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The 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle is an adaptation of the 1950 Broadway play of the same name by John Van Druten. The film was directed by Richard Quine and starred James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Ernie Kovacs. It is considered Stewart's final romantic lead role. The film is a supernatural romantic comedy about Gillian Holroyd (Novak), a witch and owner of a rare ethnological art store in Greenwich Village, New York City, who takes an interest in her new neighbour, publisher Shep Henderson (Stewart). With its fun plot, excellent performances, and rich, glowing colours by cinematographer James Wong Howe, the film offers a delightful viewing experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 25 December 1958 |
| Director | Richard Quine |
| Screenplay | Daniel Taradash |
| Based on the Broadway play by | John Van Druten |
| Starring | James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, Janice Rule |
| Genre | Supernatural romantic comedy |
| Plot | A witch casts a spell on her neighbour |
| Awards | Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design; Golden Globes nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy |
| Colour | Filmed in colour |
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What You'll Learn
Bell, Book and Candle was filmed in colour
The 1958 romantic comedy film Bell, Book and Candle was filmed in colour. It was adapted from a Broadway play of the same name by John Van Druten, which ran from 1950 to 1951. The film stars Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd, a witch and owner of an ethnological art store in Greenwich Village, New York City. James Stewart plays the male lead, Shep Henderson, a publisher who becomes the object of Gillian's affections.
Novak's character is glamorous and powerful, but bored with her routine life. On Christmas Eve, her neighbour Shep arrives home to find Gillian's Aunt Queenie in his apartment. Gillian promptly casts a spell on Shep, but in doing so, she also falls in love with him, which causes her to lose her powers.
The film received praise for its camera work, set design, and use of colour, which Bosley Crowther of The New York Times described as "sleek and pictorially entrancing." Bell, Book and Candle was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Comedy.
The film was scored by George Duning, who incorporated elements of the plot into the music, such as the use of bongos and violins in the main theme. The soundtrack was released in January 1959, and the film itself was released on Blu-ray in 2012 and again in 2020.
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The film was released in 1958
The film Bell, Book and Candle was released in 1958. It is an American supernatural romantic comedy film starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, and Janice Rule. The film is an adaptation of the 1950 Broadway play of the same name by John Van Druten. The play starred Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer, but for the film, Columbia chief Harry Cohn decided on Kim Novak for the female lead.
Novak portrays a witch, Gillian Holroyd, who is also the owner of a rare ethnological art store in Greenwich Village, New York City. In the film, Gillian takes an interest in her new neighbour, publisher Shep Henderson, and casts a spell on him. The film is considered Stewart's final role as a romantic lead.
The film was scored by George Duning, another Columbia veteran, who earned praise for his work on From Here to Eternity. The soundtrack was released in January 1959 by Colpix. The film was released on blu-ray for the first time in 2012 and again in 2020.
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It was based on a 1950 Broadway play
The 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle was based on the 1950 Broadway play of the same name by John Van Druten. The original play starred Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer, who were also the first choices for the film's lead roles. However, scheduling conflicts prevented this from happening.
The film's lead roles ultimately went to James Stewart and Kim Novak. Stewart's role as the romantic lead Shep Henderson is considered his last. Novak portrays Gillian Holroyd, a witch who owns an ethnological art store in Greenwich Village, New York City. Bored with her routine life, she takes an interest in her new neighbour, publisher Shep Henderson, and casts a spell on him.
The film also stars Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, and Janice Rule. The real star of the film, however, is Pyewacket, Novak's handsome seal-point Siamese cat.
The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, and a Golden Globes nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy.
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The movie received Academy Award nominations
The 1958 American supernatural romantic comedy film "Bell, Book and Candle" received Academy Award nominations in two categories: Best Art Direction (Cary Odell and Louis Diage) and Best Costume Design (Jean Louis). The film was directed by Richard Quine and starred James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Ernie Kovacs.
Novak portrays Gillian Holroyd, a witch who owns a rare ethnological art store in Greenwich Village, New York City. Bored with her routine life, she takes an interest in her new neighbour, publisher Shep Henderson (played by Stewart). On Christmas Eve, Shep arrives home to find Gillian's aunt, Queenie (also a witch), inside his apartment. After Queenie casts a spell on his phone, Shep goes downstairs to use Gillian's phone, and the two meet and eventually fall in love.
The film is based on the 1950 Broadway play of the same title by John Van Druten. Taradash and Blaustein initially hoped to cast Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer, who had starred in the play, but Columbia chief Harry Cohn decided on Kim Novak for the female lead. James Stewart was lent by Paramount in exchange for Novak's appearance in Vertigo.
In addition to its Academy Award nominations, "Bell, Book and Candle" also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy and a Golden Laurel nomination for Top Male Comedy Performance (Ernie Kovacs). The film was praised for its camera work, set design, and use of colour, and is considered Stewart's final role as a romantic lead.
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It stars Kim Novak and James Stewart
'Bell, Book and Candle' is a 1958 American supernatural romantic comedy film starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. The film is an adaptation of a 1950 Broadway play of the same name by John Van Druten. It tells the story of Gillian Holroyd (Novak), a witch and owner of a rare ethnological art store in Greenwich Village, New York City, who becomes bored with her routine life and takes an interest in her new neighbour, publisher Shep Henderson (Stewart). On Christmas Eve, Shep arrives home to discover Gillian's aunt, Queenie, inside his apartment.
Novak portrays a witch who casts a spell on her neighbour, played by Stewart. The film also stars Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, and Janice Rule. It is considered Stewart's final role as a romantic lead. The film was directed by Richard Quine and the screenplay was written by Daniel Taradash.
Novak's character, Gillian, is described as smart, sensual, independent, and "Greenwich Village's most seductive sorceress." Powerful and glamorous, yet a little bored, Gillian knows that witches can't fall in love. But they can have fun, especially if their lover belongs to another woman! So, when Gillian discovers that her handsome new neighbour, Shep, is engaged to an old college nemesis, she promptly puts a spell on him. However, in the process of heating up Shep's heart, she also ends up falling in love herself, leading to a romantic complication.
The film features a unique colour design by Life magazine photographer Eliot Elisofon, who served as the colour consultant to cinematographer James Wong Howe. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, with cinematographer James Wong Howe also receiving praise for his work. The film was considered a blockbuster by Columbia Pictures and was promoted as such before its release.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the film was shot in colour.
The film is a romantic comedy about a witch who casts a spell on her neighbour.
The film stars Kim Novak, James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester and Janice Rule.
