Bell, Book and Candle (Widescreen/Full Screen): Amazon.ca: Janice Rule, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, Kim Novak, James Stewart, Ernie Kovacs, Jack Lemmon, Richard Quine, Julian Blaustein, Inc. Phoenix Productions: DVD

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Staid, secure publisher James Stewart leads a quiet life until he meets his bewitching downstairs neighbor, Kim Novak. John Van Druten's lighthearted Broadway comedy becomes a lush if lightweight romantic vehicle for Stewart and Novak, who would reunite for Hitchcock's Vertigo the next year. Novak is at her best as a Greenwich witch halfway between the worlds of magic and mortals, looking after her dotty aunt (Elsa Lanchester) and mischievous warlock brother (Jack Lemmon) as they keep their skills in practice. Novak's specialty is making men fall for her, but it's a one-way street: when a witch falls in love, she loses her powers. Director Richard Quine gives the witches an almost beatnik sensibility, a real Greenwich Village subculture hanging out in underground clubs and smart curio shops. Elegantly photographed in rich, glowing colors by James Wong Howe, Bell, Book and Candle is a fantasy world in New York set to a funky bongo-laced jazz score by George Duning. Quine's gliding camera is somewhat marred by abrupt editing, but his handling of actors is superb, in particular Novak, whose mysterious beauty masks inner turmoil and romantic yearnings. Ernie Kovacs appears as a wry author whose specialty is the supernatural, and Hermione Gingold is suitably florid as a witch elder with a penchant for theatricality. For once in his life Stewart is actually upstaged by the slyly comic performances around him. --Sean Axmaker

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Customer Reviews

39 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (39 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars She's one of them, Feb 23 2007

By

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bell, Book and Candle (Widescreen/Full Screen) (DVD)

Boy meets girl. Girl is actually a witch. Boy dumps fiancee. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy finds out that girl put a spell on him. Let the fireworks begin.

That's the basic plot of "Bell Book and Candle," which tackled the funny witchy-romance story long before Samantha or Sabrina existed, and with more humour and polish than either. It's just a cute romance with a unique twist, a cute cat, and meddling sorcery.

It's Christmastime, and Manhattan witch Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak) is in a rut. Then she meets hunky publisher Shepherd (James Stewart), who is engaged to her old college nemesis. So with the assistance of her cat Pyewacket, she casts a spell to make Shep fall madly in love with her, and drop backstabbing Merle (Janice Rule). Itr works like a... well, like a charm.

But things start to go wrong when Gil's aunt Queenie (Elsa Lanchester) and her pal Nicky (Jack Lemmon) start talking to a bestselling author on witchcraft -- who decides to write a book on the Manhattan witches. What's worse, Gil is falling in love with Shep -- which means her powers will vanish -- and decides to tell him the truth about the love spell.

"Bell Book and Candle" is not really a romantic comedy, so much as a romance movie with some funny characters. And of course there's a low-key fantasy angle -- basically all the witches and warlocks do is cast a few spells, honk car horns, and occasionally boil something in a cauldron. (Hermione Gingold as a showy old witch)

James Stewart tried out whimsy in the delightful "Harvey," where he's a man who claims to have a companion pooka. He plays the opposite side in "Bell Book and Candle" -- he's the victim of magic weirdness rather than the source. Kim Novak gives a chilly, otherworldly performance as a sophisticated witch. Expect weird romantic sparks to fly.

The plot does come slightly unwound in the last act, after Shep takes his love spell cure (his face as he drinks the potion is the funniest scene of the movie) and leaves the building. But it winds itself back up for a satisfactory finale. It also benefits from snappy dialogue that lasts from the first to the last scene ("That girl you know, Gillian Holroyd -- she's one." "A witch? Shep, you just never learned to spell")

All this "Bell Book and Candle" business creates a charming romance, with solid acting, great script, a dash of humor and newt's liver. Enchanting.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars An Entertainment, Jun 3 2004

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R. Barmore (Niantic, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bell, Book and Candle (Widescreen/Full Screen) (DVD)

James Stewart and Kim Novak star in this movie about a publisher (Stewart) who crosses paths with a witch (Novak) who is looking for some excitement. There's nothing serious about this film but it is great fun to watch two good actors with chemistry at work. Though the film was release in the late 1950's, the set and some of the language definitely lets you know that the 1960's aren't far away. If you're looking for some lite entertainment and something different, give Bell, Book and Candle a try.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Kim Novak Enchants in this Bewitching Romantic Comedy, May 18 2004

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Michael Mathena "Michael Mathena" (Valley City, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bell, Book and Candle (Widescreen/Full Screen) (DVD)

Kim Novac is wonderful as the 'good witch' falling in love with mortal James Stewart. The special treat with this film is that there is a complete 'underground society' (literally) of witches and warlocks, of whom we get to know Elsa Lanchester and Jack Lemon, both recommending Kim Novak quickly forget her romance with the mortal man.

This film is a visual feast with some tidbits of 1950s Jazz music in the score. Complete with black cat, spell-book and magic tricks. Who can blame Jimmy Stewart for falling for Kim Novak's spell? Don't miss this bewitching piece of light entertainment!*****

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Bell, Book and Candle
5 stars. This may have been filmed many years ago but please give it another view. I just watched it last night with my husband he was unfamiliar with this movie, skeptic at... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Silvana Rossi

4.0 out of 5 stars The Magical Ms. Novak
"Bell, Book and Candle" ( BBC ) is a very pleasant comedy, given an enormous boost from a formidable cast. Read more

Published on Mar 1 2004 by peterfromkanata