importance of his wife Julia, his daughter Debby, and the people around him.
Cary Grant plays Dudley, David Niven plays Bishop Henry Brougham, and Loretta Young plays Julia Brougham. The film was directed by Henry Koster and adapted from Robert Nathan’s 1928 novel of the same name. Its blend of romance, fantasy, and seasonal moral reflection places it among the notable classic Christmas films.
Dudley is sometimes confused with Clarence, the guardian angel in It’s a Wonderful Life. Clarence belongs to a different film and helps George Bailey understand his value by showing him an alternate Bedford Falls. Dudley instead works through a bishop’s personal and spiritual crisis.