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Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
Director: Richard Quine
Writers: Daniel Taradash (screenplay), John Van Druten (play)
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Elsa Lancaster, Ernie Kovaks, Hermione Gingold
Genre: Drama Fantasy Romance Comedy
Synopsis: Gillian (Kim Novak) is a modern day witch who sells tribal art and hangs out with her fellow witches and warlocks. She has a crush on her upstairs neighbor, a mortal named Shep (James Stewart). As fate would have it Gillian went to college with Shep's fiancee and despises her. With the help of her brother a warlock named Nicky (Jack Lemmon) she concocts a love potion to make Shep for in love with her.
Review: The best part of Bell, Book and Candle is the world building. We're treated to the inner circle of witches and warlocks who live a very modern life in Greenwich Village New York. The witches have jobs and a need to earn money. Their power is limited and so they go about their lives in a mostly conventional way. Gillian (Kim Novak) has a shop that sells Primitive Art from Africa and Oceania. The shop is decked out with some pretty cool looking stuff, that to me looked authentic. It's a great set.
Part of the world building takes place at the witch's hang out, called The Cosmic Club, which is a hip, beatnik basement club with live music complete with Jack Lemmon playing bongos! Lemmon is a happy go lucky warlock who gets his kicks turning street lights green, all at once, he breaks the cardinal rule by divulging his secret to a drunken writer played by Ernie Kovaks.
The other part I liked was the strong cast and it's really strong. Besides Jack Lemmon who's pretty great, there's also Queenie (Elsa Lancaster) an eccentric aunt who's a charm every time she's on screen...and Bianca (Hermione Gingold) who's said to be the most powerful witch and has the best set in the movie...this old funky witch's house, which is stuffed to the rafters with some pretty cool looking antique curios.
Of course the big draw here is the lovely Kim Novak, who along with her familiar her cat Pyewacket, steals the show with her memorizing looks.
Usually James Stewart is a favorite of mine, but he has little chemistry with Novak...and while he was OK in this movie, the lack of chemistry keeps this from being a favorite.
This was James Stewart's last romantic leading role. At 50 he was twice as old as 25 year old Kim Novak. Even Stewart felt like he was too old be her love interest. And for that reason the romance part of this film doesn't work well. But that's OK as the cast of characters more than make up for it.
Writers: Daniel Taradash (screenplay), John Van Druten (play)
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Elsa Lancaster, Ernie Kovaks, Hermione Gingold
Genre: Drama Fantasy Romance Comedy
Synopsis: Gillian (Kim Novak) is a modern day witch who sells tribal art and hangs out with her fellow witches and warlocks. She has a crush on her upstairs neighbor, a mortal named Shep (James Stewart). As fate would have it Gillian went to college with Shep's fiancee and despises her. With the help of her brother a warlock named Nicky (Jack Lemmon) she concocts a love potion to make Shep for in love with her.
Review: The best part of Bell, Book and Candle is the world building. We're treated to the inner circle of witches and warlocks who live a very modern life in Greenwich Village New York. The witches have jobs and a need to earn money. Their power is limited and so they go about their lives in a mostly conventional way. Gillian (Kim Novak) has a shop that sells Primitive Art from Africa and Oceania. The shop is decked out with some pretty cool looking stuff, that to me looked authentic. It's a great set.
Part of the world building takes place at the witch's hang out, called The Cosmic Club, which is a hip, beatnik basement club with live music complete with Jack Lemmon playing bongos! Lemmon is a happy go lucky warlock who gets his kicks turning street lights green, all at once, he breaks the cardinal rule by divulging his secret to a drunken writer played by Ernie Kovaks.
The other part I liked was the strong cast and it's really strong. Besides Jack Lemmon who's pretty great, there's also Queenie (Elsa Lancaster) an eccentric aunt who's a charm every time she's on screen...and Bianca (Hermione Gingold) who's said to be the most powerful witch and has the best set in the movie...this old funky witch's house, which is stuffed to the rafters with some pretty cool looking antique curios.
Of course the big draw here is the lovely Kim Novak, who along with her familiar her cat Pyewacket, steals the show with her memorizing looks.
Usually James Stewart is a favorite of mine, but he has little chemistry with Novak...and while he was OK in this movie, the lack of chemistry keeps this from being a favorite.
This was James Stewart's last romantic leading role. At 50 he was twice as old as 25 year old Kim Novak. Even Stewart felt like he was too old be her love interest. And for that reason the romance part of this film doesn't work well. But that's OK as the cast of characters more than make up for it.