HBO Home Video has produced a spectacular looking DVD edition of THE BISHOP’S WIFE. The black and white transfer is utterly gorgeous, with deep, deep blacks and terrific contrast. Master black and white cinematographer Greg Toland was responsible for this film’s glossy romantic photography, and this transfer is a true credit to his brilliant work. Digital compression artifacts weren’t detectable on this DVD.

HBO Home Video offers the film’s soundtrack in its original monaural, as well as a Chase Stereo Surround re-mix. The matrixed surround offers a bit more ambiance than monaural track. I personally found myself preferring the one channel Dolby Digital track for its overall stronger character. THE BISHOP’S WIFE received an Academy Award for its sound recording, and the monaural track presented here sounds great for an optical recording. Other soundtrack options include French, Spanish and Italian language tracks. Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. The interactive menus offer access to an interesting theatrical trailer, cast and crew biographies/filmographies, as well as the standard scene selection feature.

Thanks to its winning story and marvelous performances, THE BISHOP’S WIFE is a wonderful holiday classic that can be enjoyed throughout the year. The DVD edition of THE BISHOP’S WIFE it utterly gorgeous and will make a fine addition to any library. Absolutely recommended!