Bell Book and Candle (1958)

Director:

Richard Quine

Writers:

John Van Druten (play)
Daniel Taradash (screenplay)

Release Date:

January 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Fantasy

Tagline:

A bewitching comedy about an enchanting subject!

Plot:

A modern-day witch likes her neighbor but despises his fiancee, so she enchants him to love her instead... only to fall in love with him for real.

Plot Keywords:

Witch | Neighbor | Publisher | Spell | Skyscraper

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	Shepherd 'Shep' Henderson
Kim Novak	...	Gillian 'Gil' Holroyd
Jack Lemmon	...	Nicky Holroyd
Ernie Kovacs	...	Sidney Redlitch
Hermione Gingold	...	Bianca de Passe
Elsa Lanchester	...	Aunt Queenie Holroyd
Janice Rule	...	Merle Kittridge
Philippe Clay	...	French Singer at the Zodiac Club
Bek Nelson	...	Tina - Shep's Secretary
Howard McNear	...	Andy White - Shep's Co-Publisher
The Brothers Candoli	...	Musicians at the Zodiac Club

Also Known As:

Bell, Book and Candle (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #19072) | USA:PG (TV rating) | Finland:S | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Julian Blaustein Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

The play opened on Broadway in New York City on 11/14/50 and closed on 6/2/51 after 233 performances. The opening-night cast consisted of Rex Harrison as Shepherd Henderson, Lilli Palmer as Gillian Holroyd, Jean Adair as Miss Queeny Holroyd, Larry Gates as Sidney Redlitch and Scott McKay as Nicky Holroyd. There were no other characters in the play.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the Zodiac Club, when the Candoli Brothers begin playing "Stormy Weather", the soundtrack features trumpets with cup mutes, but the performance on screen is without mutes.

Quotes:

[last lines]
The Cat: Meow!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Jack Benny Program: Ernie Kovacs Show (#9.10)" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Stormy Weather

Charming

Kim Novak, at the peak of her career, is lovely here, as beautiful (single) witch, Gillian Holroyd. New neighbor, Shep (James Stewart) moves in upstairs, and suddenly that "ole black magic" is brewing all over the place.

Based upon the popular 1950s stage play, this movie does have a bit of the stagy feel to it. Despite that, there is the good use of Technicolor, George Duning's pleasant score, and the great cast of comic actors. Ernie Kovaks looks a little out of place, but he does well. Jack Lemmon is great as Novak's warlock brother, Stewart is fine, Elsa Lanchester is good as well, and so is Hermione Gingold. The real star of the film, however, is Pyewacket, Novak's handsome seal-point Siamese cat. What ever happened to him?

Not exactly a knee-slapping comedy, but pleasant, lite and fluffy entertainment. Enjoyable, and a stark contrast to Novak and Stewart's earlier pairing (the same year) in Hitchcock's "Vertigo". Worth seeing.